, Md. – The UMBC women's basketball team returns to action with Maine on Wednesday night at UMBC RAC Arena. The Retrievers (14-9, 6-6 AE) are looking to rebound from an overtime loss to Hartford and record their first ever win against the Black Bears (8-15, 4-8 AE). Troy Green will be on the call as the game will air live on WLG 1370 and www.umbcretrievers.com. Tip off is set for 7:07 p.m.
RETRIEVER UPDATE: UMBC saw its six-game win streak come to an end last Wednesday night to conference leader Hartford by a final of 56-49 in overtime. The Retrievers have been idle since that loss, having the bye this past weekend while the rest of the eight conference teams were in action. Against Hartford, UMBC was led b y 19 points from Sharri Rohde and 15 from Brittnie Hughes. The Retrievers trailed by 11 at half time but came out and played some very stingy defense in the second half, allowing four Hartford field goals and 12 total second half points by the Hawks. UMBC held Hartford to its lowest output in a half this season and its lowest output in 40 minutes of play. The Hawks, however, found their stroke in the extra period, going 4-for-5 from the field and scoring 13 points to win 56-49. Rohde continues to increase her scoring average and is now up to 12.1 ppg, second to Matea Pender at 13.0 ppg. Hughes ranks third on the team at 11.2 ppg. Rohde leads UMBC with 6.0 rpg.
BLACK BEAR UPDATE: The Maine Black Bears are coming off a recent win against New Hampshire to pull to 4-8 in conference play, one game out of sixth place. Ashley Underwood went off for 24 points in the game, going 7-for-14 from the field. Bracey Barker had 17 points in the win. Barker leads Maine on the season at 14.0 ppg followed by Underwood at 12.7 ppg.
Who's Up Next: UMBC travels to Binghamton to take on the Bearcats at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 25.
RETRIEVER GAMEDAY
Game Notes: UMBC against Maine is the Retrievers' 24th game of the season, 13th in the America East Conference and 11th home game. The game marks the sixth all-time meeting between the two programs with Maine holding a 5-0 all-time advantage. Maine is the only conference team UMBC has yet to record a win against. UMBC earlier this year defeated Stony Brook, the only other conference team entering this season UMBC had not defeated. Earlier this year the Retrievers traveled to Maine, dropping a 73-56 decision to Black Bears and extending a season-long skid to five games. UMBC after that loss went on its six-game win streak leading up to the Hartford game last week. Maine sports one of the best front courts in the league with Bracey Barker and Abby Schrader. Baker averaged 14.0 ppg and 7.0 rpg while Schrader averages 11.4 ppg and 8.6 rpg. UMBC counters with the top ranked field goal percentage defense, holding opponents to 36.9 percent shooting and the third best rebounding defense, holding opponents to 35.6 rpg.
RETRIEVER QUICK SHOTS
- Retriever Win Streak Ends At Six...UMBC's six game win streak just broke into a tie for the 20th best active mark in the country according to ncaasports.com prior to meeting Hartford, who entered the game receiving votes in the AP Top-25 poll, as the Hawks defeated UMBC 56-49 in overtime.
- Swarming Defense...UMBC's defense has been swarming as of late, holding opponents to 50.7 ppg and 44.2 percent shooting during last seven games. The Retriever defense has held two of the top offensive teams in the league to season lows in field goal percentage and points per game. In addition, UMBC held Hartford to its lowest second half output in points at 12 and field goals percentage at 15.4 percent en route to holding the Hawks to a season low of 43 points for 40 minutes. The UMBC defense ranks first in field goal percentage defense, second in scoring defense and third in rebounding defense.
- Rohde Keeping The Retrievers Rolling...UMBC's junior Sharri Rohde is averaging 17.9 ppg, 8.4 rpg and shooting 61.8 percent from the floor during the Retrievers' last seven games in which UMBC has went 6-1. Rohde has earned two conference weekly honors during league play and tallied 20-plus points in three occasions. The Retriever forward has scored double figures in 10-of-12 conference games and ranks in the top-10 in four conference categories.
- UMBC Among Nations Top Assisters...UMBC in the last released NCAA statistics as of games through Feb. 20, 2006, ranked 19th in the nation with 16.8 apg. The NCAA Statistics are released every Tuesday afternoon.
- No Place Like Home...UMBC has a 8-2 home record this season with two of the final four regular season games at RAC Arena. UMBC moved past its toughest schedule after playing five for the first seven league games on the road. The Retrievers final home game will be senior night on Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. UMBC's best home record was a 10-0 mark during the 1993-94 season.
- 40 Minute Nights...Sharri Rohde and Brittnie Hughes have picked up the minutes lately, with Rohde playing all 40 minutes in three of the last four games and Hughes in the three of the last four. Hughes tallied a career high 43 minutes due to the extra five minutes needed against Hartford. Rohde for her career has 13 40-minute game while Hughes has logged all the minutes in eight career games and tallied at least 40 minutes in nine career games.
