The University of Maryland Eastern Shore men’s basketball team is rewriting history—and they did it in thrilling fashion Monday night.
In a heart-stopping 74-70 victory over longtime nemesis Norfolk State, the Hawks not only stayed undefeated in MEAC play but also achieved their best conference start in half a century.
“This start to conference play is in alignment with the vision that the University leadership had for this program when they hired me,” said head coach Cleo Hill. “Our goal was to breathe some new life into this program. I think the coaching staff has done a tremendous job up to this point of bringing in the right type of players and we have started to make huge strides in trying to restore the pride while honoring the rich history of UMES basketball.”
The Hawks (3-0 MEAC) wasted no time announcing their intentions. Behind early buckets from guard Jaden Cooper, who poured in five quick points, and a long-range strike from Dorion Staples, UMES stormed out to an 11–6 lead. The energy inside the Hytche Athletic Center was electric as Michael Teal capped the opening surge with a tough finish at the rim.
Norfolk State punched back with a 7–0 run, but a Zion Obanla slam silenced the rally and reignited the home crowd. From there, the night turned into a tug-of-war, with both teams trading blows and the lead changing 11 times before halftime. UMES led 32–31 at the break—a whisper of the drama still to come.
When the Hawks’ shots went cold early in the second half, the Spartans took advantage, clawing back to a 43–39 lead. That’s when Obanla, the 6’8″ forward from Nigeria, took over. He scored 18 of his game-high 20 points after intermission, hammering home alley-oops, muscling through layups, and dragging his team back into contention.
🏀𝐇𝐀𝐖𝐊𝐒 𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐒𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐀𝐈𝐍 𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐅𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐈𝐍 𝐌𝐄𝐀𝐂🏀
Top Performers:
Zion Obanla | 20 pts & 8 rebs
Jaden Cooper |19 pts (10-for-10 FTs)
Michael Teal | 14 pts & 5 astsRecap will be available on https://t.co/vaqyY6GmK0. pic.twitter.com/R8bKSi9y8X
— 𝙃𝘼𝙒𝙆 𝙈𝙀𝙉’𝙎 𝙃𝙊𝙊𝙋𝙎 🏀 (@UMESHawksHoops) January 13, 2026
Every time Norfolk State found daylight, UMES answered with grit, defense, and clutch shot-making.
With just over a minute left and UMES down by three, Obanla hit a free throw to pull within two. Then came a defining moment: Dorion Staples was fouled on a drive and coolly buried both shots to tie it at 68. Seconds later, Michael Teal muscled in a go-ahead bucket to make it 69–68 Hawks. From there, Justin Monden and Cooper—unflappable at the line—sealed it with four straight free throws, sending the crowd into a frenzy.
Cooper finished with 19 points, turning in a perfect 10-for-10 performance from the stripe. Teal added 14 points and five assists, Staples contributed 10 and six boards, and Obanla nearly out-rebounded Norfolk State by himself, grabbing eight.
For a team that had dropped nine of its last ten to the Spartans, the win was more than redemption—it was a statement. Now 3–0 in league play, UMES hasn’t started MEAC competition this hot since 1976, long before the program’s Division I era began.
As the final horn sounded and the scoreboard glowed the final score, one thing was certain—the Hawks are no longer just contenders. They’re making history, one game at a time.
