BALTIMORE—UMBC senior guard Kristin Drabyn scored a career-high 24 points with six 3-point field goals, but Loyola forward Meredith Tolley swished a 12-foot jumper from the high post with 15 seconds remaining, snapping a 55-55 tie and lifting the host Greyhounds (4-3) to a 58-56 victory over the Retrievers (2-6) Monday evening at Reitz Arena.
Drabyn shot 6-for-10 from 3-point range, equaling her career performance last season against Texas State at the Battle at the Border Holiday Tournament. She scored UMBC's first 12 points of the game on four trifectas, and she scored 17 points in the first half alone.
Loyola guard Erica DiClemente tallied seven of the Greyhounds' first 11 points of the contest.
There were three ties and seven lead changes in a back-and-forth first period, but with the score knotted at 14-14 with 11:55 to play, Loyola went on a 12-5 run to take a game-high seven-point lead, 26-19, at the 6:54 mark.
The Retrievers quickly countered with a 10-0 run of their own sparked by five points each from Drabyn and sophomore guard Carlee Cassidy.
The score was tied again at 29-29 with 18 seconds left in the first half, but Loyola took a one-point 30-29 advantage into halftime after forward Meghan Wood was fouled with four seconds remaining and made one of two free throws.
Drabyn's 17 first-half points led all scorers and surpassed her season high of 15. She combined with Cassidy (8) to scored 25 of UMBC's 29 points in the period.
The Retrievers shot 45.8 percent (11-for-24) in the half, including 46.7 percent (7-for-15) from 3-point range, while holding the Greyhounds to just 33.3 percent (9-for-27) from the floor and 27.3 percent (3-for-11) from long distance. The difference of the stanza could be found in the free throw numbers, as Loyola made nine of 11 foul shots, while the Retrievers did not make a single trip to the charity stripe.
UMBC came out strong to start the second half, making eight of their first 12 field goal attempts to open a game-high 10-point lead, 50-40, at the 8:29 mark, using an 11-0 run that included no Loyola field goals for more than eight minutes.
But three free throws and an Alex Berlin jumper snapped that streak and sparked a 12-1 run that saw Loyola bounce right back to take a 52-51 advantage with 5:23 remaining.
Four straight UMBC free throws gave the Retrievers a three-point lead, but the Greyhounds again countered with three foul shots to tie the game for the seventh time, 55-55, with 1:50 to play.
That is when Tolley nailed her jumper with just two seconds left on the shot clock, putting the home team ahead for good.
The Retrievers had two chances to tie as the final seconds wound down. Senior guard Morgan Hatten was fouled with four seconds left but made just one of her two free throws. After Loyola guard Tynisha Davis was fouled and made one of her two foul shots, UMBC sent a floor-length inbounds pass to Cassidy, but her 17-foot shot was short as the final buzzer sounded.
Drabyn led all scorers with 24 points on 8-of-14 shooting, while Cassidy tallied 17 and a team-high six rebounds and four assists.
Wood posted a double-double for the Greyhounds with 11 points and 12 rebounds, while Davis led Loyola with 12 points.
The Retrievers tied a season high with 10 three-pointers and shot a season-best 43.5 percent from long distance. UMBC shot 41.3 percent from the field in the game, while the Greyhounds shot just 30.8 percent from the floor. Loyola also won the rebounding battle, 40-28.
The Retrievers return to action Wednesday, Dec. 5, as they conclude a three-game road trip at nearby Navy. Tip off in Annapolis is scheduled for 7 p.m.