Retriever Up Rising
Head coach Phil Stern continues to build the UMBC women's basketball program towards the top of the America East Conference, having made progressive steps forward each year. UMBC with 14 wins has surpassed its win total from the previous year for the second consecutive season. Below are current notes on UMBC's growth this season.
- UMBC's 14 wins are six more than its 2004-05 record of eight victories (UMBC recorded four wins in 2003-04).
- UMBC's 14 wins secures UMBC with its first .500 season since going 15-13 in 1993-94.
- UMBC's 14 wins is the most regular season wins since wining 14 regular season games during the 1993-94 season.
- UMBC's 14 wins is tied for the fourth most wins since the Retrievers turned Division-I in 1986-87. UMBC's better seasons came in 1990-91 (17 wins), 1986-87 (15 wins), 1993-94 (15 wins), 2002-03 (14 wins).
- UMBC's six-game win streak (ended Feb. 14, 2006), was the longest since joining the America East Conference.
- The last time UMBC went on a six-game win streak was during the 1993-94 season in which UMBC set a school record with 10 consecutive wins.
- UMBC the last two years recorded its best start since joining Division-I, this year opening the year 6-1.
- UMBC's six conference wins is the Retrievers' most wins in the league, topping the four-win mark set in 2003-04.
- UMBC is 8-2 at home, the best mark since going 10-0 in 1993-94.
- UMBC's current success is coming as the America East Conference is ranked 11th in the RPI poll and third among I-AA conferences.
News and Notes...
America East Conference Ranked 11th in RPI Poll...America East has maintained its 11th ranking in The Collegiate Basketball News Women's RPI Report and ranks third among I-AA conferences. Only the Colonial (eighth) and Atlantic 10 (10th) are higher ranking I-AA leagues. America East has never finished as high as 11th in the final RPI for a season and never as high as third among I-AA Conferences. America East boasts three teams with RPIs in the top 100. Hartford leads the conference with an RPI of 33, followed by Stony Brook (38) and Boston University (73). UMBC has the fifth highest RPI in the league at 156.
Pender, Rohde, Hughes Reaching New Career Scoring Milestones...Matea Pender, Sharri Rohde and Brittnie Hughes continue to reach new career milestones in the scoring category. Pender recently passed the 900-point barrier and is closing in on 1,000 career points. Pender ranks 15th all-time on UMBC's career scoring chart. Rohde blew by the 700-point plateau with 19 against Hartford while Hughes has past the 500-point mark.
Lending a helping hand...UMBC leads the America East Conference for the second consecutive season in assists per game and ranks 19th in the NCAA Statistics through games Feb. 20, 2006. The Retrievers to date have recorded 16.8 apg. UMBC has seven games with 20-plus assists this season, including 26 against Fairleigh Dickinson as the Retrievers came one assist away from their single-season mark of 27, set in 1985 against Shippensburg. Brittnie Hughes dished out a career-high 10 assists against Lafayette and is averaging 4.5 apg through 22 games this season. The junior point guard has 100 assists on the year, setting a new single-season high for her.
Sharri Rohde Named America East Wilson Player of the Week For Second Time (2-12-06)...UMBC junior Sharri Rohde tallied a career high 23 points against Boston U. and recorded her second career double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds against Vermont en route to her second conference player of the week award. Rohde averaged 19.5 ppg and 9.0 rpg on the week. Her first weekly award came for the week ending Jan. 30, 2006 after posting two 20-point performances. Rohde that week averaged 20.0 ppg and 10.0 rpg, shooting 66.7 percent from the floor.
Pender Becomes Fifth Retriever To Reach 100 Treys For Her Career...Senior Matea Pender recorded five treys against Drexel to become the fifth player in UMBC history to reach 100 career three-point baskets. Pender needs one trey to reach fourth on UMBC's all-time three-point baskets made chart.
Rohde's Perfect Day From The Field...Junior Sharri Rohde was a force inside at Hartford, going a perfect 7-for-7 from the field. Rohde scored 14 points, mostly on inside post moves for layups or short jumpers. UMBC's single-game record for field goal percentage is 100 percent on 10-of-10 shooting by Monica Logan. That record was set on January 4, 1997 against Niagara.
Rohde's Start Streak...Junior Sharri Rohde extended her streak to 79 consecutive starts and has not missed a start in her entire collegiate career, starting all 28 games as a freshman and sophomore and every one this year. Rohde ranks ninth all-time for starts.
Rohde Moving Up Assists and Blocks All-Time Charts...Junior Sharri Rohde, who is UMBC's active leader in assists, blocks and steals, is moving up the Retrievers all-time charts in the assists and blocks category. Rohde currently has 227 career assists, ninth all-time and 60 career blocks, ranking 10th all-time. Amanda Robinson joined the top-15 for all-time blocks, ranking 14th with 47 in her career.
