BALTIMORE– UMBC men's basketball scored 98 points for the second time in three games to improve their win streak to three and improve to 5-2 with a 98-60 win against Columbia (2-6) on Wednesday.
Darnell Rogers (Baltimore, Md./Indian Land (SC)/New Mexico JC) led the way with 17 points, 14 of which came in the first half.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- UMBC started out on fire, scoring the first 10 points of the game with five points coming from Rogers.
- On the run, UMBC forced turnovers on four straight possessions.
- The Retrievers held the Lions in check for most of the half, limiting them to just 23 percent from the floor in the opening 20 minutes.
- UMBC used a 7-1 spurt at the six minute mark to take a 19 point lead.
- The Retrievers ended the half on another 6-0 run, capped by a Jacob Boonyasith (Grand Rapids, Mich.) three just before the buzzer to lead 49-19 at the break.
- Rogers scored 14 points in the opening half with Ray Salnave (Elmont, N.Y.) adding eight off the bench. UMBC scored 12 points off nine Columbia turnovers.
- Columbia got off to a strong start in the second half, but the Retrievers found their footing in the form of a 7-0 run, capping the run on a Dimitrije Spasojevic (Vrsac, Serbia) turnaround and one.
- UMBC got a big contribution from Nathan Johnson (Adel, Iowa) in the second half. Johnson had 13 points, all in the second half to help the Retrievers to a 98-60 win.
NOTABLE:
- Rogers led the Retrievers with 17 points, going 6-10 from the floor. Keondre Kennedy (Atlanta, Ga.) had another double digit performance adding 16 points.
- Johnson had a season-best 13 points going 6-7 from the foul line. It is his first double digit performance since his first collegiate game.
- UMBC had 22 points off 17 Columbia turnovers. The Retrievers committed just three turnovers themselves and shot 47 percent from the floor and 41 percent from three.
UMBC will hit the road for the next three contests, starting with a road test at Delaware on Sunday, Dec. 5. Tip-off with the Blue Hens is set for 2 p.m. on FloSports.
