ALBANY, N.Y.—Freshman guard Michelle Kurowski (Hicksville, N.Y./Hicksville) scored a team-high 25 points and freshman guard Katie Brooks (Maryville, Tenn./Heritage) added 15, but the UMBC women's basketball team (14-13, 6-8 AEC) fell to Albany (4-22, 2-11 AEC) by a score of 92-80 Wednesday evening at SEFCU Arena.
The score went back-and-forth for most of the first half, with neither team leading by more than four points until a jumper by Albany forward Tiffanie Johnson put the Great Danes up six, 36-30, with 3:24 remaining in the period.
Albany extended its advantage to 12 points, 44-32, with two minutes left and led, 48-38, at halftime.
The Great Danes took a game-high 14-point lead, 57-43, at the 17:28 mark, but UMBC used a 22-7 run over the next eight minutes to tie the score at 64-64 with 9:24 to play. Kurowski scored 10 points during that stretch.
But a three-pointer by Albany guard Britney McGee at the 7:27 mark sparked an 11-0 spurt that gave the Great Danes control of the game, 77-66, with 3:52 left, and the Retrievers never got closer than seven points for the rest of the game.
Kurowski's 25 points included three triples and an 8-for-8 effort at the foul line. McGee led four Great Danes in double figures with 30 points on 9-of-10 shooting, including 7-of-8 from long distance. Both players earned their teams America East Player of the Game honors.
The Retrievers return to action on Saturday, when they travel to America East rival Binghamton.
