UMBC at Georgetown | Saturday, 11/26, 12:00 p.m. (Capital One Arena) | TV: FS2 | Live Stats | Game Notes

LAST TIME OUT
Greensboro, N.C. -- A valiant comeback attempt came up just short as the visiting UMBC men's basketball team dropped a 76-72 decision against the UNC Greensboro Spartans on Tuesday evening at the Greensboro Coliseum. UMBC (3-3) swished a season-high 17 treys, including five each by graduate student Colton Lawrence (season-high 21 points) and junior Matteo Picarelli (17 points). The Retrievers trailed by 16 points with 8:27 left in the opening half and nearly came all the way back, giving themselves an opportunity to tie or take the lead in the closing seconds. However, UNCG (2-2) forced a turnover with four seconds left and put the game away with two free throws.
 
ANOTHER HOME OPENER "W"
UMBC handled Penn State York, 92-65, on Thursday evening and picked up their seventh straight season-opening home victory. Senior forward Yaw Obeng-Mensah scored a career high 19 points, leading four Retrievers (1-1) in double figures. Mensah also posted a game-high 10 rebounds to collect his first double-double as a Retriever. The Retrievers scored 52 second half points, hitting 22 of their first 33 shots from the floor in the period.  Senior guard Jacob Boonyasith scored 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting, while graduate students Jarvis Doles and Colton Lawrence added 13 apiece.
 
ABOUT THE OPPONENT
Georgetown dropped a 74-70 decision to the visiting American University Eagles at Capital One Arena on Wednesday. The shorthanded Hoyas, playing without the team's second-leading scorer Brandon Murray.
Primo Spears led three Hoyas in double figures with 15 points with a 7-for-8 performance from the free throw line. Akok Akok followed up with 14 points of his own including three triples to go along with six rebounds, two steals and a pair of assists. Jay Heath rounded out those in double figures with 10 points on 4-of-9 shooting as well as three steals and two assists.
 
SERIES HISTORY         
The Retrievers are 0-5 all-time vs. the Hoyas. Last season, Georgetown defeated UMBC, 100-71. The two squads met in the opening round of the NCAA tournament in Raleigh, NC in 2008. The Hoyas came up with a 66-47 victory in UMBC first-ever appearance in "The Big Dance"
 
PICARELLI COMING INTO HIS OWN   
Junior guard Matteo Picarelli (19.0 ppg over last 3 games) has been the biggest surprise for the Retrievers through the first six contests and is the second-leading scorer on the squad at 13.7 ppg.  The Milan, Italy native went for 19 points in the victory against Lafayette and followed that up with a new career-high 21 points in the triumph over Central Connecticut State last Sunday.  This past Tuesday, he continued to have the hot-hand as he went 5-of-9 from behind the arc. Picarelli is averaging 24.2 minutes per game this season after playing just 8.6 mpg. in 21-22.  He's already surpassed last season's scoring total of 63 points.  Picarelli is shooting 56 percent from 3-point range (20-of-36) this season and is 26-for-44 (.591) overall. He's drained 15-of-27 ( 56 percent) from 3 over the last three contests.
 
BOMBS AWAY
The Retrievers swished 17 triples for the 5th time in program history at UNCG (11/22/22).  UMBC attempted 37 treys, just six shy of their all-time single-game mark. The program-record still stands at 19 makes (vs. Messiah, 12/3/16).