VESTAL, N.Y.--The UMBC women's basketball team (8-15, 4-6 AEC) takes on America East rival Binghamton (7-15, 5-4 AEC) Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. The Retrievers return to the BU Events Center for the first time since completing their magical run to their first-ever conference title in the same building. Greg Kadetsky and Matt Waymire have the call of the game on the PackCast, enhanced video streaming of the game produced by the Pack Network. In addition, you can follow the game from your computer with LiveStats.
RETRIEVER UPDATE: UMBC is 8-15 on the season and 4-6 in America East play after picking up its second straight victory, a 62-49 win at league rival Stony Brook on Wednesday to claim their first-ever season sweep of the Seawolves. The win marks the first time the Retrievers have won back-to-back games since early December and just the second time all season. Junior guard Chantay Frazier and sophomore guard Carlee Cassidy combined to score 35 of UMBC's 38 second-half points. Frazier finished the game with a career-high 26 points, with 24 coming in the second period, while Cassidy posted 11 of her 18 points in the second stanza. Cassidy leads UMBC and the America East with 17.3 ppg. The Retrievers lead the conference in 3-pointers made per game (7.39) and rank second in free throw percentage (.765) and field goal percentage defense (.388).
BEARCAT UPDATE: Binghamton is 7-15 overall and 5-4 in America East play after an 82-75 loss at league rival Boston University on Wednesday. Senior center Laine Kurpniece posted a double-double with 25 points and 11 rebounds, while senior guard Laura Sario scored 13 points, including the 1,000th of her career. Kurpniece leads the Bearcats and ranks sixth in the America East with 12.5 ppg on the season, while forward Laura Franceski is the team's top rebounder with 5.4 rpg. Kurpniece is also the league's third-best free throw shooter at 84.3 percent, while Sario is right behind her at 82.8 percent. Franceski leads the conference with 2.18 blocks per game.
Who's Up Next: The Retrievers return home to host Albany on Wednesday, Feb. 20. UMBC is 4-5 all-time against the Great Danes, including a thrilling 56-55 victory at SEFCU Arena last month. Albany is 1-3 all-time at the RAC Arena.
Inside the Series...
Saturday's game marks the 11th all-time meeting between UMBC and Binghamton, and the Bearcats hold a 7-3 series advantage. The first meeting occurred on Jan. 28, 2004, a 61-48 victory for the host Bearcats. Binghamton took the first two contests before the Retrievers won, 50-46, on Jan. 22, 2005, in Vestal. The teams split the season series last year, with each team winning at home, but the Bearcats took the first game of this season's series last month in Baltimore. As America East rivals, the teams have met twice a year since the 2003-04 season, but had never faced off prior to the Retrievers joining the conference. UMBC is 1-3 all-time versus the Bearcats at the Events Center.
In the teams' last meeting, Jan. 12, 2008, UMBC sophomore guard Carlee Cassidy scored 16 points in the final six minutes of play, leading a late Retriever comeback that fell short in a 65-58 loss. UMBC could not find the basket in the first half, shooting just 28 percent, while the Bearcats seemingly could not miss, making 52 percent of their shots en route to a 31-16 halftime advantage. Binghamton used a 22-2 run over a 10-minute span to take a 16-point lead. UMBC was held scoreless for six minutes during that stretch. Cassidy led the Retrievers with 21 points and seven rebounds, and she drained a game-high four 3-pointers. Senior guard Morgan Hatten, UMBC's America East Player of the Game, scored a career-high 16 points. Binghamton forward Laura Franceski led all scorers with a career-high 27 points. She made eight of nine field goal attempts and 11 of 14 foul shots to go along with a game-high six blocks.
News and Notes...
For Starters: UMBC opens the season 8-15 for the first time since the 2004-05 season and just the second time in 22 years at the Division I level. The Retrievers dropped the 24th game of the 2004-05 season and are 9-12 in Game 23 since 1986-87.
Feel the Magic: The Retrievers return to the Binghamton University Events Center for the first time since their Cinderella run to the America East title. Just 1-3 in the building against the Bearcats, UMBC won three straight games over the conference's top three teams en route to their first ever league championship and NCAA Tournament berth.
Back to Back: With back-to-back wins over Maine and Stony Brook over the last week, the Retrievers have won two straight games for the first time since defeating Navy and Northern Iowa Dec. 5-9, and just the second time this season. The last time UMBC won three in a row was March 9-11, 2007, at the America East Championships.
