BALTIMORE—The UMBC women's basketball (4-6) team drilled a season-high 12 three-pointers but allowed 17 in a 74-72 victory over Northern Iowa (4-4) Sunday afternoon at the RAC Arena. UMBC sophomore guard Carlee Cassidy posted career highs with 25 points and five trifectas to lead the Retrievers to back-to-back wins for the first time all season.
The first five minutes of the game set the tone for the afternoon, as the first six field goals came from three-point range, with each team hitting three, but the Panthers' first six buckets were all from long distance. Guard Nicole Clausen drained four trifectas in that stretch for 12 of Northern Iowa's first 18 points.
UMBC led for most of the first half, using a 13-3 run to take a game-high 10 point lead, 36-26, with 55 seconds left in the period. But with two seconds left, the Retrievers committed a turnover. Panther guard Erin Brocka sent the inbounds pass to teammate Jacqui Kalin, who caught it at half-court, dribbled once and sunk a 45-foot jumper at the buzzer to send Northern Iowa into the locker room with all the momentum, though the Retrievers held a seven-point halftime lead, 36-29.
Clausen led all scorers with 12 points in the first half, while senior guards Kristin Drabyn and Morgan Hatten each scored nine to lead the Retrievers. Hatten added a game-high six rebounds and four assists in the period, as well.
The Retrievers shot 43.8 percent (14-for-32) in the first stanza, with half of their field goals coming from 3-point range, where they shot 53.8 percent (7-for-13). The Panthers went 9-for-15 (60.0 percent) from long distance in the opening period, but just 1-for-10 from inside the arc, and shot a combined 40.0 percent (10-for-25) from the floor. In addition, Northern Iowa's 14 turnovers in the first 20 minutes led to 14 points for UMBC.
The Panthers maintained the momentum at the start of the second half, opening the period on a 24-6 run to jump ahead by a game-high eight points, 45-53, with 10:03 left in the game. Northern Iowa sunk four 3-pointers during that 10-minute stretch.
But UMBC scored 15 of the next 19 points to regain a 60-57 lead with 3:46 to play. Cassidy's 3-pointer capped the scoring spurt, but she took over the game, as she scored 11 straight points for the Retrievers.
Cassidy's trifecta with 56 seconds left gave UMBC a five-point lead, 68-63, but UNI guard Traci Ollendieck answered with a trey of her own to make it a one-possession game.
The Panthers fouled Hatten, who missed the front end of a one-and-one, but UMBC freshman center Chrissy Robinson grabbed the offensive rebound, was immediately fouled, and made both ensuing free throws to make it a four-point game.
Kalin took the inbounds pass and drove the length of the court for an easy lay-up to again trim the Retrievers' lead to two points, 70-68, with 23 seconds left, but the Panthers fouled Drabyn, UMBC's best free throw shooter (85 percent), and she made both attempts.
After Northern Iowa forward Lizzie Boeck made the second of her two foul shots, Drabyn again was fouled and drained both free throws for a five-point advantage, 74-69, with 11 seconds left. Then Clausen, who had been quiet for much of the second half, drilled another 3-pointer with five seconds remaining, but the Panthers were unable to foul to stop the clock, and the Retrievers walked away with the 74-72 victory.
The 74 points were a season high for the Retrievers and the most since Feb. 20, 2007, in an 80-72 victory at Vermont. UMBC's 12 3-pointers were the most since Jan. 29, 2005, a 13-trifecta performance against New Hampshire.
In addition, the Retrievers' .444 shooting percentage from long distance was the highest since March 10, 2007, against Vermont in the America East Tournament semifinals (56.3 percent). UMBC shot 44.4 percent from the floor, as well, which is also a season high and the Retrievers' best mark since March 9, 2007 against Stony Brook in the America East quarterfinals (44.9 percent).
Cassidy led all scorers with 25 points, including 18 in the second half, on a career-high eight field goals and five 3-pointers.
Four Retrievers scored in double figures for the first time since Jan. 7, 2007, at Stony Brook. In addition to Cassidy, Drabyn and Hatten each posted 14 points and junior guard Chantay Frazier added 11. Hatten also posted team highs with nine rebounds and five assists.
Clausen and Ollendieck each scored 18 points on 6-of-10 shooting from 3-point range to lead four Panthers in double figures. Kalin added 13 points, while Brocka scored 10 to go along with a team-high nine rebounds and seven assists.
The Panthers' 17 3-pointers set a Northern Iowa school record, and their .567 shooting percentage from long distance (17-for-30) was the highest allowed by UMBC since Feb. 14, 2007, at Binghamton (.571). UNI shot 46.3 percent (25-for-54), a season worst for field goal percentage defense for the Retrievers, who had been allowing just 35.3 percent shooting, the best mark in the America East.
UMBC won the rebounding battle, 33-32, and forced 24 turnovers while committing 19.
After a 10-day break for final exams, the Retrievers return to action on Dec. 19, when they head around the beltway to take on cross-town rival Towson.
