Maryland Eastern Shore’s postseason dream run ended one win shy of the WNIT Sweet 16, but not before the Hawks firmly planted themselves on the national stage as the last Division I HBCU women’s program still standing in March.
The Hawks couldn’t overcome a poor shooting percentage from the field in a 61-42 loss to Youngstown State on Tuesday night.
Dakieran Turner, in her final game in a Hawks uniform, posted her first double-double of the season with 10 points and 12 rebounds.
Kaliya Perry added 10 rebounds against Youngstown State. And Brianna Barnes posted 14 points in the loss.
Overall, UMES capped the 2025-26 campaign with the best record in program history, finishing 20-15 after its WNIT second-round loss on Tuesday night. The Hawks reached the postseason for the first time, then stunned Wake Forest 59-48 on the road to notch the program’s first postseason victory.
Second-year head coach Malikah Willis guided Maryland Eastern Shore to an 11-3 regular-season mark in the MEAC, a new program record for wins, and a No. 2 seed in the MEAC Tournament for the first time since 2018-19. The Hawks reached the MEAC semifinals for a second straight year, then extended that momentum into March with their WNIT bid.
Carrying the HBCU and MEAC banner
As the WNIT bracket shrank, UMES found itself in a unique spotlight: the lone Division I HBCU women’s team still alive in either national postseason tournament. Willis said that reality became part of the team’s fuel as it pushed deeper into March.
“I told our team that we were the last Division I HBCU standing in these tournaments and it’s a lot of pressure, but we’re enough and we’ve done enough throughout the year,” Willis said. “The MEAC prepared us for that. Preseason prepared us for the MEAC, but the MEAC prepared us for the postseason. People have to understand that.”
Willis praised the league’s toughness and coaching as UMES matched up with another defense-first opponent in Youngstown State. “The way we represent our conference, it’s tough, we have really good players, really good coaches that have great philosophies,” she said. “They’re a good defensive team, we’re a good defensive team, and we just put it to the test. But the MEAC has something to say, in general, and I’m proud to represent the MEAC.”
UMES is a program on the rise
The Hawks’ postseason surge crystallized in Winston-Salem, where they outlasted Wake Forest in a grinding, physical first-round battle. After leading most of the night, UMES trailed 48-45 midway through the fourth quarter before closing on a 14-0 run to complete the upset and punch its ticket to the second round.
UMES’ rise has been fueled by a blend of experienced leaders and impact newcomers that reshaped the program’s ceiling.
Senior guard-forward Ashanti Lynch earned MEAC First Team and All-Defensive honors, while senior Brianna Barnes was named the league’s Sixth Player of the Year. Taylor and Perry both picked up MEAC All-Rookie recognition, signaling a core that can sustain the Hawks’ new standard.
For Willis, the buy-in inside the locker room is already starting to pay dividends beyond the court.
“It’s kind of what needs to happen because when I think of recruiting and putting UMES on the map, the phone calls are different now that we’re making more noise,” she said. “Players always answered before, but now they’re responding a little differently when we’re winning. Winning is contagious, and winning helps everything. It’s going to help our recruiting and the buy-in that our players have shown this year; other people see that and it’s so important for the culture.”
