, Md. – The UMBC women's basketball team returns to action at Binghamton on Saturday at 1 p.m. The Retrievers (15-9, 7-6 AE) hold a one game lead over Binghamton (13-11, 6-7 AE) for the fourth spot on the league standings. Fans can listen to Binghamton's broadcast of the game by clicking on the link inside the full story.

RETRIEVER UPDATE: UMBC came off its bye weekend to defeat Maine 60-47 at home last Wednesday night, moving the Retrievers record to 7-1 over the last eight games. UMBC trailed the majority of the game, being held to a season-low 13 points in the first half as the Retrievers shot 20.0 percent from the field. The Retrievers, however, found their touch in the second stanza, scoring a season-high 47 points in the second half. The Retrievers shot 62.5 percent from the floor in the second period as they erased Maine's 13-point lead in the final 14 minutes for the win. Sharri Rohde was held scoreless until the 11:27 mark as she scored a lay-up off an offensive rebound, sparking nine straight points from the junior forward. Rohde scored 15 points in the remaining 11 plus minutes to lead UMBC. Matea Pender tallied 12 points and leads the Retrievers at 13.0 ppg. Rohde averaged 12.3 ppg followed by Brittnie Hughes at 11.1 ppg.

BEARCAT UPDATE: Binghamton had its bye this past week and is currently on a four-game slide, falling to Hartford, 66-56, their last time out. Jen Haubrich led the Bearcats with 12 points while Juta Jahilo came off the bench to score 10 points. Laine Kurpniece leads Binghamton with 12.3 ppg followed by Jen Blues at 10.6 ppg and Rachel Laws with 10.8 ppg. Binghamton currently holds a 6-7 league mark, one game behind UMBC.

Who's Up Next: UMBC returns home for Senior Night on Tuesday, February 28 against Stony Brook at 7 p.m. in RAC Arena.

RETRIEVER GAMEDAY

Game Notes: UMBC against Binghamton is the Retrievers' 25th game of the season, 14th in the America East Conference and 13th road game. The game marks the sixth all-time meeting between the two programs with Binghamton holding a 3-2 all-time advantage. Earlier this year UMBC defeated Binghamton 63-37, holding the Bearcats to a season-low in points scored at 37 and in field goal percentage at 29.2 despite the Bearcats coming into the game leading the America East Conference in both categories. Amanda Robinson scored a game-high 16 points while Brittnie Hughes tallied 14 points for UMBC. Laura Sario led Binghamton with 14 points. Binghamton and UMBC currently rank as the top-two shooting teams in the conference as the Bearcats are shooting a league best 43.7 percent from the field while UMBC is shooting 43.5 percent. UMBC is more stringent defensively, holding opponents to a league best 36.9 percent shooting while Binghamton's field goal percentage defense ranks sixth at 40.7 percent.

RETRIEVER QUICK SHOTS

- Retrievers 7-1 Over Last Eight Games...UMBC returned to the winning trail with a win over Maine for its seventh win in the last eight games. UMBC was on a six game win streak, which was tied for the 20th best active mark in the country according to ncaasports.com on February 14, prior to meeting Hartford that night. The Hawks, who entered the game receiving votes in the AP Top-25 poll, defeated UMBC 56-49 in overtime.

- Swarming Defense...UMBC's defense has been swarming as of late, holding opponents to 50.2 ppg and 33.8 percent shooting during last eight 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 17.5 ppg, 8.0 rpg and shooting 60.7 percent from the floor during the Retrievers' last eight games in which UMBC has went 7-1. Rohde was held scoreless until the 11:27 mark in the second half against Maine as the Retrievers trailed by 10 points when Rohde hit her first basket of the game. Rohde scored nine-straight points and 15 in the final 11 plus minutes as UMBC turned around for a 13-point win. 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 11-of-13 conference games and ranks in the top-10 in four conference categories.

- UMBC Among Nations Best Improved Teams...UMBC is one of the nations most improved teams ranking tied for eighth with seven more wins than last year.

- 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 9-2 home record this season with the Retrievers final home game and 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.

Nations Top Improved Teams

School 04-05 05-06 Dif.

St. Joseph's 7-23 17-8 10

William & Mary 4-24 14-10 10

Wichita State 5-22 14-9 9

Stony Brook 8-20 16-8 8

Elon 4-24 12-14 8

Iona 6-22 14-11 8

IUPUI 7-21 15-9 8

UMBC 8-20 15-9 7

Providence 1-22 8-17 7

South Carolina 8-21 16-9 7

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 15 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 15 wins are seven more than its 2004-05 record of eight victories (UMBC recorded four wins in 2003-04).

- UMBC's seven additional wins this season ranks UMBC as the eighth best improved team in the nation (see chart on page 3)

- UMBC's 15 wins secures UMBC with its first .500 season since going 15-13 in 1993-94.

- UMBC's 15 wins is the most regular season wins since wining 17 regular season games during the 1990-91 season.

- UMBC's 15 wins is tied for the second most wins since the Retrievers turned Division-I in 1986-87. UMBC's top seasons came in 1990-91 (17 wins), 1986-87 (15 wins), 1993-94 (15 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 seven conference wins is the Retrievers' most wins in the league, topping the four-win mark set in 2003-04.

- UMBC is 9-2 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.

Relentless Retrievers...UMBC has come-from-behind in 12 of its 15 wins this season, including three wins after trailing by 10 or more points. The Retrievers overcame a 10 point deficit by Albany, a 16 point deficit by Vermont and a 13 point deficit by Maine in conference games. UMBC also fought back from 13 down against Hartford to send the game to overtime.

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 4.3 apg through 24 games this season. The junior point guard has 104 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 drained a three-pointer against Maine to tie for fourth all-time. She needs two to reach third.

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 80 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 230 career assists, ninth all-time and 61 career blocks, ranking 10th all-time. Amanda Robinson ranks tied for 13th with 48 blocks 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 205 career assists, ranking 11th all-time.

Hughes Sets New Personal Single Season High Assists Mark...Brittnie Hughes with 104 assists on the year has set a new personal single-season mark for assists. Hughes with 104 assists ranks seventh 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.