What a Pair: Junior guard Chantay Frazier and sophomore guard Carlee Cassidy combined to score 35 of UMBC's 38 second-half points on Wednesday against Stony Brook. The pair also made all 13 of UMBC's second-period field goals. Frazier scored a career-high 26 points in the game, with 24 coming in the second half, while 11 of Cassidy's 18 points came in the second stanza.
Top Dawg: Sophomore guard Carlee Cassidy is the America East's leading scorer with 17.3 ppg. Cassidy has scored in double figures in 20 out of 23 games this season, but she had her 13-game double-figure scoring streak snapped last Tuesday at Hartford, when she was held scoreless. Cassidy also has six 20-point performances this season, and she has led the Retrievers in scoring 14 times, including 10 of the last 15 games.
Three's Company: The Retrievers have made at least one 3-pointer in 94 straight games dating to Feb. 5, 2005, and they have made at least four in each game this season, a 39-game streak which dates to Jan. 13, 2007, against Binghamton, when they made three. UMBC has reached double figures in 3-pointers six times this season, including a season-high 12 against Northern Iowa on Dec. 9, and most recently tallying 10 against Maine last Saturday. The Retrievers lead the America East and rank 10th in the nation with 7.39 three-pointers per game this season. In addition, sophomore guard Carlee Cassidy leads the conference and rankd 31st in the NCAA with 2.52 three-pointers per game, while senior guard Kristin Drabyn ranks third and 70th, respectively, with 2.22.
Drabyn for Three: Senior guard Kristin Drabyn ranks second all-time at UMBC with 150 career 3-point field goals, and after burying one trifecta at Stony Brook on Wednesday, she is only one shy of tying Shalayna Johnson's school record of 151 career 3-point buckets. Averaging 2.22 triples per game this season, she could break the mark today. Drabyn also ranks third all-time with a career .350 shooting percentage from long distance. She sank her 100th career 3-pointer in the season opener against George Washington, becoming just the sixth player in UMBC history to reach that milestone. Drabyn's 68 3-pointers last season ranked second among all-time Retriever juniors and are the fourth-highest single-season total in UMBC history, while her 51 trifectas so far this season are tied for the third-most all-time among Retriever seniors and tied for the ninth-best single-season total in UMBC history.
Cassidy for Three, Too: Sophomore guard Carlee Cassidy's 58 three-pointers this season are the second-most ever by a UMBC sophomore and the seventh-best single-season total in UMBC history. She has also moved into the Retrievers' all-time top-10 for career trifectas, as she is now seventh with 89, and she ranks fifth with a .328 career 3-point shooting percentage. Cassidy leads the America East with 2.52 per game on the season.
20/20: Sophomore guard Carlee Cassidy has posted eight 20-point performances this season, the most by a Retriever since Shalayna Johnson scored 20 or more points 12 times during the 2002-03 campaign. In addition, the Retrievers have recorded 13 20-point efforts as a team this season, surpassing last year's total.
Halfway There: Sophomore guard Carlee Cassidy scored her 500th career point on Saturday against Maine, making her just the ninth Retriever to reach the milestone in her second season during UMBC's 22-year Division-I history.
Double Your Pleasure: Sophomore guard Carlee Cassidy had her 13-game double-figure scoring streak snapped last Tuesday at Hartford, when she was held scoreless, but she has reached double digits in 20 out of 23 contests overall this season. The 13-game streak was the longest by a Retriever since Matea Pender's 13-gamer during the 2005-06 campaign. Senior guard Kristin Drabyn also had her season-best four-game streak snapped by the Hawks, but she has scored 10 or more points in 12 of the last 18 games. Both players bounced back in the next game against Maine, as each scored 20-plus points. Junior guard Chantay Frazier is currently riding a five-game double-figure streak, and she has reached double digits in six of the last eight games. A season-high four Retrievers scored in double figures against Northern Iowa for the first time since Jan. 7, 2007.
Hatten Returns: Senior guard Morgan Hatten returned to the Retrievers last Saturday against Maine, playing in her first game since undergoing arthroscopic surgery on Jan. 25 to remove the torn part of her meniscus. She played nine minutes against the Black Bears in her first action since going down with the knee injury early in the Vermont game on Jan. 20. Expected to miss two to four weeks, Hatten sat out just four games. With both Hatten and junior guard Melissa Book sidelined, the Retrievers dressed just eight players on Jan. 22 at Albany, and only six players saw action, with four playing all 40 minutes in the 56-55 victory.
