UMBC Game Notes
BALTIMORE – The UMBC women's basketball team opens its 2015-16 slate, the 14th season under head coach Phil Stern, against Columbia on Friday, Nov. 13 with a noon tip at the RAC Arena. All the live action will be available free of charge at UMBCRetrievers.tv, courtesy of the America East digital network.
RAC Arena Promotion:
-Free hour lunch hour – First 100 fans receive a FREE hot Chick-fil-A sandwich.
-FREE for faculty and staff.
-Raffle for 55' TV provided by UMBC sports marketing, participants must bring their Retriever Rally VIP lanyard to enter the drawing.
Scouting the Retrievers:
-UMBC enters the 2015-16 campaign with its sights set on a return trip to the America East semifinals and beyond. The Retrievers return nine letterwinners and four starters from last year's squad that returned to the league semifinals for the first time since 2012 and their fourth time in 12 seasons. UMBC finished with a 12-19 overall record and a 6-10 mark in America East action for a seventh-place finish in the league standings and were predicted by league coaches to finish sixth in the annual preseason poll.
-The Retrievers welcome back a pair of America East All-Conference honorees in Capree Garner and Taylor McCarley, while also anticipating the UMBC debut of transfers Meghan Roxas, Stixz Wilson and Chukwuma Chiamaka. Garner ranked second in the league in scoring (16.5 ppg) and ranked fourth in steals per game (1.9 spg).
-UMBC led the league in field goal defense in 2014-15, holding opponents to 38.7 percent shooting. The Retrievers ranked fourth in the league in scoring offense (61.0) and sixth in scoring defense (66.2).
Scouting the Lions:
-Columbia is under the new leadership of interim head coach Sheila Roux, but the Lions return 11 letterwinners from last year's squad that posted an 8-20 mark overall and 2-11 record in Ivy League action.
-The Lions welcome back their top two scorers from a year ago in All-Conference honoree Tori Oliver (16.5 ppg) and 6-1 sophomore forward Camille Zimmerman (13.7). Sophomore guard Alexa Giuliano rounded out the double-digit scorers at 10.0 points per game last season and ranked second on the team in steals (1.1 spg).
On the Horizon for the Retrievers
-UMBC jumps right back into action on Sunday, Nov. 15, when the Retrievers host Penn in a 5 p.m. matchup at the RAC Arena.
Inside the Series
-The Retrievers are a perfect 3-0 in the all-time series against Columbia. UMBC won last season's meeting on Dec. 5, 76-66, in New York.
