BALTIMORE--Winners of three straight, the UMBC women's basketball team (4-2) will play its final home game of the 2009 calendar year when Delaware visits the RAC Arena Saturday afternoon for a 2 p.m. tip-off.
RETRIEVER UPDATE: UMBC is coming off its third straight win, a 59-51 victory over in-state rival Navy on Wednesday. Junior guard Chelsea Barker had a perfect shooting night, going 4-for-4 from the floor, including 3-for-3 from long range, and 4-for-4 from the floul line to finish with a career-high 15 points. Senior guard Carlee Cassidy also netted 15, while sophomore center Topé Oajolu posted her second career double-double with 12 points and a career-high 14 rebounds. UMBC leads the America East Conference in scoring (69.2 ppg), field goal percentage (.412) and assists (14.2 apg), while sophomore guard Michelle Kurowski ranks second in the league in both scoring (17.7 ppg) and rebounding (8.5 rpg). Four Retrievers are averaging double figures in scoring, the most of any team in the league. Cassidy ranks fifth all-time in UMBC history with 1,308 points.
BLUE HEN UPDATE: Delaware is 2-3 on the season and has dropped two straight without Naismith National Player of the Year candidate Elena Delle Donne, who is averaging a team-best 25.0 ppg and 9.0 rpg. She ranks fifth in the NCAA in scoring. Guard Tesia Harris scored a game-high 24 points in the Blue Hens' 75-63 loss at Columbia on Wednesday. Delaware leads the Colonial Athletic Association in 3-point field goal percentage (.373). Delaware was picked to finish fourth in the CAA preseason poll, and both Delle Donne and Harris were selected to the CAA preseason all-conference second team.
Who's Up Next: The Retrievers embark on a six-game road trip over the next month, beginning with a pair of games against cross-town rivals Coppin State and Loyola. UMBC is a combined 22-28 against its Baltimore foes.
Inside the Series...
Saturday's game marks the ninth all-time meeting between UMBC and Delaware, and the Blue Hens hold a 5-3 series advantage. After the Retrievers took the first matchup, 69-67, on Jan. 6, 1987, Delaware won three in a row, but the teams have alternated wins in each of the last four meetings, including a pair of East Coast Conference games in 1991. The Retrievers and Blue Hens last faced off on Jan. 20, 1993, an 81-53 victory for host Delaware.
News and Notes...
For Starters: UMBC opens the season with a 4-2 record for the second year in a row and just the fourth time in 24 seasons at the Division I level. The Retrievers are 2-1 in the seventh game of the season in those years and 10-13 in Game 7 since 1986-87.
Going Up: Senior guard Carlee Cassidy became the fifth Retriever ever to eclipse the 1,300-point plateau on Wednesday against Navy, and she currently has 1,308 points, just three behind Kori Kindbom (1,311) for fourth place all-time. Cassidy is the second-leading scorer among active players in the America East behind Vermont's Courtnay Pilypaitis, and she ranks 41st overall. Cassidy became the 16th Retriever ever to score 1,000 points in her career on Jan. 21, 2009, against Albany, her 77th career game. She is the fourth-fastest Retriever to reach the milestone, as only Tammy McCarthy, Felice Pinkney and Kori Kindbom needed less games to accomplish the feat, and she is also only the third Retriever ever to score her 1,000th point during her junior season, joining McCarthy and Kindbom. Cassidy is on pace to finish her career as UMBC's second all-time leading scorer behind McCarthy, who scored 2,063 points from 1983-87.
Special K: Sophomore guard Michelle Kurowski was named America East Player of the Week for the secodn time in three weeks on Monday after averaging a team-best 21.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game in a pair of road wins at Towson and Bucknell. She scored 29 points, one shy of her career high, against the Bison. Kurowski also earned the season's first weekly award on Nov. 16 after averaging 21.5 ppg, 10.5 rpg and 4.5 apg against Virginia and UMES on opening weekend. She is the first Retriever to earn Player of the Week twice in a season since teammate Carlee Cassidy won the award three times in 2007-08. Kurowski also scored her 500th career point in Sunday's game against Bucknell, making her just the 10th Retriever to reach the milestone as a sophomore during UMBC's 24-year Division I history.
Unusual Suspects: Down to just eight players in uniform after injuries to forwards Meghan Colabella and Erin Brown, the Retrievers got major contributions from some unlikely sources on Wednesday against Navy. Junior guard Chelsea Barker had a perfect shooting night, going 4-for-4 from the floor, including 3-for-3 from long range, and 4-for-4 from the foul line, tying her career high with a team-best 15 points. In addition, sophomore center Topé Obajolu posted her second career double-double with 12 points and a career-high 14 rebounds, tying the single-game best by a Retriever this season.
Road Warriors: With victories at Towson and Bucknell last week, the Retrievers won back-to-back road games for the first time since defeating Fairleigh Dickinson and Longwood Dec. 2-9, 2006. Last season, despite winning four neutral site games, UMBC won just one road contest, defeating Maine at Alfond Arena.
