ORANGEBURG, SC--- The South Carolina State Bulldogs look to remain in the upper part of the conference standings, when they face Maryland-Eastern Shore in a pivotal Mid-Eastern Athletic (MEAC) showdown on Saturday (March 21.) at Smith-Hammond Memorial Center. Tipoff is 6 p.m.

The Bulldogs currently in a three-way tie for 4^th place at 10-17 overall, 7-5 in the MEAC will look for a season sweep over the talented Hawks of Maryland-Eastern Shore led by first-year head coach Bobby Collins. UMES is 3^rd in league standings with an 8-5 MEAC, 15-13 overall record.

LAST MEETING:  SC State squeaked out a close 73-72 victory over UMES on the road in overtime at William P. Hytche Arena. Freshman guard Edward Stephens nailed a three-pointer with 2.3 seconds remaining to seal with victory. Stephens finished with a team-high 26 points, while sophomore Greg Mortimer added a career-high 21.

BULLDOG BITE: Freshman guard Edward Stephens has earned MEAC Rookie of the Week honors five times this season. Stephens currently leads the team in scoring with 11.6 ppg and 3.0 rebounds.

South Carolina State also tally nearly seven steals per game while forcing almost 13 turnovers. Sophomore guard Greg Mortimer is second on the team with 8.4, while junior forward Darryl Palmer is the leader on the board with 7.0 rebounds, 7.6 points and 2.2 blocks per game.

Meanwhile, UMES is led by forward Michael Myers with 16.1 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. Guard Devin Martin adds 13.9 ppg and 4.3 rpg, while forward Devon Walker chips in 9.9 and 3.0 rebounds.

THE OCCASION: Youth Day/Breast Cancer Awareness Day. There will be a pre-game cookout from 12 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the grassy area between the S-H-M Memorial Center and the Hardeep Judge Tennis Center and is free and open to the public. There will be music, games and other activities for the youth in attendance. Ticket prices for Saturday are: $3 youth; $7 general admission; $10 reserved seating.
 
During both the women's and men's games, breast cancer survivors will be recognized. Additionally, during halftime of the men's game, MEAC Commissioner Dennis Thomas will present the 2014 MEAC Football Championship trophy to head coach Buddy Pough and the SC State Football team.

SC State returns to action on Monday (Feb.23) in a pivotal MEAC doubleheader with Howard University. Tipoff for the women is 5:30 p.m., with the men following immediately afterwards in a 7:30 p.m. start. All SC State faculty and staff will receive free admission to all four games with a valid SC State ID. 

For more information on South Carolina State University basketball, please call the Office of Athletic Media Relations at (803) 536-7060, or visit the official Bulldogs website at www.scsuathletics.com.