BALTIMORE—High-powered VMI (2-0) hit eight of 14 shots
behind the arc in the second half to push past UMBC, 94-77, in the
season opening for the Retrievers.
Five Retrievers scored in double figures, three of whom were
making their UMBC debuts and the other, forward Justin
Fry (New Bloomfield, Pa./West Perry) , who missed the
2009-10 season after knee surgery.
Fry posted his fourth career double-double with 15 points and 11
rebounds, hitting six of nine shots from the floor.
Newcomer Laurence
Jolicoeur (Queens, N.Y./Holy Cross/Manhattan) recorded his
first career double-double with a team-high 16 points and 10
rebounds, while new addition Travis
King (New Haven, Conn./New Hyde
Leadership/Geo. Washington) posted 12 points in his Retriever
debut.
All three are competing as graduate students for UMBC.
Freshman Chase
Plummer (Elizabeth, N.J./St. Patrick) scored 13 points,
while sophomoreAdrian
Satchell (Windsor, Conn./Windsor) added 10.
VMI was paced by junior guard Keith Gabriel, who scored 30
points on 9-of-17 shooting from the floor and 5-of-10 from behind
the arc. Sophomore wing Stan Okoye added 21 points and a game high
14 rebounds, hitting 9-of-12 from the field.
The Keydets have led the nation in scoring in each of the past
four seasons, an NCAA Division I record.
There were seven ties and eight lead changes in the first half
and neither team led by more than four points as VMI went into
halftime ahead, 38-35.
Fry converted on a traditional three-point play to give the
Retrievers their final lead at 45-43 with 15:54 remaining. But
Okoye matched Fry's three-point play with a driving bucket and free
throw of his own to spur the visitors on a 17-6 run and take
control with a 60-51 advantage with 10:27 to play.
Jolicoeur hit a trey with 7:50 remaining to make it a
two-possession game at 64-58. But VMI would score on 12
of their final 14 possessions of the contest, including converting
on five of their final six treys, to pull away down the
stretch.
VMI hit 63.3 percent from the field (19-of-30) in the second
half and finished the game at 48.5 percent (32-of-66). The Keydets
hit 14 of 32 attempts from behind the arc in the contest. UMBC
converted at a 41.8 percent clip (28-of-67) and struggled (6-of-24)
from behind the arc.
UMBC junior guard Chris De La
Rosa (Washington Heights, N.Y./All Hallows/Siena) led all
players with nine assists.
UMBC plays at Loyola (Md.) on Wednesday.
