BALTIMORE – UMBC women's basketball was unable to overcome shooting 17.1 percent in the opening half, as the Retrievers fell to Albany, 77-42, in America East action on Wednesday night at the RAC Arena.

UMBC shot 22.2 percent for the game, while the Great Danes knocked down 46.8 percent of their shots, including 62.5 percent of their threes in the opening 20 minutes of play. Albany's Imani Tate registered a game-high 18 points and added nine rebounds, while Shereesha Richards added 16 points and 12 rebounds.

UMBC's juniors Pandora Wilson (Gaithersburg, Md./Academy of Holy Cross) and Taylor McCarley (Bowie, Md./Academy of Holy Cross) recorded nine points apiece, while Chukwuma Chiamaka (Lagos, Nigeria/Eastern Arizona College) pulled down a team-best nine rebounds to go with her four points.

The Great Danes improve to 10-3 on the season and 1-0 in America East action, while the Retrievers fall to 10-5 overall and 1-1 in league play.

Albany knocked down its first three shots of the contest to open up an 8-0 lead before sophomore guard Laura Castaldo (West Nyack, N.Y./Clarkstown South) drilled her first of two threes in the opening quarter to get the Retrievers on the board. The Great Danes shot 55.6 percent from the field in the opening quarter, including four-of-five from long range, while the Retrievers hit 18.8 percent of their shots from the field, helping Albany to take a 24-12 lead after one.

UMBC's defense held the Great Danes to just 11 points in the second quarter, but its offense did not take advantage, hitting three of its 15 attempts in the period to put the Retrievers at a 35-19 deficit at the break.

UMBC started out the third quarter a perfect six-for-six from the floor, including three jumpers from Pandora Wilson, but the Retrievers' defense was unable to do its part to bring UMBC's deficit to single digits. The Great Danes ended the quarter on a 15-4 run to open up the 24-point advantage.

Albany outscored the Retrievers, 18-7, in the final quarter, with seven of the Great Danes' 18 second chance points coming in the period.

On the Horizon for the Retrievers

-UMBC hits the road for a matchup at Maine on Saturday, Jan. 9. Game time is set for noon at the Cross Insurance Center.