Baltimore-The UMBC women's basketball team (11-13, 4-7 America East) snapped its four-game losing streak with a 66-41 victory over America East rival Albany (7-17, 3-8 America East) Saturday evening at RAC Arena. The Great Danes have now lost six in a row.
Neither team scored a field goal for nearly two-and-a-half minutes before UMBC junior forward Amanda Robinson's lay-up at 17:39 sparked an 11-3 Retriever run. Albany committed five turnovers in the first four minutes of play, and UMBC recorded five steals in that stretch.
The Retrievers took a 17-point lead with 2:15 to play in the first half on two free throws by senior point guard Brittnie Hughes before Albany closed the half on a 7-2 run for a 34-22 UMBC advantage at halftime.
UMBC scored 15 points off 15 Albany turnovers in the first period and outscored the Great Danes, 13-0, on second-chance points, as the Retrievers grabbed 13 offensive rebounds in the half. UMBC turned the ball over only three times in the stanza.
Despite their 12-point deficit, the Great Danes had the better shooting percentage, 38.9 percent to UMBC's 35.0 percent, as Albany took 22 less shots than the Retrievers (40-to-18).
The Great Danes opened the second half similarly to the first, missing their first seven field goal attempts and turning the ball over six times before Britney McGee drilled a three-pointer at the 12:42 mark. The Retrievers had scored eight points during that stretch and went on to score seven more before Albany's next points came with 9:39 left.
UMBC took a game-high 31-point lead, 60-29, with 4:59 to play as a Charese Baldwin lay-up capped an 11-2 run, but Albany scored 12 of the final 18 points of the game for the 66-41 final.
Hughes led all scorers with 14 points and grabbed a season-high six rebounds, while senior forward Sharri Rohde scored 11 points and added seven rebounds. Robinson also scored 11 and posted six boards.
McGee led the Great Danes with 11 points, while Gia Sanders scored 10. Kristin Higy scored nine points and added six rebounds.
The Retrievers out-rebounded Albany, 43-35, winning the rebounding battle for the first time in 12 games. UMBC also broke 60 points for the first time in four games.
The Retrievers shot 40.9 percent in the game, including 50 percent in the second half while holding the Great Danes to 25.5 percent shooting in the game and 17.2 percent from the floor in the second period.
UMBC returns to action Wednesday, Feb. 14, as the Retrievers travel to Binghamton for a 7 p.m. tip-off.