Oh, Baby: Expected to miss the entire season, senior center Amanda Robinson returned to the UMBC lineup on Jan. 30 at Boston U., just a six weeks after giving birth to her son, Jaden. Robinson could have sat out the whole season and returned for the 2008-09 campaign, but she decided to exhaust her eligibility this year because she plans to graduate in May. In her first five games back, Robinson has averaged 4.2 ppg and 2.8 rpg in 17.6 mpg. She made her first start of the season on Feb. 5 at Hartford. Robinson was the Most Outstanding Player of the 2007 America East Tournament and the Retrievers' third-leading scorer and second-leading rebounder last season.
Sister Act: With senior center Amanda Robinson's return, the Retrievers finally have the "sister act" they expected last season, as she teams with younger sister Chrissy Robinson, a freshman center. The Robinsons are believed to be the third pair of sisters to play on the same basketball team at UMBC, joining Carol and Debbie Sybert (1979-80) and twins Karen and Sharon Keadle (1979-82).
Helping Hand: All eight Retrievers who played at Boston University on Jan. 30 recorded at least one assist, the first time this season that every player who saw action tallied at least one helper. Senior guard Morgan Hatten recently moved into UMBC's all-time top 15 list with 182 career assists. Freshman point guard Michele Brokans has proved this season that it is better to give than to receive, as she has unselfishly dished out 61 assists while shooting just 54 field goal attempts. Brokans ranks eighth in the America East with 2.65 apg, while Hatten is right behind with 2.63 apg.
Charity Case: The Retrievers rank second in the America East and 13th in the NCAA with a .765 free throw percentage. UMBC has shot better than 90 percent from the charity stripe three times this season when going to the line more than 10 times and had a perfect 7-for-7 game against New Hampshire last Saturday. The Retrievers went 17-for-18 (.944) in the season opener against George Washington, hitting their first 16 free throw attempts of the game. Sophomore guard Carlee Cassidy led the way for UMBC, hitting all nine of her foul shots, marking the best perfect game for a Retriever from the foul line since Brittnie Hughes went 9-for-9 at American on Dec. 1, 2005. Cassidy ranks seventh in the America East and 90th in the nation with an .806 free throw percentage (75-for-93).
What Sophomore Slump?: While many second-year players experience the dreaded "sophomore slump," UMBC guard Carlee Cassidy has actually improved in every category this season. The most noticiable change is in scoring, as she has gone from 4.5 ppg as a rookie to 17.3 ppg this season, raising her career scoring average to 9.9 ppg. In addition, Cassidy has shot up UMBC's sophomore record books, as her 397 points this season rank third among the Retrievers' all-time second-year players.
Block Party: Senior center Amanda Robinson may have missed three-quarters of the season, but she still has an opportunity to make her mark in the UMBC record book. After recording two blocks in each of the last two games, Robinson ranks fifth all-time at UMBC with 95career rejections.
Delightful December: Though UMBC was just 2-4 in the month of December, at least one Retriever should have been sad to see it go. Sophomore guard Carlee Cassidy averaged 20.0 ppg and shot at a 48.9 percent clip in six December games. She never scored less than 15 points and posted three 20-plus performances, including both games of the Terrapin Classic. Entering December, her scoring average was at its season low, 13.9 ppg, but she raised it nearly three full points during the month to 16.7 ppg, and the nation took note, as she earned honorable mention for the WBCA National Player of the Month award.
Tale of Two Halves: Sophomore guard Carlee Cassidy, the Retrievers' leading scorer, has a pattern this season of coming on strong in the second half. Through the first 18 games this season, Cassidy averaged just 6.1 points in the first 20 minutes but came to life in the second half with an average of 11.4 points. However, she bucked that trend on Jan. 30 at Boston U., as she scored 17 points in the first half, nearly reaching her season scoring average of 17.5 ppg, but then did not score at all in the second period.
Rookie of the Week: Freshman forward Meghan Colabella was named the America East Rookie of the Week for Week 10. She scored eight points, one shy of her career high, and posted a career-best and team-high nine rebounds in the Retrievers' victory over Stony Brook. Making her second career start, Colabella made the most of her career-high 35 minutes, dishing out two assists and adding a block and a steal. She also drained all four of her free throw attempts and went 2-for-5 from the field. The Rookie of the Week award is the first of Colabella's career. She is the first Retriever to receive the honor since Amanda Robinson on March 6, 2005, and just the third Rookie of the Week from UMBC in the program's five years in the conference.
