UMBC (3-1, 0-0 AE) at George Washington (4-0, 0-0 A-10) | Wednesday, Nov. 19, 7pm | Charles E. Smith Center | Washington D.C. | Watch | Live Stats | Game Notes

RETRIEVER TIP-OFF    

• The Retrievers are competing in their 58th season as well as their 40th season of D1 hoops in Baltimore.
• UMBC has a record of 674-952 (.414) all-time.
• The Retrievers are 477-679 (.412) at the DI level
• UMBC was selected to finish seventh in the America East Preseason Poll.
• Graduate student Josh Odunowo was named to the America East Preseason All-Conference Team after averaging 11.5 points and 5.1 rebounds per game last season.
• Odunowo will me making his 100th career appearance in his next outing.
• The Retrievers have nine new faces in 2025-26.
• UMBC has started the season 3-1 for the second consecutive season.
• The Dawgs are 2nd in the conference in 3s per game (9.0).
• UMBC's opponents are a combined 20-for-67 (.299) from long-distance this season.

 PLAY THAT HIT AGAIN MR. DJ

• DJ Armstrong Jr's  trey against Morgan State (11/11) was the first time UMBC hit a game-winner in the final five seconds since Craig Beaudion II. (11/20/22 vs. Central Conn.).
• Armstrong Jr. followed that up with a buzzer-beater to defeat Wagner in overtime this past Sunday.
• DJ was named the America East Co-Player of the Week this past Monday.
• Armstrong Jr. was featured on #SCTop10 twice. Teammate Jah'Likai King also made the list after his crossover move and hoop against Penn State York.
• Armstrong Jr. is eighth in the America East in scoring (14.0 ppg.) and is second in 3s per game (3.3) and three-point field goal percentage (.542). His 3-point accuracy ranks 46th in the country.

 LAST TIME OUT - DJ CALLS GAME - AGAIN!

• UMBC graduate student guard DJ Armstrong Jr. made a buzzer-beater three-pointer in overtime, securing a 71-70 victory for the UMBC men's basketball team against the Wagner Seahawks on Sunday afternoon at Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena.
•  Armstrong Jr., who also hit a game-winning three-pointer with just one second left against Morgan State this past Tuesday, received the inbounds pass, dribbled once to his right, and launched an off-balance shot from the left wing that went through the net.
• "It felt good right out of my hand," Armstrong Jr. admitted. "I wasn't making my shots down the stretch today, but I trust my work. I put a lot of work in. When I saw the rim, I was confident that I could make it. It was tough to get that shot off, but coach {Ferry} said in the timeout that we had time to get a good shot."
•  Senior guard Jah'Likai King led the hosts with a game-high 21 points as UMBC improved to 3-1. Sophomore forward Caden Diggs achieved his first career double-double, finishing with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Armstrong Jr. contributed with 12 points and six assists.
• "It just became a rock fight at the end, said UMBC head coach Jim Ferry. "Both teams were making play after play. You have to give Wagner credit, and I certainly give our guys credit. I'm really proud of their ability to grind through this and fight through this game."

 ABOUT GEORGE WASHINGTON

• GW cruised to a runaway 96-73 win against Old Dominion on Saturday
• Hofstra transfer Jean Aranguren enjoyed a breakout performance in Buff & Blue, with a season-best effort in a near-perfect night with 17 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the floor.
• All-A10 Big Rafael Castro finished with a game-high 20 points on just six field goals attempts - all successful - to go along with his game-high nine rebounds and three steals.
• The Revolutionaries' 90-point night in its third-consecutive contest was a first since 2000.
• After hosting the Retrievers, GW will head to the Cayman Islands to play a trio of perennial mid-major teams to reckon with in McNeese, Middle Tennessee and Murray State.

 SERIES HISTORY WITH GW

• UMBC trails, 6-4. 
• The last meeting came back during the 2021-21 season when the Retrievers beat the Colonials (now Revolutionaries) , 92-81 in Baltimore.
• UMBC is 1-6 all-time in D.C. The lone win was a 78-75 triumph during the 1989-90 season.

 THE KING CLOSING IN ON HIS GRAND

• Jah'Likai King needs just four points to reach 1,000 for his career. King scored 934 points in his first two seasons at New Haven (DII) before coming to Baltimore this season.
• King currently leads the squad in scoring at 15.5 ppg., which is currently fourth in the America East.
• King became the first Retriever in the Jim Ferry era to draw 10 fouls in the game versus Wagner (11/16)

 DICKERSON DELIGHTS

• Junior forward Daylon Dickerson has been perhaps the biggest surprise for the Retrievers in the early going.
• The former football player at SMU has started the last two games for the first time in his career after averaging just 7.8 minutes per game in his first season in Baltimore in 24-25.
• Dickerson recorded his first career double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds in the victory at Morgan State (11/11). Both were career highs.

 A PROGRAM ON THR RISE

• UMBC is enjoying their best stretch in program history as the Retrievers have gone a combined 165-153 (.517) over the past ten seasons. They are 83-78 (516) in AE Play.
• The Retrievers 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 26th season as a collegiate head coach and his fifth at UMBC.
• Ferry own a 62-69 record in Baltimore,
• 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 (7), 63       
T-2       Maine (1), 47
T-2       UAlbany, 47       
4          UMass Lowell (1), 39                   
5.         Binghamton, 37
6.         Bryant, 35       
7          UMBC, 31
8.         NJIT,13       
9          New Hampshire,12       
 
MILESTONE WATCH   
1000 career points, Jah'Likai King (996)
200 career assists, Jah'Likai King (185)
500 career rebounds, Jah'Likai King (426)
800 career points, Josh Odunowo (771)
500 career rebounds, Josh Odunowo (407)
100 career blocks, Josh Odunowo (71)
500 career points, Cougar Downing (493)
500 career points, Ace Valentine, (487)
200 career assists, Ace Valentine (202)
500 career rebounds, Paul Greene (463)
500 career points, Paul Greene (487)