BALTIMORE – UMBC women's basketball closes out the month of January and the first half of its America East schedule on Wednesday, Jan. 30, when it welcomes Binghamton to the RAC Arena. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m., with all the action live on UMBCRetrievers.tv.
SCOUTING THE RETRIEVERS (6-14, 2-5 AE): UMBC split a pair of America East contests last week, picking up a 70-59 victory against Stony Brook in front of a record crowd of 2,905 fans at the RAC Arena for the Retrievers' Midday Madness on Wednesday afternoon. The black and gold stayed strong against Boston University on Saturday, trailing by one point at the break, 32-31, but a 15-0 Terriers' run early in the second half proved too much for the Retrievers to overcome. Senior guard Brittany Crowell led UMBC in scoring in each of the two games, shooting 45.5 percent from the floor and 42.1 percent from beyond the arc, to average a team-best 21.5 points per game on the week. Senior guard Raven Harris chipped in 16.0 points and 5.5 assists per game on the week.
Crowell leads the league in scoring (16.1 points) and three-point field goals made per game (3.1) during America East play, while Harris ranks second in assists (4.3) and steals (3.0) and fourth in scoring (14.0). The two rank first (Harris) and second (Crowell) in minutes played per conference game, with each only missing three minutes of action in the last five games. Sophomore guard Bria White is chipping in 10.4 points per game on the season and senior forward Kim Browning is pulling down a team-best 4.8 rebounds a contest.
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 BEARCATS (3-17, 2-5 AE): Binghamton opened its conference slate with a 46-44 victory against Hartford, but has since dropped five of its last six contests to move to 2-5 in America East games. The Bearcats picked up a 67-65 win on Sunday against Maine, behind a career-high 15 points from junior guard Stephanie Jensen. Junior guard Vaneeshia Paulk led Binghamton with 17 points, while classmate Jasbriell Swain added 11 points, four rebounds and a career-high seven steals.
Sophomore forward Sherae Swinson is leading the Bearcats in scoring on the season, averaging 10.6 points - ranking ninth in the conference - to go along with 5.1 rebounds per game. Swain has recorded a team-best 150 rebounds (7.5 per game), 70 assists, and 57 steals on the year, and is chipping in 8.4 points.
INSIDE THE SERIES: Binghamton holds a 14-6 advantage in the all-time series. The teams split two meetings last season, with the home team winning in both matchups. UMBC picked up a 63-50 victory in the second meeting of the season. In the Retrievers Play4Kay contest, the black and gold erased a two-point halftime deficit and outscored Binghamton 39-24 in the second period.
ON THE HORIZON FOR THE RETRIEVERS: The Retrievers start the second half of their conference schedule with a trip to Maine on Feb. 2 and a stop at Albany - the site of the America East Tournament - on Feb. 6. UMBC returns home on Feb. 9 to take on Vermont and follow with a matchup against New Hampshire in the Retrievers' Play4Kay game.
