BALTIMORE – UMBC's fifth-year senior guard, Cougar Downing, scored a season-high 19 points, leading four Retrievers in double figures as they secured a commanding 102-52 victory against Notre Dame of Maryland University on Monday evening at Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena. It was the Retrievers' first 50-point victory since they defeated Valley Forge, 120-61, last season on November 11, 2024.

"After the disappointing game last week against George Washington, we challenged ourselves as a team to return to the way we're supposed to play," said UMBC head coach Jim Ferry. "I thought we did a much better job of sharing the ball, and we are continuing to improve defensively. As a group, we're becoming more connected. We're not fouling as much, we are rebounding better, and we're forcing tougher shots. We need to keep building on this as our offensive rhythm and continuity continue to grow."
 
Downing made five of his seven attempts from three-point range in just 17 minutes off the bench, finishing the game 6-of-8 from the floor. Junior forward Daylon Dickerson narrowly missed a double-double, contributing 12 points, nine rebounds, and five assists in 14 minutes of play. Graduate student forward Josh Odunowo also had a strong performance, scoring a season-best 15 points on 7-for-10 shooting, while junior guard Ace Valentine added 10 points, seven rebounds, and a game-high six assists. Additionally, junior guard Jah'Likai King recorded a game-high ten rebounds, along with three steals, just one shy of his career-high.

"Coach {Ferry} always emphasizes the importance of the next play," Downing stated. "If I miss a shot, I remind myself that the next one could go in. It doesn't mean I stop playing hard or following the things he asks me to do. My teammates are very good at boosting my confidence. I think they have more faith in me than I do in myself sometimes. It's great to have that around me."
 
The Retrievers (4-2) built a 19-point lead in the first half, going up 31-12 with 8:29 left after a three-pointer by sophomore forward Caden Diggs from the left corner. Notre Dame (Md.) managed to cut the deficit to 37-27 with a 15-6 run at the 3:46 mark, but UMBC responded, outscoring the visitors 11-2 to close the half with a 48-29 lead.
 
UMBC quickly dispelled any doubts in the second half, extending their lead to 59-31 following a fastbreak layup by Valentine with 15:56 remaining. Marlon Lewis hit a jumper to bring the Gators (3-4) within 59-35 at the 14:50 mark, but that was as close as they would get for the rest of the game.
 
The Dawgs went on a 20-4 run over the next five minutes, widening the gap to 79-39 after another layup by Dickerson.
 
They finished the game shooting 39-of-71 from the field for an impressive 54.9 percent. The Retrievers also set a season high with 12 three-pointers, converting 12-for-32 (31.3 percent) from beyond the arc, and went 12-for-16 (75 percent) from the free-throw line.
 
Defensively, UMBC held the Gators to just 31 percent shooting (23-for-74), and the visitors struggled from long-distance, missing 19 of their 20 attempts from behind the arc.
 
The Retrievers dominated on the boards with a 55-30 advantage and outscored the Gators 54-36 in the paint. Additionally, UMBC recorded a season-best ten steals.
 
Marlon Lewis led Notre Dame (Md.) with 20 points on 10-of-18 shooting.

UMBC will host Delaware State on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. for Youth Day.