ALBANY, N.Y.—Sophomore center Topé Obajolu (Randallstown, Md./Archbishop Carroll) tied her career high with 15 points and added nine rebounds, while sophomore guard Katie Brooks (Maryville, Tenn./Heritage) scored a season-high 16 points to lead the UMBC women's basketball team (8-8, 2-1 AE) to a 62-57 victory over America East rival Albany (7-8, 0-2 AE) Wednesday afternoon at the Great Danes' SEFCU Arena.
Albany welcomed 950 local elementary school students to SEFCU Arena for Commitment to Education Day.
Cold shooting plagued both teams in the first half, which featured seven ties and five lead changes. UMBC made just eight of 27 shots (29.6 percent) in the first 20 minutes but led, 19-15, with 3:59 remaining. The Great Danes, who had made just six of 19 shots in the first 16 minutes, ended the period with an 11-2 run to take a 26-21 lead at intermission.
But the Retrievers had already come back from four halftime deficits in their first seven wins this season and were poised for another rally. A 3-pointer by junior guard Michele Brokans (Lansdale, Pa./Lansdale Catholic) with 12:12 to play put the visitors on top, 34-32.
Albany guard Ebone Henry briefly gave the Great Danes a 39-38 lead with a fastbreak layup at the 7:54 mark, but sophomore forward Erin Brown (Bethesda, Md./Walt Whitman) sunk a 3-pointer 13 seconds later, and UMBC did not trail again.
The Retrievers shot 51.7 percent in the second half while holding Albany to just 33.3 percent. UMBC's four sophomores – Obajolu, Brooks, Brown and guard Michelle Kurowski (Hicksville, N.Y./Hicksville) – combined to score 26 of the team's 31 points in the second period.
Brown was the only other Retriever in double figures with 12 points, and she added seven rebounds. Kurowski had eight points, giving the sophomore class 51 of UMBC's 62 points in the game.
Albany guard Charity Iromuanya led all scorers with 17 points. Obajolu and Iromuanya earned their teams' America East Player of the Game honors.
At 8-8, the Retrievers are back at the .500 mark for the first time since Dec. 12, when they were 4-4. UMBC also won its fifth road game of the season, its most since its 2006-07 America East championship campaign.
The Retrievers return to action on Saturday, Jan. 16, when they host America East rival New Hampshire in the first of three straight games at the RAC Arena. Tip-off against the Wildcats is set for 2 p.m.
