BALTIMORE – UMBC women's basketball welcomes local rival Loyola to the RAC Arena on Saturday, Nov. 17. Game time is set for 2 p.m., with all the action available on UMBCRetrievers.tv. Troy Green and Dan Levin have the call on Q1370/www.q1370.com.
SCOUTING THE RETRIEVERS (2-1): Since dropping its season-opener to Morgan State, 72-61, UMBC has won two-straight, including an 83-75 overtime victory against Coppin State on Wednesday night at the RAC Arena. The Retrievers, who scored 80-plus points for the first time since Nov. 15, 2009, were led by double-doubles from senior guard Brittany Crowell and sophomore guard Lauren Chase. Crowell pulled down a career-high 17 rebounds to go with 19 points, while Chase notched her first-career 20-point performance with a team-high 22 points and 10 assists. Five players scored in double-figures for UMBC, including senior guard Raven Harrisand sophomore guard/forward Ashley Lambert, who combined for 11 of the Retrievers' 13 points in overtime, including the go-ahead three in overtime from Harris.
UMBC is averaging a conference-best 71.7 points per game this season and has four of its five starters averaging in double-figures through three games of play. Chase pilots the Retrievers with 18.3 points and 6.0 assists per game. Crowell, who recorded her first-career 20-point game and followed with her first-career double-double, is averaging 17.7 points and team-best 8.3 rebounds per game. Harris is adding 11.7 points per game, shooting .500 (14-for-28) from the floor, while sophomore guard Bria White is chipping in 11.0 points. Lambert is providing quality minutes off the bench for the Retrievers, contributing 7.3 points in 24.0 minutes per game, including a career-high 12 points against the Eagles on Sunday.
Head coach Phil Stern is in his 11th season at the helm of the Retrievers' program, after leading the black and gold to their second America East Championship game appearance last season. Following the graduation of 59.5 percent of the conference's highest scoring offense in 2011-12, UMBC was tabbed to finish sixth in the league behind Albany (61 votes), Boston University (56 votes), Hartford (54 votes), New Hampshire (37 votes) and Vermont (37 votes).
SCOUTING THE GREYHOUNDS (0-2): Loyola has dropped two-straight to start the season, falling 64-50 to America East opponent Hartford in the opener, despite a game-high 16 points and seven rebounds from the 2012 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Preseason Player of the Year, senior guard Katie Sheahin. Sophomore guard Kara Marshall, who earned preseason All-Conference Second Team honors, finished with 14 points. In their home opener, the Greyhounds were again led by Sheahin, who contributed 19 points, but No. 5 Maryland went on to defeat Loyola, 88-45.
Sheahin is leading the team, averaging 17.5 points per game, while chipping in 4.0 rebounds and 3.5 steals per game. Marshall is adding 9.5 points per game.
Head coach Joe Logan is in his eighth season with the Greyhounds and welcomes back four of five starter's from last year's 13-17 squad. Loyola returned nine letterwinners and added five newcomers to its roster. The Greyhounds were picked to finish in third in the MAAC.
ON THE HORIZON FOR THE RETRIEVERS: UMBC is in the midst of a five-game homestand in the month of November, all of which will be broadcast live on UMBCRetrievers.tv. The Retrievers host Towson (Nov. 20) prior to the Thanksgiving break as part of a UMBC basketball double-header. Tip-off for the women's game is set for 5 p.m., followed by a 7:30 tip for the men, who take on Central Connecticut State. UMBC welcomes a pair of former Retrievers to the RAC at the end of the month. Tiffany Coll serves as an assistant coach at Towson and Michele Brokans makes her return to the RAC Arena on Nov. 25 when UMBC hosts Eastern (Pa.).
