Vestal, N.Y.-Senior forward Sharri Rohde posted a double-double, but it was not enough to lift UMBC (11-14, 4-8 America East) past America East foe Binghamton (9-15, 5-6 America East) Wednesday evening at the Events Center, as the Bearcats were victorious, 68-65. The Retrievers have dropped five of their last six contests. The game was delayed 45 minutes due to heavy snow in the area.
The teams alternated field goals for much of the opening minutes of the game, as the score was tied six times in the first half and neither team could open a lead of more than five points. UMBC held a 36-31 lead at halftime.
The Retrievers shot 48.1 percent (13-for-27) in the first period, including 62.5 percent (5-for-8) from three-point range. The Bearcats shot just 35.5 percent from the floor but were just as lethal from beyond the arc, shooting at a 75 percent clip (6-for-8). Rohde led all scorers with 11 points at the half, while Binghamton's Shea Kenny had a team-high eight points.
Brianna Thompson led a Bearcat comeback at the start of the second half, scoring Binghamton's first eight points to tie the score at 39-39 with 17:11 to play as Binghamton opened the period on a 14-4 run to take a 46-41 with 13:41 left.
Sophomore center Mackenzie Butler's lay-up at the 4:30 mark gave UMBC its final lead of the game, 59-58. Laine Kurpniece and Laura Sario made two free throws apiece and Sario drilled a three-pointer at the 2:34 mark to give Binghamton a game-high six-point advantage, 65-59.
Senior point guard Brittnie Hughes made two free throws and drilled a trifecta of her own to pull the Retrievers to within one point, 66-65, with 23 seconds remaining, but Rebecka Lindgren hit two free throws and UMBC missed two three-point attempts to tie the game in the final seconds.
Rohde scored 19 points and tied a career high with 12 rebounds, while freshman guard Carlee Cassidy scored 12 points on four three-pointers and Hughes had 11. Junior guard Morgan Hatten added eight points and a career-high nine rebounds.
Sario and Kurpniece led the Bearcats with 14 points apiece, while Lindgren had 10. Thompson added nine points and 10 rebounds.
The Retrievers shot 25.6 percent in the second half and 34.8 percent in the game, while Binghamton shot 38.3 percent from the floor.
The score was tied 12 times in the game and the lead changed hands 16 times. Binghamton out-rebounded UMBC, 47-37.
The Retrievers return to action Saturday, Feb. 17, when they host New Hampshire at 4 p.m. at the RAC Arena.