Hughes Joins All-Time Assists Chart...Junior Brittnie Hughes recorded three assists against Boston U. to joining UMBC's all-time top-15 for career assists. The Retriever point guard currently has 201 career assists, ranking tied for 11th all-time.
Hughes Sets New Personal Single Season High Assists Mark...Brittnie Hughes with 100 assists on the year has set a new personal single-season mark for assists. Hughes with 100 assists ranks eighth among all-time juniors with Shawne Heckler leading with 117 assists her junior year.
UMBC Sets Attendance Record At RAC Arena...On January 26, 2006, UMBC welcomed seven local middle and elementary schools to campus for "Midday Madness," as the Retrievers defeated Albany at RAC Arena in front of 1,312 fans, a UMBC women's basketball record. The activities for the day for the near 800 students included an educational speech from head women's basketball coach Phil Stern, a tour around campus guided by student-athletes, lunch in one of our dining facilities, and the women's basketball game at noon.
UMBC Featured on AE TV...The second installment of "America East On Campus" showcased a feature on the UMBC women's basketball team. The second show debuted on New England Sports Network (NESN) January 16 at 6:30 p.m. in a 30-minute window between two Atlantic Coast Conference basketball games, followed by a broadcast on Cox Sports Television at 9 p.m. A streaming video will also be available through the internet via America East All Access, provided by CSTV.
Hitting the Airwaves...UMBC will hit the airwaves with six games broadcasted live on WLG-1370 AM, all home games and some away games via www.umbcretrievers.com and a televised game against Vermont on Feb. 12 at RAC Arena. All WLG broadcast games will also run live via the website for fans outside the broadcasting network. UMBC will also broadcast live stats via the web for all home games at RAC Arena.
Indiana Trio Make Most Of Trip To Hoosier State...UMBC's Indiana girls put on a show in front of some family and friends against IPFW and Butler. The Indiana trio combined for 31 points against IPFW. Kristin Drabyn scored a career-high 14 points, all in the second half. Sharri Rohde tallied 10 points while Heather Luttrell dropped seven points in the game. The trio shot a combined 63.1 percent from the field, making 12-of-19 shots. Against Butler, Rohde tallied a career-high 11 rebounds while Drabyn finished with her second double-digit performance, scoring 10 points.
Hughes Earns America East Conference Co-Player of the Week (12-4-05)...Brittnie Hughes was named America East Conference Co-Player of the Week for the week ending Dec. 4, 2005. Hughes led UMBC to back-to-back wins as the junior point guard averaged 18.0 ppg and 6.5 apg in two contests. Hughes opened the week at American, scoring a career-high 19 points with nine assists and a 9-of-9 performance at the free throw line.
Hughes Named To Second All-Tournament Team...When it comes to tournaments, UMBC junior point guard Brittnie Hughes has stepped up to the challenge, earning a spot on both all-tournament teams this season. Hughes won a spot on the Retriever Tip-Off Tournament team after leading the Retrievers to the title. At South Florida, Hughes averaged 15.5 ppg and 4.25 apg to lead the Retrievers to a 1-1 mark. Last year Hughes was named to the 2004 Retriever Tip-Off Tournament team.
Block Party...Amanda Robinson's six blocks against Morgan State tied Eunice French for the most blocks recorded in a single game by a Retriever. Robinson had three blocks in the first five minutes against Morgan State. UMBC as a team blocked nine shots against Morgan State, Robinson's six, Nicole Dixon recording two and Mackenzie Butler one.
Pender Named MVP Of Retriever Tip-Off Tournament....Senior Matea Pender was named Retriever Tip-Off Tournament Most Valuable Player after averaging 14.5 ppg in the two games. Pender shot .500 from outside the arc, making 5-for-10 while shooting 47.6 percent from the field on 10-of-21. Pender added 10 rebounds, four assists and two steals in the two-day event.
UMBC Captures Tip-Off Tournament Title...UMBC for the first time in the three-year history of the Retriever Tip-Off Tournament captured the title, defeating Morgan State, 72-50, in the opening round to advance the championship game against Fairleigh Dickinson. UMBC went on to beat FDU, 76-58, to win the title as Matea Pender earned tournament most valuable player honors and Brittnie Hughes made the all-tournament team.
Retrievers Picked Ninth In Preseason Conference Poll...The UMBC women's basketball team was picked to finish ninth in the America East Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll. Hartford was the league's pick to win the conference after taking the league tournament title last year. Boston U. and Maine were selected to tie for second.
UMBC Inks Two for 2006-07...UMBC head women's basketball coach Phil Stern announced the signings of two student-athletes to National Letters of Intent to attend UMBC for the 2006-07 academic year. Carlee Cassidy (Syracuse, N.Y./Westhill) and Leanne Crockett (Manchester, Conn./Manchester) are both slated to become freshman at UMBC in the fall of 2006.