Streaking: UMBC has won three straight games for the first time since Jan. 17-24, 2009. Prior to Sunday's win at Bucknell, the Retrievers had followed their last four wins with losses.
Hit the Road, Jack: After hosting Navy and Delaware this week, the Retrievers hit the road for a month, playing six straight games away from the RAC. They return home for the America East opener against Hartford on Jan. 6.
Three For All: Guards Katie Brooks, Carlee Cassidy and Michelle Kurowski combined to score all 38 of UMBC's first-half points at Bucknell on Sunday as the Retrievers opened a 13-point halftime lead. Kurowski led all scorers with 17 points, while Cassidy had 11 and Brooks added 10. The trio also combined to make six 3-pointers in the period.
Cardiac Kids: After opening the season with three straight games with double-digit scoring margins, the Retrievers played a pair of close ones last week. UMBC fought back from a 10-point first-half deficit to defeat Towson, 74-72, on a last-second layup by senior guard Carlee Cassidy on Tuesday. The score was tied 10 times, including with six seconds left. Then on Sunday at Bucknell, after leading by 13 points at halftime, the Retrievers staved off a furious Bison comeback to hold on for a 68-63 win. Bucknell tied the game at 60 with less than three minutes remaining, but sophomore guard Michelle Kurowski scored UMBC's final eight points.
Double Your Pleasure: UMBC's three-game streak with four players scoring in double figures was snapped on Sunday at Bucknell. However, UMBC is the only school in the America East with four players - guards Carlee Cassidy and Michelle Kurowski and forwards Erin Brown and Meghan Colabella - averaging double figures. Five Retrievers reached double figures on Nov. 15 agaisnt UMES for the first time since Nov. 26, 2006, against NJIT. Cassidy has reached double digitis in 58 of 64 games since the start of the 2007-08 season. Kurowski had tallied in double figures in first five games this season before scoring just nine points on Wednesday against Navy.
Helping Hand: Junior point guard Michele Brokans dished out eight assists while committing just one turnover last Tuesday at Towson. She has recorded 15 helpers on the season while committing just seven miscues for a 2.1 assist-to-turnover ratio. Brokans has also climbed into UMBC's all-time top 15 for career assists with 194, whch ranks as the fifth-most among active players in the America East. She is the only underclassman among the conference's top five.
Raining Three's: UMBC ranks second in the America East with 7.2 three-pointers made per game, and three Retrievers - senior guard Carlee Cassidy (3rd), sophomore forward Erin Brown (11th) and sophomore guard Michelle Kurowski (T-12th) - rank among the league's top 15 in that category. The Retrievers tied a school record with 14 three's on Nov. 15 against UMES. The last time UMBC drained 14 triples was Jan. 17, 2004, at Northeastern. Cassidy, Kurowski and junior forward Meghan Colabella combined to make 12 of the 14 three-pointers, as each nailed four, marking career highs for both Colabella and Kurowski. The Retrievers then made 11 last Tuesday at Towson, including eight in the second half on just 11 attempts. Brown drained a career-high four against the Tigers.
Cassidy for Three: Senior guard Carlee Cassidy became UMBC's all-time record holder for career 3-pointers on Feb. 11, 2009, against Vermont, and she now has 193 in her career, which ranks ninth all-time in the America East. In addition, she broke UMBC's career mark for 3-point attempts at New Hampshire on Feb. 10, and now has 597. Cassidy also set UMBC's single-season 3-point record at 80 in 2008-09. In addition, Cassidy was one of three players to break the America East record for 3-pointers made in a season last year, along with Boston University's Kristi Dini (109) and Albany's Britney McGee (83).
Century Mark: The Retrievers set a school Division I record for points scored against UMES on Nov. 15 with 102 points. The last time a UMBC team tallied at least 100 points was Nov. 29, 1985, in a 108-76 victory at Shippensburg, while an America East team had not scored 100 points in a game since Drexel posted 101 at Vermont on Feb. 8, 2001. The Retrievers also scored a school-record 59 points in the second half, eclipsing the 57 points scored in a period twice, both occurring during the 1985-86 season. In addition, UMBC's 37-point margin of victory was its largest since defeating Salisbury State, 94-46, on Jan. 12, 1991.
To the Limit: UMBC gave 14th-ranked Virginia all it could handle in the season opener on Nov. 13 in front of a record crowd of 1,604 at the RAC. The game was tied, 34-34, at halftime, and the Retrievers led, 48-47, at the 7:52 mark before the Cavaliers used a 13-0 run to take the lead for good and eventually post a 68-57 victory.
Double-Double Vision: Junior forward Meghan Colabella posted her second straight double-double and the fifth of her career with 15 points and 10 rebounds against UMES on Nov. 15, while sophomore guard Michelle Kurowski notched her second career double-double with 22 points and a career-high 14 boards. It was the first time two Retrievers tallied double-doubles in the same game since Sharri Rohde and Amanda Robinson accomplished the feat on Dec. 2, 2006, at Fairleigh Dickinson. The duo has combined for four of UMBC's five double-doubles this season, with sophomore center Topé Obajolu notching the other.
