Men’s Basketball Heads to Hartford for Pivotal #AEHoops Matchup

UMBC men’s basketball will hit the road for their final regular season road contest of the year at Hartford in a crucial #AEHoops showdown.

BALTIMORE– UMBC men's basketball will hit the road for their final regular season road contest of the year at Hartford in a crucial #AEHoops showdown. The Retrievers are coming off an 86-59 loss at Vermont on Saturday, currently tied for second place in the conference standings with Binghamton and UAlbany. Spots 2-6 are all within a game of each other with just three games remaining.

Hartford Game Info:
What: UMBC Retrievers (13-13, 8-7 AE) at Hartford Hawks (9-17, 7-7 AE)
Where: Chase Arena - West Hartford, Conn.
When: Wednesday, February 23 - 7:00 p.m.
How to Watch: Live stream on ESPN+ and ESPN app, live stats at HartfordHawks.com
Social Media: @UMBC_MBB, @UMBCAthletics, #RetrieverNation, #AEHoops

Scouting the Retrievers:

The Retrievers will head into the final road game of the regular season at 13-13, 8-7 AE after falling 86-59 to Vermont on Saturday. UMBC is currently in a tie for second place in the America East where one game separates two through six in the standings.
Keondre Kennedy (Atlanta, Ga.) leads the team averaging 14.8 ppg and is shooting 49.5 percent from the floor. He is second on the team at 5.0 rpg.
L.J. Owens (Annapolis, Md./Severn School/William & Mary) and Darnell Rogers (Baltimore, Md./Indian Land (SC)/New Mexico JC) are also in double figures at 10.8 ppg each. Rogers is dishing out 4.0 apg while Owens is shooting 43.1 percent from three.
Yaw Obeng-Mensah (Toronto, Ontario) leads the team with 5.6 rpg.

Scouting the Hawks:

The Hawks head into the contest at 9-17, 7-7 AE after a big 74-70 win against Stony Brook on Sunday. Hartford earned 45 free throws in the contest, holding off the Seawolves late.
Austin Williams leads a trio in double figures at 17.4 ppg. He is shooting 51 percent from the floor and is second on the team at 5.3 rpg.
Moses Flowers and Hunter Marks are also in double figures at 14.5 and 11.7 ppg respectively. Flowers leads the team on the glass averaging 6.4 rpg.

All-Time Series:

This will be the 42nd meeting in the all-time series with the Retrievers holding a slim 21-20 lead in the series, including a win earlier this month, 68-64 in Baltimore. The Retrievers have had success against the Hawks in recent years, winning nine of the last 13 games dating back to 2017-18.
Earlier this month, the Retrievers needed a late comeback to defeat the Hawks, getting a steal and dunk from L.J. Owens in the final minute to take the lead for good.

Among the Best:

UMBC sits 13th nationally in team free throw percentage at 78.0 going 327-419 from the charity stripe this season.
The mark is good for first in the conference.

Milestone Watch:

L.J. Owens is approaching the 1,000 point mark, needing just 20 points to achieve the mark.
As a team, the Retrievers are on pace to have their best season from the foul line in program history. UMBC is currently at 78.0 percent from the charity stripe. The previous best was 75.5 percent in 1986-87.

Up Next:

UMBC will conclude the regular season with a pair of home games, starting with Maine on Saturday, Feb. 26. The game will also be senior day, as the Retrievers will honor six seniors prior to the game.
Tip-off with the Black Bears is slated for 1 p.m. on ESPN+.

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