Burlington, Vt. – The UMBC women's basketball team scored the final 15 points of the third quarter to erase a 13-point deficit, but dropped a tough 60-58 decision at Vermont on Saturday at Patrick Gymnasium.

Senior guard Tey'jah Oliver (Clinton, Md.) led UMBC with 21 points, playing all 40 minutes. Junior forward Janee'a Summers (Bound Brook, N.J.) added 17 points and tied a season-high with 12 rebounds.  

UMBC trailed, 41-28, with 5:34 to play in the third quarter, but forced four turnovers and the hosts missed five straight field goal attempts over nearly a six-minute span. On the offensive end, UMBC would convert 7-of-10 shots from the floor, capped by a Summers' jumper which gave the visitors a 43-41 lead at the of the third period.

The fourth quarter featured six ties, as the Retrievers responded on five occasions to knot the score. Oliver converted a jumper with 4:10 remaining to even the count at 54. UMBC would get three shots around the basket to attempt to regain the lead, but came up empty and Vermont's Hanna Crimble finished a layup to give the hosts a 56-54 lead with 2:52 remaining.

The Retrievers got two additional chances to tie, but could not finish, and the Catamounts build the lead to 58-54 with 2:16 to play.

Freshman Lyric Swann (Elkridge, Md./Long Reach) ended the drought by knocking down a jumper with 22 seconds left. After a quick Retriever foul, Crimble hit two free throws with 17 seconds left. Oliver would respond six seconds later with two at the stripe and, after a pair of missed Catamount free throws, the Retrievers had a chance to tie or win the game in the final seconds. But Oliver got trapped on the sideline and her pass for a screening Lucrezia Costa (Rome, Italy) was picked off and the hosts ran out the clock.   

After a difficult first half from the floor, UMBC hit 16-of-30 in the final twenty minutes, but still finished below 40 percent (22-of-58, 37.9) for the game. The Retrievers committed only ten miscues, one shy of their season low, and outscored Vermont, 14-11 off of 13 Catamount turnovers.

UMBC took a 10-5 lead midway through the first quarter, but would only convert three more field goals over the final 15 minutes of the first half. Vermont went on a 9-0 run and led, 18-12, after 15 minutes. Two Paula Rubio (Madrid, Spain) free throws trimmed the deficit to 20-18 with 5:21 to play in the second stanza, but the hosts scored the final eight points to take a 28-18 halftime lead.

Oliver added three assists and two steals, while Swann contributed eight points.

UMBC (4-11, 0-4 America East) has the week off before hosting New Hampshire on Saturday, Jan. 18.