UMBC (6-4) vs. Army (4-7) | Friday, December 12, 6:00 pm | Baltimore, Md. | The Peake | Tickets | Watch | Live Stats | International Feed | Game Notes | Program | Promotion: UMBC will host Army on Friday at 6:00 p.m. UMBC Athletics invites all active military and veterans to enjoy a complimentary ticket to the UMBC Men's Basketball game.

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 675-954 (.414) all-time.
• The Retrievers are 478-681 (.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.
• The Retrievers have nine new faces in 2025-26.
• The Retrievers are 4-1 at home.
• The Dawgs own the highest winning percentage in the America East (.600).
• The Retrievers lead the league with a +3.9 scoring margin.
• Junior guard Jah'Likai King was named the America East Player of the Week on Monday, December 8 after averaging 19.5 ppg. against Georgetown and Bucknell.
• King is 4th in the league in scoring at 14.8 ppg.
• Graduate student guard DJ Armstrong leads the conference in 3-point shooting accuracy (.429) and 3's per game (2.7).
• UMBC will enjoy nine days off before traveling to South Florida on Sunday, December 21.

 LAST TIME OUT - UMBC DROPS HEARTBREAKER AGAINST BUFFALO

• UMBC suffered a heartbreaking loss, falling 83-79 to the Buffalo Bulls in a non-conference game on Tuesday evening at Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena.
• Sophomore forward Caden Diggs and junior guard Jah'Likai King each scored 19 points to lead the Retrievers, who now stand at 6-4 for the season. King made 8 of 15 shots, while Diggs shot 7 for 9, including 3 of 4 from behind the arc. Additionally, junior guard Ace Valentine contributed a season-high 15 points along with six assists, and graduate student guard DJ Armstrong Jr. added 10 points.
• The Bulls raced out to an 11-2 lead to open the contest, but the Retrievers kept chipping away and finally evened the game at 34-all after a trifecta by Valentine with 3:52 remaining in the stanza.  UMBC eventually took their first lead of the night at 38-37 after a jumper in the paint from King at the 2:13 mark.  The Dawgs settled for a 43-39 advantage at intermission as King connected on another jumper with a second left before halftime.
• UMBC continued their solid play in the second half and led by as many as nine points on two different occasions, the latest coming with 8:40 left after a triple by Diggs to make it 65-56.
• The visitors went on an 8-0 spurt to inch within 65-64 at the 6:11 mark, but UMBC answered with a 7-0 run to claim a 72-64 edge after a steal and layup by King with 4:06 remaining.
• UMBC held a 79-72 lead with just 2:05 remaining, but Buffalo came back to score the last 11 points of the game, stealing the victory. The Bulls converted four consecutive free throws to narrow the gap to 79-76, and forward Mikhail Pocknett scored inside to cut UMBC's lead to 79-78 with 34 seconds left. The Retrievers then turned the ball over in the backcourt, leading to a crucial three-pointer by guard Ryan Sabol (11 points) from the left wing with just 14 seconds remaining, giving Buffalo an 81-79 lead and forcing UMBC to call a timeout.
• In a dramatic turn of events, UMBC graduate student Josh Odunowo appeared to have tied the game at 81-all with a putback layup with five seconds left. However, he was called for a controversial offensive foul, and the basket was disallowed. Pocknett sealed the game with two free throws, putting the outcome out of reach for the Retrievers.
• Center Tim Oboh led the Bulls (9-1) with 19 points on 8-for-10 shooting while guard Daniel Freitag added 17 points and six boards.

 ABOUT ARMY

• Army returned to the win column on Sunday afternoon, earning a victory over the Gallaudet University Bison (0-7, 0-2), 111-53.
• The win set two program records for the Black Knights. First, the total 111 points served as the most amount of points Army has scored in a game that did not go to overtime in program history. The most points Army has scored in a game was in their 116-110 double-overtime win over Bucknell last season.
• Second, Amy set a program record with the most made three-pointers in a single game with 20 three-pointers. The former program record that was snapped was 18, set against Mount Saint Mary on Nov. 12, 2024.
• Five Black Knights finished the game in double digits, with Kevin McCarthy leading the way with 18 points, which matches his career high. Ryan Curry finished second in scoring with 12 points while also adding eight assists and five rebounds.

 SERIES HISTORY WITH ARMY

• UMBC trails, 1-0.
• The Retrievers and Black Knights have only met once. Army came away with an 81-70 victory at the Papa John'a Bulldog Bash in Charleston, South Carolina.

 PLAY THAT HIT AGAIN MR. DJ

• DJ Armstrong'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 on Nov. 16.
• Armstrong Jr. was named the America East Co-Player of the Week on Nov. 17.
• 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 15th in the America East in scoring (11.5 ppg.) and is first in 3s per game (2.7). He also leads the circuit in 3-point field goal percentage (.429, 58th in the nation).

 THE KING HITS A GRAND; NAMED AE PLAYER OF WEEK

• Jah'Likai King went over the 1,000 mark for his career at GW on November 18.  King scored 934 points in his first two seasons at New Haven (DII) before coming to Baltimore this season.
• King was named AE Player of the Week on December 8. The Newburg, New York native averaged 19.5 points while shooting an impressive 54% from the field during two road games last week against Georgetown and Bucknell.
• King started the week by scoring 19 points in a loss to Georgetown on Wednesday and followed it up with 20 points in a victory over Bucknell on Saturday. After trailing 26-25 at halftime against the Bison, UMBC opened the second half with a 14-6 run, establishing their largest lead of the game at 39-32 with 14:11 remaining. King contributed eight points during this crucial stretch.
• Currently, King leads the team in scoring with an average of 14.8 points per game, ranking fourth in the league. He is also 13th in the league in rebounding, averaging 4.7 caroms per game.

 ACE IN THE HOLE

• Guard Ace Valentine continues to play a key role on both end of the floor.
• Valentine leads the conference in assist/turnover ratio (2.7) and is second in assists per game (4.8).
• The junior has shot the ball well from behind the arc going 15-for-33 (.455).

 DICKERSON DELIGHTS

• Junior forward Daylon Dickerson has been perhaps the biggest surprise for the Retrievers in the early going.
• Dickerson is playing 18.4 minutes per game after 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.
• He's averaging 7.5 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.

 NOT JOSHING AROUND

• Graduate student forward Josh Odunowo has been a model of consistency throughout this first two seasons as a Retriever.
• Odunowo is sixth in the league in field goal percentage (.556) and is a career .565. shooter.
• Odunowo is also 17th in the league in rebounding at 4.7 per game.

 CAN YOU DIG IT?

• Sophomore forward Caden Diggs erupted for a career-high 19 points on 7-for-9 shooting in 24 minutes off the bench against Buffalo. Diggs also knocked down a career-best three 3-pointers.
• Diggs recorded his first career double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds earlier in the season against Wagner.
• Diggs is five for his last nine from behind the arc after opening the season 1-for-12.

 MILESTONE WATCH   
1000 career points, Jah'Likai King (1,082)
200 career assists, Jah'Likai King (195)
300 career rebounds, Jah'Likai King (270)
900 career points, Josh Odunowo (834)
500 career rebounds, Josh Odunowo (440)
100 career blocks, Josh Odunowo (75)
500 career points, Cougar Downing (523)
600 career points, Ace Valentine, (540)
250 career assists, Ace Valentine (228)
500 career rebounds, Paul Greene (465)
500 career points, Paul Greene (491)