UMBC (7-7) at American (6-6) | Sunday, December 29, 4pm | Bender Arena (Washington D.C.) | Watch | Live Stats

SETTING THE STAGE

• UMBC has dropped two straight contests, including a 76-73 decision in overtime at Marist in their last time out on December 21.
• The Eagles came up just short in a 63-58 loss at Virginia last Sunday afternoon. AU hit 11 three-pointers and turned the ball over a season-low seven times while staying within striking distance or in the lead for the entire contest..
• Matt Mayock hit 4-of-5 from long range and led the Eagles with 16 points, hitting 6-of-8 from the field overall and grabbing five rebounds.
• UMBC is 23rd in the country in 3-pt field goal percentage (39 percent).
• Senior guard Bryce Johnson is 6th in the America East in scoring (15.5 ppg.) while teammate Marcus Banks Jr. is 13th (13.5 ppg.). Graduate student forward Josh Odunowo is fifth in the AE in field goal percentage (.500).
• Sophomore point guard Ace Valentine is averaging 12.9 ppg. over his last seven outings since moving back into the starting lineup and is shooting a sizzling 63 percent overall (35-for-56) during the stretch. He's also 3rd in the America East with a 2.1 A/T ratio.
• The Retrievers have recorded six of the top 17 scoring performances in the America East this season. They are third in the league in scoring (83.1 ppg.).
• UMBC is 46th in the country in scoring offense (82.3 ppg.).

 
SERIES HISTORY

• American has won seven of the last eight meetings.
• UMBC has lost three straight tilts in Washington D.C.
• The Dawgs nearly came all the way back from a 22-point second-half deficit but fell just short against the American Eagles, 87-85, last season at Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena.
• Retriever guard Bryce Johnson scored a career-high 31 points to pace UMBC. Johnson connected on 11-of-16 field goal attempts and went 6-for-9 from behind the arc. The six treys tied his career-best and was also a season-high.

 
LAST TIME OUT: UMBC DROPS OT HEARTBREAKER AT MARIST

• Poughkeepsie, NY - Senior guard Bryce Johnson scored a game-high 23 points. However, the UMBC men's basketball team dropped a heartbreaking 76-73 overtime decision against the Marist Red Foxes on Saturday afternoon at McCann Arena.
• Johnson connected on 8-of-13 field goal attempts and contributed four assists and a season-high seven rebounds. Senior guard Marcus Banks Jr. was also in double-figures with 15 points (5-of-14, 3-pointers). Graduate student forward Josh Odunowo recorded eight points and grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds.
• Clinging to a 71-70 lead, UMBC (7-7) was called for a controversial foul with just one second remaining in regulation, which allowed the Red Foxes (8-2) to force overtime by making one of two free throw attempts.
• The Retrievers then held a 73-70 advantage after senior guard Marlon Short converted a layup with 3:40 left in the extra session. However, UMBC was unable to score the rest of the way. Jadin Collins-Roberts scored on a second chance opportunity with 2:27 left to give Marist the lead for good.
• Trailing 74-73, UMBC misfired on their final five field goal attempts before Elijah Lewis (team-high 17 points) made two free throws to give the Red Foxes a 76-73 edge with ten ticks left. The Retrievers had a final opportunity to force another overtime, but Banks Jr. had his 3-pointer blocked with two seconds left by Lewis, and time ran out.
• UMBC held a 37-27 edge with 4:36 left in the opening half, but Marist went on a 12-2 run to even the game, 39-39, at the intermission. The Retrievers connected on 7-of-13 treys in the first stanza as Banks Jr. and junior forward Louie Jordan each buried three triples. Johnson recorded 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting over the first twenty minutes of the contest.
• The Retrievers led for 24:15 of the contest while the Red Foxes were ahead for 15:19. The game was deadlocked ten times and there were 12 lead changes.
• UMBC shot 41 percent overall (26-of-61) and were 12-of-29 (41.4 percent) from behind the arc while the hosts went 29-of-64 overall (45.3 percent) and just 18.8 percent (3-for-16) from deep.
• It was UMBC's first OT game since falling to UMass Lowell in last season's America East Quarterfinals.
• Banks Jr. exceeded the 900-point mark for his career and now has 912.
• Banks Jr. has swished 5+ treys four times this season. He leads the circuit with 42 treys.
• Johnson recorded his second straight 20+ point game and has a team-high four on the season. He needs just 31 points to join Banks Jr. with 900.
• Odunowo grabbed double-figure rebounds for the second time this season.
• Jordan is 12-of-23 (52 percent) from 3-point range over his last three contests. He's currently 2nd in the AE with a 50 percent accuracy (32-for-64) from downtown. 
• UMBC has connected on 10+ 3s in six of their last seven contests and has hit the double-digit mark nine times this season.
• The Retrievers are now 1-4 on the road this season.

