BALTIMORE – American's Emily Johns hit a 3-pointer with 8.1 seconds remaining to give the visiting Eagles a 70-68 victory over UMBC in a topsy-turvy non-conference contest at "The Peake."
After advancing the ball to the front court via a time out, UMBC tried to lob the ball into
KK White cutting to the basket, but she was surrounded and whistled for traveling with 3.7 seconds left.
UMBC graduate student guard
Nia Staples produced a brilliant game, scoring a career high 24 points in defeat.
The game ended with two major scoring runs. Trailing 61-57, Staples hit three treys in 54 seconds and
Kiara Bell added a bucket as part of an 11-0 surge which gave the hosts a 68-61 lead at the 2:38 mark. But American finished the game on a 9-0 run.
Bell (18 points) and
Ashia McCalla (9 points) fouled out during American's final surge.
Johns led all scorers with 25 points.
HOW IT HAPPENED- FIRST QUARTER
- American started quickly, but UMBC finished the period on a 10-0 run to lead, 20-15 after ten minutes
- Bell hit all five field goal attempts, scoring ten points and adding four rebounds.
HOW IT HAPPENED- SECOND QUARTER
- The Retrievers extended the run to 17-2 to take a 27-17 lead on a Bell steal and fast-break layup at the 7:18 mark of the period.
- UMBC held UA to nine points over the final 15:14 of the half and led, 37-24, at the break.
- The Retrievers forced 15 Eagle first half turnovers and outscored AU, 13-0, in points off turnovers.
- The 37 points scored was the most in a half by UMBC this season.
HOW IT HAPPENED- THIRD QUARTER
- American scored 27 points in the period, but a Staples' 3-point play with 21 seconds to play gave UMBC a 53-51 lead after 45 minutes of action.
HOW IT HAPPENED- FOURTH QUARTER
- The Eagles outscored UMBC, 10-4, over the first 5:04 of the period and took a 61-57 lead, setting up the game's dramatic final sequence.
Staples hit 9-of-12 shots from the floor and 5-of-6 from beyond the arc. She added five rebounds and four assists. White scored 14 points and led UMBC with 9 rebounds.
But the Retrievers were done in by 15 second half miscues, leading to 16 Eagle points.
UMBC faces former America East foe Hartford in Connecticut on Tuesday, Dec. 22 at 2:00 p.m.
