BALTIMORE – The UMBC women's basketball looks
to snap its recent skid as it travels to New Jersey on Sunday, Dec.
2 to take on CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major No. 7 Princeton. Tip-off
is set for 2 p.m. at Jadwin Gym.
SCOUTING THE RETRIEVERS
(3-4): UMBC has dropped three of its last four
contests, including an 85-57 loss at American on Tuesday night. The
game marked the Retrievers first road contest since the season
opener on Nov. 9. The Eagles shot 54.2 percent from the field and
connected on 10 shots from beyond the arc - the second straight
game UMBC allowed double-digit three-point baskets. The black and
gold turned the ball over 21 times for the second time this season
and were outrebounded, 36-24. Sophomore guard Bria
White led the Retrievers in scoring for the third consecutive
game, coming off the bench to score 13 points, while senior
guard Raven Harrischipped in 11 points, five assists, three
rebounds and three steals against her former team.
UMBC has four players averaging in
double-digit points, three of which are starters. Sophomore
guard Lauren Chase is shooting 44.9 percent from the
floor and averaging a team-best 13.6 points per game. Senior
guard Brittany Crowell has a team-high 13 three-point
field goals this season and is pulling down 6.3 rebounds to go with
her 11.1 points per contest. Harris, who entered the week ranked
14th in the nation in steals per game (4.0), has 27 takeaways and
22 assists on the year. She adds 10.7 points and 4.7 rebounds per
game for the Retrievers. White started the first five games of the
season, but is scoring 14.5 points per game off the bench (13.0
points per game on the season).
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 (34 votes) was tabbed to finish sixth in
the league behind Albany (61), Boston University (56), Hartford
(54), New Hampshire (37) and Vermont (37).
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
(4-2): Princeton, who entered the week at seventh in
the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Poll, has won three of its last
four contests, with its only loss coming to No. 19 UCLA, 65-52, on
Sunday. The Tigers returned home for the first of three straight
home games on Thursday and recuperated by jumping out on a quick
run against Rutgers to take an 11-4 advantage 6:30 into the
contest. PU would go on to defeat the Scarlet Knights, 71-55,
shooting 45.6 percent from the floor. Princeton had three players
finish in double-figures, led by freshman Alex Wheatley's 17 points
off the bench on 8-of-12 shooting from the floor. Senior guard
Niveen Rasheed notched double-digit points for the fifth time this
season, scoring 15 points to go along with seven rebounds. Junior
forward Kristen Helmstetter added 14 points in her first start of
the season, filling in for injured junior guard Nicole Hung.
Rasheed is averaging team-bests in points
(14.8), - the only Princeton player averaging double-digit points -
rebounds (9.2) and assists (3.3) and is the only Tiger playing more
than 30 minutes a game. Starting center Megan Bowen is scoring 6.7
points and is pulling down 2.7 rebounds per game. Coming off the
bench, Wheatley is shooting 52.3 percent from the field and is
chipping in 8.5 points and 4.3 rebounds per game, while freshman
guard Michelle Miller is adding 6.2 points.
ON THE HORIZON FOR THE
RETRIEVERS: Following Sunday's contest against
Princeton, the Retrievers play on the road in four of the final
five games of their non-conference schedule. UMBC makes its way to
VCU on Dec. 5 and returns home to take on Hampton (Dec. 7) for its
final game before finals. After a 13-day hiatus, the Retrievers
travel to UMES on Dec. 21 before breaking for the holidays. UMBC
will conclude its non-conference schedule at the Hawk Classic where
the Retrievers will battle Wagner (Dec. 28) and face either
Fairfield or host St. Joseph's on Dec. 29.