 
KINGS OF BALTIMORE

• The Retrievers won the Charm City Classic by virtue of their victories against Morgan State and Towson. UMBC, who had not defeated Towson since 2012, broke an eight-game losing skid against their Beltway rivals The Retrievers also knocked off Coppin State earlier this season.

 
BOMBS AWAY

• UMBC leads the AE with 9.6 3s made per game this season, which ranks 64th in the country.
• The Retrievers 17 makes against Valley Forge were an America East single-game high.
• The Retrievers lead the league in 3-pt field goal percentage (.392)and are 24th in the nation.
• UMBC has reached double-figures in treys nine different times.
• Marcus Banks Jr.(3.0) and Louie Jordan (2.1) rank first and 7th respectively in treys per game.
• Jordan is 2nd in 3-pt percentage (.500) while Banks Jr. is 5th (.424).

 SHARING IS CARING

• UMBC dished an America East high 31 assists in the win versus Valley Forge. It was their highest output since they handed out 29 vs. Coppin St. on 11/30/2022.
• It was also the most in the conference since Maine and Bryant recorded 32 during the 2022-23 season.
• The Retrievers are second in the league in the league in the category at 15.8 pg.
• Ace Valentine is 5th in the league with 3.6 helpers per game and is 3rd in assist/turnover ratio (2.1).

 
TAKING A LICKING & KEEP ON TICKING

• Bryce Johnson drew a career-high eight fouls in back-to-back games against Coppin State and Saint Peter's.
• Johnson leads the squad with 53 fouls drawn thus far in 2024-25.
• Johnson is 123rd in the country with 66 free throw attempts.

 
A PROGRAM ON THR RISE

• UMBC is enjoying their best stretch in program history as the Retrievers have gone a combined 149-114 (.562) over the past nine 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 became the first #16 seed to knock off a #1 seed when the Retrievers shocked Virginia, 74-54, in the 2018 NCAA Tournament.
• Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena (formerly the UMBC Event Center) officially opened on Feb. 3, 2018, as the UMBC men's basketball team hosted the Vermont Catamounts before a capacity crowd of 4,753. Both the men's and women's basketball teams played their February and March games in the new facility, which included three post-season victories.
• The on-campus facility can accommodate nearly 6,000 patrons for commencements, concerts, featured speakers, and other events. It includes spectator facilities, such as concessions, catering, hospitality, restrooms, security and guest services.

 
COACH FERRY

• Jim Ferry is in his 23rd season as a collegiate head coach and his third at UMBC.
• Ferry led the Retrievers to consecutive 18-14 records as well as an appearance in the America East Finals in 2021-22.
• Prior to his arrival in Baltimore, Ferry served in 2020-21 as the interim head coach at Penn State. He led the Nittany Lions to an 11-14 overall mark and a
• 7-12 Big Ten record that included wins over NCAA Tournament
• teams No. 14 Wisconsin, No. 15 Virginia Tech , Rutgers, and Maryland (twice).
• Ferry spent 10 seasons as head coach at LIU Brooklyn, guiding the program to unprecedented levels of success. He led the Blackbirds to the Northeast Conference regular-season titles and tournament championships in 2011 and 2012, including their first NCAA Championship appearance in 14 years.

 
AMERICA EAST PRESEASON POLL     
Rank   Team (First-Place Votes) Points
1          Vermont (8)                 64
2          UMass Lowell (1)         55
3          Bryant                          52
4          Maine                          39
5          UMBC                          31
6          Binghamton                30
7          UAlbany                      26
8          NJIT                             15
9          New Hampshire          12
 
MILESTONE WATCH   
1000 career points -Marcus Banks, Jr. (912)
900 career points - Bryce Johnson (869)
800 career points -  Marlon Short (773)
600 career points, Josh Odunowo, (553)
200 career 3-pointers-Marcus Banks, (182)
450 career rebounds - Marlon Short (406).
300 career field goals - Bryce Johnson (280)
150 career 3pt-fg - Bryce Johnson (132).
 
UP NEXT
UMBC opens the America East Conference slate at Binghamton next Saturday afternoon.