Honor Roll: Sophomore guard Carlee Cassidy has been named America East Player of the Week three times this season, making her the first Retriever ever to win the award more than twice in one season. She and Hartford's Danielle Hood are the only players with three honors this season. Sharri Rohde (2005-06) and Matea Pender (2004-05) are the only other Retrievers to be named America East Player of the Week more than once in a season. Cassidy garnered the honor for Week 1 after averaging 18.0 ppg and shooting 43.5 perecent in two games. The award was the first of Cassidy's career and marks the first time a Retriever earned a Week 1 conference award since UMBC joined the America East in 2003. Cassidy then was honored again in Week 5 after averaging 19.0 ppg and shooting 46.5 percent from the floor, including 40.0 percent from 3-point range, in three games. Finally, Cassidy nabbed her third award for Week 8 after averaging 22.5 ppg and shooting 48.6 percent from the floor, including 42.1 percent from long distance, in the two games of the Terrapin Classic.
Against the America East: UMBC joined the America East in 2003-04, and the Retrievers are 24-54 in five years of America East play after Wednesday's win over Stony Brook. All-time, UMBC is 26-54 against its current America East opponents, including games played against them before they were conference rivals, as well as games played in the America East Championships, which do not count as league games. The Retrievers are also 1-5 all-time against former America East member Northeastern, including 1-3 in conference play from 2004-05.
Playing Favorites: The Retrievers face four teams that were picked to finish first in their respective conferences in 2007 preseason polls. George Washington was a unanimous selection in the Atlantic 10, as was Hartford in the America East. Coppin State (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) and Maryland (Atlantic Coast Conference) are also preseason favorites. In addition, the Retrievers take on four preseason conference players of the year in Rashida Suber of Coppin State (MEAC), Tamera Young of James Madison (CAA), Crystal Langhorne of Maryland (ACC) and Danielle Hood of Hartford (America East).
Shall We Dance: The Retrievers face five teams that advanced to post-season play last season. George Washington (Nov. 9), James Madison (Nov. 16) and Maryland (Dec. 30) all competed in the NCAA Tournament after being ranked in the top 25 at some point during the season, while Hartford and Coppin State both participated in the Women's National Invitational Tournament (WNIT). So far UMBC is 0-5 against those teams with losses to George Washington, Coppin State, James Madison, Maryland and Hartford.
Hatten's Many Hats: Senior guard Morgan Hatten has proven to be the most versatile player on the Retrievers' roster, as she has played nearly every position in her four years in a UMBC uniform. Hatten ranks in the top 10 in the conference in rebounding, assists, blocks, steals, minutes played and assist-to-turnover ratio.
Be a Good Sport: Senior guard Kristin Drabyn was the 2007 female recipient of the prestigious America East Sportsmanship Award. Viewed as the best teammate who always has a positive attitude, Drabyn excels on the court as well as in the classroom, as she maintains a 3.36 grade-point average (GPA) while majoring in interdisciplinary studies with a focus in communication and exercise physiology. The president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Council, Drabyn is also extremely active in the community, mentoring local elementary school students twice a week, and she and three teammates spent Spring Break 2006 in New Orleans helping Habitat for Humanity with the Hurricane Katrina relief effort.
Retrievers Picked Sixth: For the second straight year, the Retrievers were selected to finish sixth in the America East preseason coaches' poll, equaling the program's highest billing since joining the America East in 2003-04.
Fresh Faces: Six newcomers join the Retrievers this season - five freshmen and one junior college transfer. The group makes up the largest recruiting class in head coach Phil Stern's tenure.
Frazier's Tribe: Junior guard Chantay Frazier is a full-blooded Choctaw Indian who lives on the Choctaw Reservation in Carthage, Miss. Frazier is believed to be UMBC's first full-blooded American Indian student-athlete. In addition, based on responses from sports information directors throughout the country, Frazier is one of just 10 Native American women playing Division I basketball.
