Men's Hoops Looks for Third Consecutive Victory; Host Loyola Maryland on Sunday

Retrievers Welcome The Greyhounds to the Peake

UMBC graduate student forward Khydarius Smith scored a career high 25 points as the host Retrievers held off the Sacred Heart Pioneers, 85-80, at the Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena on Friday morning. The game drew more than 600 elementary school children for "Midday Madness."
Smith converted 9-of-11 field goal attempts and went 7-for-9 from the free throw line. Junior guard Marcus Banks Jr. scored a season best 21 points and added four rebounds while sophomore guard Dion Brown contributed 10 points and recorded a career high seven assists.
UMBC is enjoying their best stretch in program history as the Retrievers have gone a combined 136-88 (.614) over the past seven seasons. UMBC enjoyed three straight 20+ win seasons from 2016-17 to 2018-19. Their 25 victories in 2017-18 was a program high.
UMBC had won seven straight home openers before falling to Marist last Saturday.
Today is the third game of a four-game home stretch before the Retrievers make the trip down to Maryland on Tuesday, Nov. 21.
Sophomore guard Dion Brown was named the America East Player of the Week this past Monday after averaging 25.5 points and 5.5 rebounds against Louisville and Marist.
Johnson is averaging 12.7 ppg. while Smith is netting 12.3 points and 4.0 rpg.

A GLANCE AT THE GREYHOUNDS

Tavaras Hardy is in his sixth season as the Greyhounds' head coach and returns 12 players from a season ago.
The Greyhounds finished the 2023-24 season by winning five of its last six games, averaging 82 points per game in those victories.
Deon Perry was named to the Patriot League All-Rookie Team at the end of the season after raising his scoring average throughout conference play to average 13.6 points in 18 Patriot League games. In 13 regular-season non-conference outings, he averaged 7.8 per game.
Golden Dike and Alonso Faure similarly boosted their rebounding numbers during the conference season. Faure has averaged 6.9 against Patriot League teams, compared to 4.8 in non-league games. Dike is up to 6.6 over 6.0 earlier in the year.
Four newcomers dot the Greyhounds' roster with a transfer, D'Angelo Stines, and three freshmen, Troy Cicero Jr., Matt Gray and Jordan Stiemke.

SERIES HISTORY

UMBC is 7-10 all-time against Loyola Maryland.
The Retrievers pulled out a 72-69 victory last season at Reitz Arena. SO guard Dion Brown scored a game-high 21 points on 9-of-12 shooting.
Loyola Maryland had won nine straight games against the Retrievers prior to last year's result.
UMBC is 3-5 at home but have not defeated the Greyhounds on their home court since Dec. 21, 2004.

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