Baltimore, Md. – The UMBC women's basketball team (9-8, 1-5 America East) defeated Albany (5-12, 1-5 AE) by a final score of 48-41 on Thursday afternoon at RAC Arena. The Retrievers with the win snapped a five-game losing streak in front of 1,312 fans, the largest crowd in women's basketball history, as UMBC welcomed over 800 local elementary and middle school students to campus for the day. Sharri Rohde (Indianapolis, Ind./Franklin Central) led UMBC with a career-high 20 points and came one rebound short of a double-double with nine boards.
UMBC trailed the majority of the game as Albany ran out to a 17-7 lead by the 14:01 mark behind five three-point baskets from Jen Schumacher and Amanda Ward. Schumacher went 3-for-3 from outside the arc in the first six minutes of the game but would only hit 1-of-6 three-point baskets the rest of the game.
Albany held a 10-point advantage at 21-11 with 11:13 on the clock until Rohde started the Retriever rally, scoring the next seven points of the game to pull UMBC within three at 21-18 with 7:57 left in the first stanza.
UMBC would get no closer in the period as Albany went into the break with a 26-21 advantage.
The Retrievers continued to knock on the door through out the first 10 minutes of the second half as Rohde made a lay up with 10:07 remaining to pull UMBC within one at 35-34. Brittnie Hughes (Roanoke, Va./Northside) on the Retrievers ensuing possession gave UMBC its first lead of the game, making a lay up to put UMBC ahead 36-35.
Albany responded as Tanya James drove down the lane for an uncontested lay up to regain their lead. The Retrievers, however, would go on an 8-0 run behind six points from Rohde to take a 44-37 advantage with 39 seconds remaining in the game as Albany was held without a field goal for over eight minutes.
UMBC would tack on four more points at the free throw line to seal its 48-41 victory.
The Retrievers finished the game at 31.4 percent shooting from the field, shooting 16-for-51. Albany was held to 15 second half points and finished at 26.3 percent from the field on 15-of-57 shooting. UMBC went to the line 23 times, converting 14.
Rohde added three assists, one block and a steal to her 20 point effort. Freshman Mackenzie Butler (Reno, Nev./Reno) recorded three assists and four blocks in 32 minutes of action. Hughes and Amanda Robinson (Lusby, Md./Patuxent) each had six points.
Three Great Danes scored in double figures led by 14 from Schumacher. Ward and James tallied 10 points each.
UMBC returns to action at Stony Brook on Sunday at 2 p.m.
