Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks

The Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks play Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference basketball at the Hytche Athletic Center in Princess Anne, Maryland. As a founding member of the MEAC, UMES holds a unique piece of HBCU basketball history from its landmark 1973-74 season. The Hawks' program has historically been defined by that single extraordinary run more than sustained modern success. Maryland Eastern Shore remains a proud, tradition-conscious member of the conference it helped establish.

UMES became a founding member of the MEAC in 1970 and reached its peak in 1973-74, posting a 27-2 record, sharing the MEAC regular-season title, and winning the conference tournament. That season, the Hawks became the first HBCU team invited to the NIT, defeating Manhattan College at Madison Square Garden before falling in the second round, and were ranked as high as No. 20 in the AP poll — the only HBCU program ever to crack the AP Top 25. UMES has never appeared in the NCAA Division I Tournament but holds two MEAC regular-season titles and one tournament championship.