NORFOLK, Va. -- UMES ended another forgettable basketball season last night, as the Hawks were beaten by Bethune-Cookman, 90-70, in a preliminary in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament at the Norfolk Scope.

Bethune-Cookman, the eighth-place team during the regular season, will play top-seeded Howard in today's (1 p.m.) quarterfinals. Three of the Wildcats' wins came against UMES (3-25), the MEAC's last-place team, which finished with its eighth straight loss. In computer power rankings of the nation's 300 Division I teams, Bethune-Cookman (4-24) is No. 298 and UMES 299, ahead of only winless Prairie View.

UMES has had one winning season since the 1970s, and the Hawks have had two victories in the MEAC tournament since Joe Pace led the then-Division II Hawks to a title in 1974.

UMES led by as many as eight in the first half, taking a 23-15 lead on Marlin Kimbrew's three-pointer from the right side with 5:46 left.

UMES -- Jenkins 3-10 1-2 7, Huger 1-2 0-0 3, Richards 2-5 3-4 7, Caine 5-11 1-2 11, Edwards 8-17 4-7 21, Arnold 0-0 0-0 0, Morehead 1-3 0-0 3, Kimbrew 4-10 4-6 13, Harris 2-7 1-1 5. Totals 26-65 14-22 70.

BETHUNE-COOKMAN -- Cunningham 8-14 9-10 25, Nash 2-5 0-0 4, Williams 0-2 0-0 0, Strong 1-6 6-8 8, Stevens 2-7 5-8 10, Orr 2-5 0-0 4, Smith 5-12 3-4 15, Robinson 8-11 8-11 24. Totals 28-62 31-41 90.

Halftime--UMES 36, Bethune-Cookman 32. Rebounds--UMES 39 (Edwards 8); BC 47 ( Cunningham 8). Assists--UMES 8 (Caine 5); BC 14 (Orr 5). Total fouls--UMES 27; BC 25. Fouled out--Jenkins. Technical fouls--UMES bench.