– The UMBC women's basketball team (8-3) defeated Navy (6-5) by a final score of 71-44 on Friday night at Alumni Hall. The Retrievers opened both halves with 21-6 runs and led by as many as 30 in the game en route to their eighth victory of the season, matching last year's season win total.

Matea Pender (Sibinek, Croatia/The Croatian National Team) led all players with a game-high 20 points for UMBC. Pender went 6-for-17 from the field and 6-of-6 at the free throw line for her fifth consecutive double-digit performance.

UMBC jumped out to a 11-0 lead on a jumper by Amanda Robinson (Lusby, Md./Patuxent) with 16:17 to play in the first stanza. Navy responded with its first four points of the game before UMBC went on a 10-2 run to take a 21-6 lead by the 12:05 mark.

UMBC in the first eight minutes shot 50.0 percent from the field on 7-for-14 and caused seven Navy turnovers compared to committing a mere one. Navy made a surge to end the first half, closing UMBC's lead to 11 at 35-24.

UMBC ended any notion of a Navy rally to start the second period as the Retrievers went on a 21-6 run to begin the second period and take a 56-30 lead with 13:07 to play. The Retrievers cruised down the stretch for the 71-44 win.

Kristin Drabyn (Avon, Ind./Avon) scored double figures for the third consecutive game with 13 points, going 5-for-6 from the field and 2-for-3 from three-point range. Drabyn over the last three games is shooting 82.4 percent from the field, making 14-of-17 shots. Brittnie Hughes (Roanoke, Va./Northside) tallied 12 points with five assists.

UMBC shot 40.0 percent from the field making 26-of-65 attempts while Navy was held to 28.8 percent from the field making 15-of-52. Navy was led by Ashley Pelzek with 12 points. Navy committed 28 turnovers to 21 by UMBC.

UMBC returns to action as America East Conference play begins with the Retrievers at New Hampshire on Jan. 4 at 7 p.m.