BALTIMORE – Senior guard Bryce Johnson ignited the offense with a team-high 18 points as the UMBC men's basketball team eased their way to a 92-67 win against Baltimore rival Coppin State on Thursday night at the Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena.
"I thought we played a fantastic first half," said UMBC head coach Jim Ferry. "I know our guys were hungry for this game because we didn't play particularly well against them {Coppin State} last year. We were locked in and defended at a very high level. I also liked the way we shared the basketball. We weren't as connected in the second half, but overall, I thought it was a good game. For us, it's about getting better every day."
Johnson went for 5-of-11 from the floor, with a solid 3-for-5 effort on threes, alongside four rebounds. Senior guard Marcus Banks Jr. scored 11 of his 16 points in the second half and added three steals, three assists, and three rebounds. Junior Louie Jordan scored 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting and a perfect 2-for-2 record behind the arc. Senior guard Devan Sapp was the fourth Retriever in double-digits with 11 points on 5-for-9 shooting.
Sophomore point guard Ace Valentine dished a career-high 11 assists alongside seven points and three steals in 22 minutes off the bench. "I thought Ace was fantastic tonight, and some of his passes were spectacular," Ferry stated. "When Ace comes in off the bench like that, you could tell he only cares about what's good for the team, and that's a great step for us. His defense in the first half was outstanding as well."
"I feel like when I come in, I've got to give that energy to the team," Valentine claimed. "I'm going to be ready whether I'm starting or coming off the bench."
UMBC (3-1) led 43-27 at the break after dominating the defensive end with seven steals, a block, and forced 12 turnovers. The defensive pressure allowed them to record 18 points off Coppin's turnovers.
Coppin inched within 51-39 after a bucket by Jonathan Dunn with 16:12 left in the contest, but that was as close as the Eagles would get. The hosts answered with a 20-8 burst to widen their lead to 71-47 at 8:56. Banks Jr., Johnson, and Sapp connected on treys during the stretch.
UMBC shot a blistering 58.6 percent overall (34-58) and swished 10-of-19 attempts (52.6 percent) from behind the arc.
Coppin State (0-5) connected on 26-of-55 (47.3 percent) field goal attempts but were just 3-for-12 from the 3-point stripe and made only 12-of-20 (60 percent) of their free throws.
Dunn paced the visitors with a game-high 22 points on 9-of-13 shooting.
UMBC will look to make it three straight when they host Saint Peter's on Saturday afternoon.
