BALTIMORE—UMBC sophomore guard Carlee Cassidy tied her career high with 27 points, and senior guard Kristin Drabyn added 21, as the Retrievers (7-15, 3-6 AEC) defeated America East rival Maine (6-16, 3-6 AEC) by a score of 69-59 Saturday afternoon at the RAC Arena.
Drabyn and Cassidy combined to scored UMBC's first 13 points of the game, and the Retrievers used a 10-2 run to take an early 18-10 lead. But Maine scored eight straight points to tie the game at the 6:41 mark of the first half, and a Tanna Ross three-pointer with 1:25 left gave the Black Bears a 27-26 halftime lead.
Both teams shot just 32 percent in the opening stanza, but the second period was a different story for the Retrievers, who made seven of their first 11 shots of the half to take a 44-37 lead at the 11:43 mark.
Maine used an 8-3 run over the next four minutes to cut its deficit to two points, but that was the closest the Black Bears would get. After Maine's bench was called for a technical foul with 5:41 on the clock, the Retrievers scored 11 of the game's next 13 points to open a game-high 12-point lead, 63-51, with 47 seconds on the clock.
After making just five of their first 11 foul shots, UMBC went a perfect 12-for-12 from the free throw line in the final 1:26 of play to seal the 69-59 victory.
Cassidy was UMBC's America East Player of the Game, as she led all scorers with 27 points, tying her career high, which she set against the same Black Bears on Jan. 5 at Maine's Alfond Arena. She made four 3-pointers and added a career-best six assists. Drabyn's 21 points included five 3-pointers, giving her 149 in her career and leaving her just two shy of tying Shalayna Johnson's school record.
Junior guard Chantay Frazier was the only other Retriever in double figures with 15 points. Freshman forward Meghan Colabella led UMBC in rebounding for the second straight game, as she pulled down a game-best eight boards.
Guard Amanda Tewksbury was Maine's America East Player of the Game with 25 points, the only Black Bear in double figures. She scored 19 in the second half alone, including eight of Maine's final 10 points.
The Retrievers shot 38.9 percent in the game, including 47.8 percent in the second half. UMBC also shot 43.5 percent from 3-point range, hitting 10 trifectas for the sixth time this season.
Maine held a slight rebounding advantage, 35-34, but committed 17 turnovers. The Retrievers, who only turned the ball over 12 times in the game, scored 17 points off Black Bear miscues.
The Retrievers return to action Wednesday, Feb. 13, when they take on America East rival Stony Brook in the first of two consecutive road games.
