BALTIMORE – UMBC basketball will host a doubleheader on Tuesday, Nov. 20 at the RAC Arena, as women's basketball hosts Towson at 5 p.m., followed by the men's basketball team against Central Connecticut State at 7:30 p.m. Action for both contests can be seen live at UMBCRetrievers.tv.
SCOUTING THE RETRIEVERS (2-2): UMBC hosts its fourth-straight contest at the RAC Arena on Tuesday. The Retrievers split their second week of the season, grabbing an 83-75 overtime victory against Coppin State on Wednesday, sending five players into double-digit points, but suffering a shooting slump on Sunday and falling to Loyola 68-55. In its two games last week, UMBC shot a combined 29.4 percent from the floor in the second half, as opposed to 48.3 percent in the opening half of play.
Sophomore guard Lauren Chase averaged 20.0 points per game during the week, tabbing her first 20-point performance and first double-double of the season against the Eagles. Senior guard Brittany Crowell notched her first double-double of her career, pouring in 19 points to go with a career-high 17 rebounds versus CSU. Senior guard Raven Harris added a pair of 14-point games, while shooting at a .714 clip (10-for-14).
The Retrievers have four players averaging in double-figures. Chase leads with 18.3 points and 5.0 assists per game. Crowell is pulling down a team-best 7.0 rebounds, to go along with 14.3 points per game. Harris and sophomore guard Bria White are chipping in 12.3 and 10.5 points per game, respectively.
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 TIGERS (2-0): Towson opened the season with a 63-60 overtime victory at Manhattan behind a double-double from redshirt junior forward Nyree Williams and double-digit points from junior guard Tanisha McTiller and sophomore guard Destiny Shearin. The Tigers followed with a 61-57 win against Morgan State on Nov. 13 and have not played since. McTiller and sophomore guard Camille Alberson each notched a team-best 14 points, with Alberson pulling down a game-high eight rebounds. Senior forward Michelle Peebles provided a spark off the bench, connecting on 5-of-8 shots from the floor for 11 points.
In his 12th season, Joe Mathews returns two starters and eight letterwinners from his 2011-12 squad that posted a 16-14 record. TU returns four juniors and seniors to its roster and are highlighted by eight sophomores and freshmen. Towson, who finished last season in ninth place in the Colonial Athletic Association, was picked to tie for ninth this season with William and Mary in the annual preseason coaches' poll.
ON THE HORIZON FOR THE RETRIEVERS: UMBC concludes its five-game homestand on Sunday, Nov. 25 against Eastern (Pa.), which will be broadcast live on UMBCRetrievers.tv. UMBC will welcome back former Retriever standout Michele Brokans, who serves as an assistant under Eagles' head coach Nate Davis. The black and gold hit the road for three-straight games starting with American on Nov. 27. The Retrievers follow with meetings against Princeton (Dec. 2) and VCU (Dec. 5).
