The UMBC women's basketball team heads out on the road for the first time this conference season as they face their second New York opponent, taking on the Binghamton Bearcats on Sunday, December 27 and Monday, December 28. Both games are scheduled to tip-off from Dr. Bai Lee Court at Events Center in Vestal, N.Y. at 2 p.m.
Binghamton Game Info:
What: UMBC Retrievers (1-3) vs. Binghamton Bearcats (0-4)
Where: Dr. Bai Lee Court at Events Center - Vestal, N.Y.
When: Sunday, December 27 and Monday, December 28 - 2 p.m.
How to Watch: ESPN3 (Sunday) | ESPN3 (Monday) | Live Stats
Social Media: @UMBCWBB, #RetrieverNation, #AEWBB
Game Notes: UMBC | Binghamton
Dawgs Bites
UMBC split its opening America East weekend against the UAlbany Great Danes on December 19 and 20. In game one, the Great Danes took a ten-point victory, 66-56, over the Retrievers. Junior Mya Moye led a trio of double-digit scorers with 13 points (4-12 FG, 2-7 3FG, 3-4 FT). The game was close through the first three quarters but UAlbany pulled away late in the fourth quarter for the win.
In game two, UMBC once again saw three double-digit scorers, as senior Janee'a Summers, graduate student Juliet Esadah, and freshman Alexia Nelson each chipped in 12 points each; Summers also posted her 14th career double-double as she added 10 rebounds. The Retrievers trailed the Great Danes,42-38, at the beginning of the fourth quarter; but, the Retrievers used a 10-point run early on to take the lead, 48-43, with 6:46 to play and never relinquished it.
The Retrievers held the Great Danes to just 10 points in the final ten minutes, while scoring 23 of their own. UMBC held UAlbany to 21.4 percent shooting from the floor (3-14) and just one three-pointer on six attempts.
Summers (12.3 ppg) and Esadah (11.5 ppg) both rank in the top ten in scoring in the America East. Esadah is second in the conference in rebounding, averaging 9.0 boards per game; she also ranks 25th in the nation in offensive rebounds per game, averaging 4.2 per contest.
Nelson and her freshmen classmate Patricia Anumgba are tied for seventh in the America East in steals per game, each averaging 1.5 per contest.
About the Opponent: Binghamton
Binghamton had two games canceled, Niagara and #20 Syracuse, but saw non-conference action against Fairleigh Dickinson and St. Bonaventure before opening the America East season.
The Bearcats are 0-4 on the young season, most recently dropping their conference-opening series to the defending regular-season champion Stony Brook Seawolves on Dec. 19 and 20. On Saturday, the game was a close one as the Bearcats and Seawolves only had a six-point differential at the 1:32 mark in regulation, 56-50, but Stony Brook was able to capitalize on three Binghamton turnovers and make key free throws down the line for the 61-52 victory.
The next day, Binghamton fell to Stony Brook, 55-47. The Bearcats were dominant in the first half, leading 27-26 after the first two quarters; however, the Seawolves were able to use a quick run in the beginning of the third quarter and back-to-back baskets late in the game to help seal their win.
Sophomore Denai Bowman leads the team with 13.5 ppg, a mark that ranks third in the America East. Senior Kaylee Wasco is fifth at 13.0 ppg; Wasco also is 36th in the country in field-goal percentage, hitting 59.3 percent of her shots. Sophomore Clare Traeger ranks third in the America East in rebounding, bringing down 7.5 per contest.
Binghamton's head coach is Bethann Shapiro Ord, who is a former UMBC guard. Shapiro Ord, who played on the team from 1986-89, is a three-time member of the 10-assist club, after dishing out 10 assists against Utica and Coppin State and 11 against Liberty.
The Series
Binghamton leads the overall series against UMBC, 25-12, and has won the last six meetings between the two teams. The Retrievers' last victory over the Bearcats was a 53-45 win during the 2017 season.
A Look Back: The 2020 Binghamton Series
Binghamton swept the series against UMBC during the 2020 America East season. On January 8, the Retrievers fell in their conference home opener, 61-43, to the Bearcats. In the final regular-season road game on February 26, the Bearcats and Retrievers battled it out but Binghamton ultimately walked away with a 66-58 win.
