Men's Hoops Travels to Binghamton for America East Opener on Saturday Afternoon

UMBC is coming off back-to-back overtime contests at Marist (OT) and American (2OT).
UMBC has dropped three straight America East Conference openers.
The Retrievers last win on opening day of conference play came at UAlbany in 2021.
Senior Marcus Banks Jr. was named the America East Player of the Week on Tuesday after his 28-point/nine rebound performance in the win at American.
UMBC is 23rd in the country in 3-pt field goal percentage (39 percent).
Senior guard Bryce Johnson is 4th in the America East in scoring (15.7 ppg.) while teammate Marcus Banks Jr. is 9th (14.5 ppg.). Graduate student forward Josh Odunowo is fifth in the AE in field goal percentage (.508).
The Retrievers have recorded seven of the top 20 scoring performances in the America East this season. They are third in the league in scoring (83.2 ppg.).
UMBC is 43rd in the country in scoring offense (83.2 ppg.).

SERIES HISTORY

UMBC has won five of the last seven meetings,
UMBC leads the series 25-21.
The teams split the season series last year with each team winning on road
In Vestal, Binghamton leads 11-10 but UMBC has won the last two
Three of last four contests have been decided by one possession.
Last Feb. 15 at Events Center, UMBC hit 12 three-pointers, built a double-digit cushion and held off BU 89-78.

ABOUT BINGHAMTON

Binghamton had an uncharacteristic offensive performance Sunday at Marist and lost 69-51. The Bearcats experienced season-lows in shooting (30%), scoring and offensive accolades (one player in double digits).
The Bearcats had their six-game win streak snapped Sunday at Marist. The loss also prevented the Bearcats from finishing off a perfect December (5-1).

MONEY IN THE BANKS

Senior guard Marcus Banks Jr. is just 60 points shy of 1,000 for his career. 700 of those have come as a Retriever.
Banks Jr. matched his career high with 28 points on 11-of-20 shooting, including 6-for-13 from three-point territory in UMBC's 96-93 double-overtime victory at American this past Sunday. He also grabbed a team-high nine rebounds, just one shy of his career-high.
Banks Jr. has already made 5+ treys in five contests this season and is fourth in the country in total makes. His 3.2 threes per game ranks first in the America East and is 36th in the NCAA. His 42.9 clip from behind the arc slots 54th in the country
Overall, the sharpshooter is ninth on the circuit, scoring at 14.5 ppg. He also leads all guards in the conference in rebounding (4.9 pg.) and is 11th overall.

ACE IN THE HOLE

Sophomore guard Ace Valentine is averaging 13.4 ppg. over his eight outings since moving back into the starting lineup.
Valentine is shooting a sizzling 62 percent overall (42-for-68) during the stretch...He's also 2nd in the America East with a 2.4 A/T ratio.
The point guard scored the go-ahead bucket in UMBC's 2OT win at American on a driving layup.

BOMBS AWAY

UMBC leads the AE with 9.5 3s made per game this season, which ranks 61st 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 (.390)and are 23rd in the nation.
UMBC has reached double-figures in treys nine different times.
Marcus Banks Jr.(3.2) and Louie Jordan (2.1) rank first and 7th respectively in treys per game.
Louie Jordan is 2nd in 3-pt percentage (.492) while Banks Jr. is 6th (.429).

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 category at 16.1 pg.
Ace Valentine is 4th in the league with 3.9 helpers per game and is 2nd in assist/turnover ratio (2.4).

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.

TAKING A LICKING & KEEP ON TICKING

Bryce Johnson has drawn a team-high 62 fouls this season
His 9 drawn fouls at American was a career-high.

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. (940)
900 career points - Bryce Johnson (888)
900 career points - Marlon Short (804)
700 career points, Josh Odunowo, (601)
200 career 3-pointers-Marcus Banks, (188)
450 career rebounds - Marlon Short (422).
400 career field goals - Bryce Johnson (307)
150 career 3pt-fg - Bryce Johnson (132).

LAST TIME OUT: UMBC WINS DOUBLE-OT THRILLER AT AMERICAN

Washington D.C. - Sophomore guard Ace Valentine delivered a game-winning driving layup with 24 seconds remaining in double overtime as the UMBC men's basketball squad pulled out a gutsy 96-93 non-conference victory on Sunday evening at Bender Arena.
Senior guard Marcus Banks Jr. (team-high nine rebounds) matched his career high with 28 points on 11-of-20 shooting, including 6-for-13 from three-point territory. Valentine, who scored seven points in overtime, finished with 17 points and a game-high nine assists. Senior guard Bryce Johnson (19 points) and graduate student forward Josh Odunowo (18 points) were also in double figures.
The contest featured 14 lead changes and 15 ties. UMBC held a 41-40 lead at halftime after falling behind by as many as seven points midway through the opening stanza. The Retrievers led by as many as eight points in the second half.
American's Matt Rogers scored 33 points and grabbed 10 boards before fouling out in the second overtime session.
UMBC finished the non-conference portion of its schedule with an 8-7 record, while the Eagles fell to 6-7.
Trailing 64-63 with 7:25 left in regulation, the Retrievers went on an 11-4 burst to take a 74-68 advantage with just 3:05 left. Odunowo scored the final six points of the stretch, including a pair of dunks.
The hosts answered with a 10-2 run to take a 78-76 lead with 18 seconds remaining, but Johnson tied the game six ticks later with a fast break layup. He then made a free throw after he was fouled on the bucket to give UMBC a 79-78 edge.
Colin Smalls was fouled with three seconds left and made one of two from the line to send the game into overtime.
After falling behind in the early stages of the first overtime, Banks Jr. gave the Retrievers an 86-83 edge with a pull-up trifecta at 2:41, but Greg Sprouse responded with a triple on the next possession to even the contest.
Valentine put the Retrievers ahead, 88-86, after finishing a nifty layup with just under a minute left, but Rogers scored in the paint to force a second extra session.
UMBC never trailed in the second overtime, but American had an opportunity to grab the lead after a turnover by the Retrievers with 1:23 left. However, Matt Mayock missed a layup with 49 seconds left, and Valentine then drove down the center of the lane and finished the go-ahead bucket from underneath the right side of the rim.
Smalls misfired on a 3-pointer with ten seconds left, and senior forward Marlon Short was able to snare the rebound. Valentine was fouled with just five ticks left, setting up the final sequence of events.
Valentine hit the first to give UMBC a three-point edge, but missed on the second, allowing the hosts a final opportunity to force a third overtime. Sprouse's desperation turnaround 3-pointer was well off the mark as time expired.