Retrievers Ink Three: Three high school seniors have signed National Letters of Intent to join the Retrievers in the fall of 2008. Michelle Kurowski is a 5-8 guard from Hicksville High School in Hicksville, N.Y., where she is a three-time All-Nassau County and All-Long Island honoree and was the Most Outstanding Player of the Nassau County playoffs after leading Hicksville to the county championship. Katie Brooks, a 5-9 guard out of Heritage High School in Maryville, Tenn., is the third all-time leading scorer in school history and was named one of the top 25 prospects in the state by Tennesse Hoops Magazine. Erin Brown is a 5-10 guard from Walt Whitman High school in Bethesda, Md., who led her team to the state semifinals last season.
Hot Shot: The Retrievers shot a season-best 54.3 percent from the floor against Towson on Dec. 19, making 25 of 46 field goal attempts. The 25 field goals were one short of a season high, which was set against Mount St. Mary's on Nov. 24, while the 46 attempts were one more than the season low, which was set on Nov. 28 at NJIT. The .543 shooting percentage was the highest since Jan. 29, 2006, when the Retrievers shot 59.6 percent at Stony Brook. UMBC bested its season-high shooting percentage for the second straight game after shooting 44.4 percent against Northern Iowa on Dec. 9. In addition, the Retrievers' .467 3-point shooting percentage (7-for-15) against Towson was also a season high, besting the previous high of 44.4 percent against Northern Iowa, as well.
Lights Out: After coming off the bench in the previous two games, senior guard Kristin Drabyn was back in the starting lineup against Loyola and certainly put on a show, as she seemingly could not miss early on. Drabyn scored the Retrievers' first 12 points of the game on four 3-pointers. She had 17 points by halftime, surpassing her previous season high of 15 against Mount St. Mary's, and she finished with a career-high 24 points on 8-of-14 shooting, including 6-of-10 from 3-point range. The six trifectas equal her career high, which she set last season against Texas State, and are also the best mark in the America East this season. Drabyn combined with sophomore guard Carlee Cassidy (17) to score 41 of the team's 56 points in the game (73.2 percent).
Tenacious D: The Retrievers' defense reached levels against Mount St. Mary's not seen at UMBC in more than a decade. The Retrievers held the Mountaineers to 40 points, the fewest UMBC has allowed since Feb. 1, 2006, when Binghamton scored 37 in a 63-37 Retriever win. In addition, the Mountaineers' 11 field goals and .200 shooting percentage are the lowest allowed by UMBC in at least 10 years and not far off the school records of nine field goals (Hood, 1981) and 17.3 percent (Bowie State, 1985). After allowing Towson to shoot 59.3 percent in the first half on Dec. 19, UMBC limited the Tigers to just five field goals and 22.7 percent shooting in the second period. The Retrievers rank third in the America East in field goal defense, allowing opponents to shoot just 38.9 percent from the field.
Cleaning the Glass: Senior guard Morgan Hatten pulled down 15 rebounds against Rider on Nov. 11, the most by a Retriever since Monica Logan posted 16 at St. Francis (Pa.) on Feb. 8, 1999. Hatten tallied 10 rebounds in the first half alone to surpass her previous career high of nine. Hatten's 6.1 rpg this season lead the Retrievers and are the eighth-most in the America East.
Banner Night: The Retrievers unveiled their America East Championship banner before the season opener against George Washington with a pregame ceremony that featured the return of many players from the title team.
Book Out for Season: UMBC junior guard and team co-captain Melissa Book will sit out the remainder of the 2007-08 season and will apply for a medical hardship waiver to recover a year of eligibility. Book suffered a concussion early in the season and his missed the Retrievers' last 10 games. Because of her previous history of severe concussions – she suffered four in high school – Book was advised by team physicians not to continue playing this season. A top reserve, Book averaged 6.1 points and 2.0 rebounds in 21.0 minutes per game off the bench through the first seven games of the season. She was shooting a team-best 48.0 percent (12-for-25) from the field and 55.0 percent (11-for-20) from 3-point range at the time of her injury. She led the America East in 3-point field goal percentage, and she ranked ninth in the league with 1.57 trifectas made per game. In addition, Book was nearly perfect from the free throw line at 88.9 percent (8-for-9). Book was named the America East Player of the Game on Nov. 16 against James Madison, when she scored a career-high 14 points on 4-of-4 shooting, with all four field goals coming form long distance.
Retrievers All-Access: All of the Retrievers' home games will be video streamed for free through UMBC's new multimedia website, www.UMBCRetrievers.tv. In addition, all Retriever home games and select road contests will be broadcast live via UMBCRetrievers.com or WVIE 1370 AM (v1370.com).
