Albany, N.Y.— UMBC women's basketball fell 63-39 to Albany on Wednesday night at SEFCU Arena. Junior Taylor McCarley (Bowie, Md./Academy of Holy Cross) led the way with 17 points on 7-14 shooting to lead the Retrievers (13-9, 4-5 AE).

The first quarter started with each team trading buckets, before Chukwuma Chiamaka (Lagos, Nigeria) and Taylor McCarley hit back-to-back shots to give UMBC an early 8-6 lead. McCarley then hit a trey with the shot clock winding down from about 28 feet out to push the advantage to 11-8. From there however, Albany would have the upper hand, scoring the last eight points of the quarter to take a 16-13 lead after one.

The Great Danes would continue their run, scoring 18 straight over a nine-minute span to extend their lead to 26-13. Junior Amanda Hagaman (Manasquan, N.J./Manasquan) hit a pair of free throws to end the streak. Capree Garner (Silver Spring, Md./Springbrook) would answer the very next possession with a three to cut the deficit to less than ten points. However the Great Danes would end the half with a 29-18 lead.

UMBC shot just 7-21 (33.3%) from the field in the first half, as Garner led the way with seven points and five rebounds.

McCarley came out shooting in the third, scoring six of the team's 12 points in the stanza. Albany would increase their lead to as many as 13 midway through, before UMBC would go on a run. Chiamaka hit a tough turnaround lay-up to cut the deficit to ten, but the Great Danes ended the quarter on a 7-2 run to end to take a 45-30 lead after three. 

Albany would hold on in the fourth, taking the game 63-39, outscoring UMBC 18-9 in the fourth. 

McCarley finished with a team best 17 points on 7-14 shooting. Garner added 11 points and seven rebounds. 

UMBC returns to action with a home game on Saturday, Feb. 6 against Maine. Tip-off with the Black Bears is set for 1 p.m. at the RAC.