Hey Rookie!
Freshman Alexia Nelson (Brooklyn, N.Y.) was named America East Rookie of the Week for the week ending November 30. In her collegiate debut against Morgan State on November 25, Nelson shot 40 percent from the field, scoring six points on the night. Nelson also dished out a team-high five assists while bringing down two rebounds and recording one steal in her first appearance in a Retriever uniform.
The Three Retrieveteers
UMBC's roster will look a little different when the 2020-21 season starts, but a core of returners will help to anchor the team.
Seniors Janee'a Summers and Jen Gast and sophomore Lyric Swann will be the veteran players to hold down the fort for UMBC.
Summers finished in the top 10 in scoring (12.5 ppg) and rebounding (7.0 rpg), while also ranking fourth in free throw percentage (.809) last season on her way to being named to the America East All-Conference Third Team. Gast saw her breakout season during 2019-20, leading the team with 198 rebounds and ranking fourth in the America East with 7.3 rpg. The Baltimore-native had a career-day against La Salle on November 30 with 15 points and 18 rebounds, the most by a Retriever since 2012.
Swann was a two-time America East Rookie of the Week, averaging 8.4 ppg off a 39.1 shooting percentage. The freshman scored a career-high 17 points against Stony Brook on February 1 and added to a highlight reel with multiple buzzer-beaters throughout the season.
Double Take
Don't be surprised to see two Swanns gliding across the court in a Retriever uniform. After Lyric had an outstanding rookie career in 2019-20, twin sister Jaelyn joined the bench after one season at Muhlenberg College. The twins are the daughters of former UMBC standout Karyn Swann (1988-92), who earned East Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors in 1990-91 and ranks 13th all-time in career steals.
The Swann twins, however, are one of four sets of twins that play for the Retrievers, joining Michael and Steven Zichelli (MLAX), Daron and Zachary Taylor (MXC), Samantha and Melissa Kameka (WXC). In total, eight sets of siblings currently play for the UMBC:
Lyric and Jaelyn Swann (WBB)*
Samantha and Melissa Kameka (WXC)*
Daron and Zachary Taylor (MXC)*
Michael and Steven Zichelli (MLAX)*
Jackson and Ryan Becher (MSOC)
Matthew and Charles Bennicci (MSD)
Kenny and Danielle Fuentes (M&WSOC)
Emma and Annika Bridges (WSD)
*- Indicates twins
The Votes Are In
In the #AEWBB Preseason Poll, the Retrievers were selected to finish fifth in the conference according to the coaches, tied with the Binghamton Bearcats.
UMBC, who finished eighth in the 2019-20 season, received 43 votes in the poll. For the third year in a row, the Maine Black Bears were selected as the favorites to win the conference with 78 points and six first-place votes, slightly edging out regular-season champions Stony Brook (76 points, four first-place votes).
2020-21 America East Women's Basketball Preseason Poll
No. School Points (1st Place Votes)
1. Maine 78 (6)
2. Stony Brook 76 (4)
3. UMass Lowell 62
4. UAlbany 54
T5. Binghamton 43
UMBC 43
7. Vermont 36
8. Hartford 24
9. New Hampshire 23
10. NJIT 11
AE on ESPN
Once again this year, every Retriever men's and women's home basketball games will be streamed on either ESPN3 or ESPN+.
The agreement between the America East and ESPN commenced with the 2016-17 academic year and will run through 2026-27. America East's nine-member institutions will work collaboratively with ESPN and the conference office to develop their own in-house production operations on their campuses. This will result in a significant increase in national coverage for multiple sports on ESPN3 branded "The AE on ESPN" showcasing more than 3,000 America East events over the term of the agreement, starting with all men's and women's basketball games and adding other sports in future years.
Land Acknowledgement Statement
The Office of Equity and Inclusion (OEI), in collaboration with the Inclusion Council, formally acknowledges the land of Indigenous peoples on which UMBC is located and encourages all in our community to share the following statement.
UMBC was established upon the land of the Piscataway and Susquehannock peoples. Over time, citizens of many more Indigenous nations have come to reside in this region. We humbly offer our respects to all past, present, and future Indigenous people connected to this place.
