GAME NOTES | LIVE STATS | VIDEO
BALTIMORE-- UMBC men's basketball takes a three-game win streak to Emmitsburg to take on local rival Mount St. Mary's on Friday night. The Retrievers won a pair of games against George Washington (92-81) and Delaware (76-61) on Monday and Tuesday. Most recently, the Retrievers downed the Blue Hens behind a pair of 16 point performances from Darnell Rogers (Baltimore, Md./Indian Land (SC)/New Mexico JC) and Daniel Akin (London, England). Rogers added a career-high eight rebounds in the win.
Mount St. Mary's Game Info:
What: UMBC Retrievers (3-1) at Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers (2-3, 1-0 NEC)
Where: Knott Arena - Emmitsburg, Md.
When: Friday, December 11 - 7:00 p.m.
How to Watch: Live stream on NEC Front Row (free), live stats at MountAthletics.com
Social Media: @UMBC_MBB, #RetrieverNation, #AEHoops
Scouting the Retrievers:
-The Retrievers are riding a three-game win streak after a season-opening loss to Georgetown. Most recently, the Retrievers took care of George Washington, 92-81, and Delaware 76-61 on Monday and Tuesday. Darnell Rogers and Daniel Akin each had 16 points in the win against the Blue Hens with Rogers adding eight rebounds. Akin poured in a career-high 19 points against the Colonials.
-Rogers and Akin are the top two scorers on the team averaging 12.8 ppg with Akin pulling down 6.5 rpg. Akin is shooting 80 percent from the floor going 20-25 in the early going. R.J. Eytle-Rock (London, England), Brandon Horvath (West River, Md./Southern), and L.J. Owens (Annapolis, Md./Severn School/William & Mary) are also in double figures at 12.3, 12.0, and 10.0 ppg.
-UMBC is averaging 77.5 ppg and giving up just 69.3 ppg shooting 49.3 percent from the floor.
Scouting the Mountaineers:
-The Mountaineers come into the contest at 2-3, 1-0 NEC after opening conference play with a 75-57 win against Saint Francis on Tuesday. The Mount got out to a 10 point first-half lead and never looked back, holding the Red Flash to 38 percent shooting.
-Jalen Gibbs and Damian Chong Qui lead the Mountaineer offense averaging 16.5 and 12.6 ppg respectively. Gibbs is pulling down 4.8 rpg with both guys shooting over 40 percent from the floor. Nana Opoku and Mezie Offurum are leading the team with 5.0 rpg with Opoku chipping in 8.4 ppg.
-The Mountaineers score at a 61.4 ppg clip giving up 64.8 ppg. Teams are shooting 45 percent against the Mount on the year.
All-Time Series:
-This will be the 51st meeting all-time between the two local rivals with the Mountaineers leading the series 29-21. The Retrievers have won the last three meetings and this will be the first time the two meet since the 2016-17 season.
-UMBC has had success against the Mount in Emmitsburg winning seven of the last ten on the road.
Odom Climbing the Ranks:
-Head coach Ryan Odom is back for his fifth season at the helm of the Retrievers. Odom led the Dawgs to their third-straight America East Semifinal appearance, finishing fourth in the league at 8-8. He will be looking for his fourth 20-win season in five years and is the third-winningest coach in program history with 86 wins.
-He is now behind Tom Sullivan in second (106 wins) and Billy Jones (145 wins) in first. Sullivan hit his mark in nine seasons and Jones was on the sidelines for 12 years.
Facts & Figures:
-Senior Brandon Horvath (West River, Md./Southern) will play in his 100th career contest the next time he steps on the court. He is also fast approaching 1,000 career points, just 214 points away from reaching the milestone, and will be the 24th Retriever all-time to hit the mark.
-As a team, the Retrievers are second in the America East in scoring at 77.5 ppg and are tied for first in scoring margin at +8.3.
Up Next:
-The Retrievers will head around the beltway to take on Coppin State on Sunday, Dec. 13. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m.
