Troy, N.Y. -- The UMBC Women's Basketball team battled for 40 minutes minutes, but defending America East champion UAlbany used a big run in the final two minutes to win, 61-53, on Wednesday night at the McDonough Sports Complex - HVCC.
Reigning America East Player of the Week
KK White (Indianapolis, In.) led four Retrievers in double figures with 15 points and a team-best six rebounds.
Kiara Bell (Santa Rosa, Calif.) and
Laycee Drake (Hancock, N.Y.) each poured in 12 points, while
Ashia McCalla (Greenbelt, Md.) added 10.
Bell was 6-7 from the field and added two blocks and a pair of steals in only 21 minutes as foul trouble limited her minutes.
How it Happened:
- For the second straight game, UMBC (5-9, 2-1 AE) jumped out to a big lead, going up 13-3 after a McCalla jumper just 3:45 into the contest.
- UAlbany (9-8, 3-0 AE) would claw back and cut the deficit to 18-17, but a late three from Drake gave UMBC a 21-17 lead after one quarter
- Buckets by Bell and McCalla early in the second pushed the lead back to eight at 25-17, but the Great Danes would battle back, scoring the final four points of the quarter to send the game into the half tied at 31
- The Retrievers struggled from the floor to start the third, as they did not hit their first field goal until a Drake three with 1:32 left in the quarter cut the UAlbany lead to 45-36.
- Bell would get a block and finish the ensuing fastbreak with a layup to trim the deficit to 45-38 after three.
- Once again, there was a lid on the basket for UMBC as a White fastbreak layup with 4:15 left was the first field goal of the quarter and sliced the Great Danes lead to 49-42.
- White would then score on the ensuing two possessions, and McCalla would follow with a free throw to make it just a 49-47 deficit with 1:56 left
- The hosts answered with a three-point play, but White responded with a jumper to again make it a one posession game, 52-49, with 1:29 left
- The Retrievers however would come up empty and UAlbany would hit eight freethrows in the next 40 seconds to go up 60-49
- Drake and White hit a pair of shots in the final 10 seconds to account for the final score of 61-53
The Retrievers return to The Peake to host America East newcomer Bryant on Saturday at 2 p.m. Fans can catch the action on ESPN3
