Baltimore, Md. - The UMBC Retrievers (0-1) women's basketball team lost their home opener on Saturday night at RAC Arena to the University of Pennsylvania Quakers (1-0) by a final score of 54-37 in the second game of the Retriever Tip-Off Tournament. In game one of the tournament, Delaware State advanced to the championship game with a 66-56 victory of Iona setting up the Retrievers and Iona in the consolation game at 2 p.m. and Penn and Delaware State in the tournament title game at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 23.
Penn jumped out to an early lead on the Retrievers as Jewel Clark sank the Quakers first two baskets to take the lead, 4-0. The Retrievers pulled back within one at 10-9 on a lay-up by Mariana Santos (Presidente, Brazil/Americana) to make the score 10-9 before a 9-0 run by Penn allowed the Quakers to dart out to a double-digit lead with seven minutes to play in the half. The Retrievers cut the lead back to eight on a three by freshman Heather Luttrell (Kokomo, Ind./Northwestern) going into the break down 27-18.
Out of the break both teams traded baskets up until the 12-minute mark when Penn went on 9-0 run to a 45-28 lead as they cruised down the stretch to the 54-37 win.
Luttrell led the Retrievers, scoring 11 points off the bench, including a perfect two-for-two from behind the arc while sophomore Maria Brown (Frederick, Md./Frederick) tallied 10 points. Leading the way for Penn was Jewel with 12 points and seven boards and Joey Rhoads with 10 points.
In the tournament opener, Delaware State held off a late charge by Iona, who came back from a seven-point halftime deficit to pull within one with 10 minutes remaining in regulation, to take a 66-56 victory. Najmah Fauntleroy tallied a game-high 15 points coming off the Hornets bench to lead Delaware State. Fauntleroy got her first double-double of the year, pulling down 14 boards in the game as well. The Gaels were led by Michelle Fahy with 13 points and Meg Abele with 12 points.
RETRIEVER TIP-OFF TOURNAMENT RESULTS
Delaware State 66, Iona 56
Penn 54, UMBC 37
