ALBANY, N.Y.—UMBC senior guard Kristin Drabyn scored 20 points and sophomore guard Carlee Cassidy added 19 as the Retriever women's basketball team (6-12, 2-3 AEC) fought off a late Albany comeback to defeat the Great Danes (4-13, 2-2 AEC) by a score of 56-55 Tuesday evening at SEFCU Arena. UMBC played without starting guard Morgan Hatten, who injured her knee at Vermont on Sunday, and just six Retrievers played in the game.
"I am extremely proud of our young ladies for playing with such intestinal fortitude in the face of adversity," UMBC head coach Phil Stern said after the game.
Albany jumped out to a 10-2 lead to start the game, with five points apiece from Tanika Thrower and Charity Iromuanya, and the Great Danes held a 22-15 lead with 7:50 remaining in the first half before the Retrievers went on an 11-0 run, sparked by seven points from Drabyn, to take a 26-22 advantage at the 4:40 mark.
Albany briefly re-gained a 28-26 lead on a 3-pointer by Janea Aiken, but a trifecta and two free throws by Cassidy put the Retrievers back up by four with 24 seconds left before Aiken drained another 3-point bucket just before the buzzer. UMBC held a 32-31 advantage at halftime.
Drabyn led all scorers with 14 points and was a perfect 6-for-6 from the floor in the first half, while Cassidy had 10 points. Aiken led the Great Danes with 10 points, as well.
The Retrievers shot 52.2 percent (12-for-23) in the period while holding Albany to 42.9 percent (12-for-28) from the field.
Albany's Sherri Mikus hit a jumper just 30 seconds into the second half to give the Great Danes a 33-32 lead, but it would be their last of the night, as the Retrievers used a 12-0 run over the next four minutes, with six points by Cassidy, to take a game-high 11-point advantage, 44-33, at the 15:54 mark.
But the Great Danes did not give up, as Mikus' eight points led a 14-2 Albany spurt that trimmed the Retrievers' lead to one point, 46-45, with 9:50 left.
UMBC came back with a 7-2 run to reopen a six-point advantage but the Great Danes were not finished, as Kristin Higy scored their next eight points to pull her team back to within one at 56-55 with 1:43 remaining and setting up a hectic end of the game.
The Retrievers turned the ball over on their next possession, but Albany's leading scorer, Britney McGee, who was held scoreless all game, missed a jumper with 43 seconds left. After the Great Danes, who had only committed two fouls in the half, took a time out, they quickly committed three fouls in an attempt to get in the bonus and send the Retrievers to the free throw line. Short one foul, Albany allowed UMBC to run a play, which resulted in another turnover and gave the Great Danes the ball with 16 seconds to go.
Albany took their final time out to set up the last play of the game, but Higy's jumper just before the buzzer missed, and Cassidy grabbed the rebound and ran out the final seconds for the victory.
Drabyn earned America East Player of the Game for the second contest in a row, as her game-high 20 points came on 8-of-11 shooting, including 4-of-7 from beyond the arc. Junior guard Chantay Frazier and freshman guard Michele Brokans finished with a team-best seven rebounds apiece.
Mikus, Albany's Player of the Game, posted a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds, while Aiken scored 12 points and Higy added 11.
The Retrievers shot 45.7 percent in the game while holding the Great Danes to just 37.9 percent from the floor.
UMBC has a week off before concluding its three-game road trip at Boston University on Jan. 30.