Three's Company: The Retrievers have made at least one 3-pointer in 137 straight games dating to Feb. 5, 2005. Each of the top seven single-season totals in UMBC history have occurred during head coach Phil Stern's tenure.
Dishing it Out: UMBC set a new school record for assists in a game with 28 against UMES on Nov. 15. Sophomore guard Michelle Kurowski led the way with a career-high seven helpers, while sophomore guard Katie Brooks dished out six and senior guard Carlee Cassidy added five. In all, nine out of 10 players to see action tallied at least one assist. UMBC is the only team in the America East with four players ranking among the league's top 15 in helpers.
Charity Case: Sophomore guard Michelle Kurowski made 11 straight free throws to start the season, and she now ranks second all-time at UMBC with a career .821 free throw percentage. Senior guard Carlee Cassidy ranks third at .791, while her 299 free throws made are the second-highest toal in school history.
Hot Shot: UMBC leads the America East in field goal percentage (.412) and ranks second in 3-point field goal percentage (.344). Three Retrievers (Erin Brown, Carlee Cassidy, Michelle Kurowski) rank among the top 10 in the America East in 3-point field goal percentage.
Board Games: UMBC leads the America East in rebounding (41.3 rpg). Sophomore guard Michelle Kurowski (8.5 rpg) ranks second in the conference. She pulled down a career-high 14 rebounds against UMES on Nov. 15, the second-best total in the league so far this season, and sophomore center Topé Obajolu matched the mark against Navy on Wednesday.
Against the CAA: UMBC is 29-73 all-time against current members of the Colonial Athletic Association. The Retrievers have a winning record against Hofstra (4-2), with the most wins (13) and losses (31) coming against cross-town rival Towson. UMBC has never faced Georgia State or Old Dominion, and the Retrievers have never beaten James Madison or UNC-Wilmington. UMBC is 1-0 against the CAA this season after a 74-72 win at Towson on Nov. 24.
High-Water Marks: The Retrievers set a number of America East single-game highs for the 2009-10 campaign in their contest against UMES on Nov. 15, including points (102), field goals (39), field goal percentage (.557), 3-pointers (14), 3-point percentage (.583), rebounds (54) and assists (28).
Bragging Rights: UMBC will take on five of the other eight Division I schools in the state of Maryland this season. The Retrievers hosted UMES (Nov. 15) and Navy (Dec. 2) and will travel to Towson (Nov. 24), Coppin State (Dec. 12) and Loyola (Dec. 20). So far UMBC is 3-0 against its in-state rivals after a 102-65 victory over UMES, a 74-72 win at Towson and a 59-51 triumph over Navy.
New York State of Mind: Guards Carlee Cassidy (Syracuse) and Michelle Kurowski (Hicksville), both natives of New York, have provided a stellar one-two punch for the Retrievers the last two years, accounting for 48.4 percent (1,209 of 2,498 points) of UMBC's total offense since the start of the 2008-09 campaign and ranking as the Retrievers' top two leading scorers both seasons. Cassidy and Kurowski each scored more than 2,000 points in their prep careers, ranking among the best all-time in the state of New York.
Retrievers Picked Sixth: For the third time in the last four years, UMBC was picked to finish sixth in the America East preseason coaches poll. Defending champion Vermont was selected to win the conference, narrowly edging perennial favorite Hartford.
Another Honor for Cassidy: Senior guard Carlee Cassidy, who led the America East in scoring for the second year in a row at 20.4 ppg last season, was selected to the league's preseason all-conference team. She joins Hartford's Erica Beverly and Vermont's Courtnay Pilypaitis as repeat selections, as all three garnered preseason nods in 2008-09, as well.
Back in the Mix: The Retrievers return 93.9 percent (1,955 of 2,083 points) of their scoring offense from last season, led by senior guard Carlee Cassidy's school-record 613 points. UMBC scored more than 2,000 points for just the second time in school history but the first in the Division I era. The Retrievers scored a school-record 2,271 points in 1985-86. In addition, UMBC's 69.4 points per games were the second-best mark in program history behind the 1985-86 squad's 78.3 ppg and ranked second in the America East.
Follow the Retrievers: UMBC fans can now keep up with their favorite teams in a number of new ways, as UMBC Athletics is now on social networking sites Facebook and Twitter. Fans can also follow head coach Phil Stern on Twitter, as well as in his new blog, PHILosophy, while the Retrievers also have the UMBC Dawg Blog.
Retrievers All-Access: All of the Retrievers' home games will be video streamed through UMBC's multimedia website, www.UMBCRetrievers.tv. An All-Access Pass, available for $59.95, gives fans the opportunity to watch not only all the live coverage of various UMBC home athletic events, but also premium content not available to view without the All-Access Pass. The premium content includes any and all UMBC player and coaches interviews, highlights and an in-depth archive section of all video available on UMBCRetrievers.TV. Single-game subscriptions for all live events will be available throughout the season for $4.95.
