BALTIMORE - - - Senior guard
Marcus Banks Jr. scored a team-high 16 points, but the host UMBC men's basketball team dropped an 83-67 America East Conference decision against the UMass Lowell River Hawks on Saturday afternoon at Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena.
Banks Jr. hit 6-of-11 field goals, including 4-of-7 from behind the arc to pace the Retrievers. Graduate student forward
Josh Odunowo was the only other Retriever in double-figures with 11 points. Senior guard
Bryce Johnson contributed nine points, four steals, and four assists.
UMBC (11-12, 3-5 AE) got off to a good start as they held a 16-9 advantage with 12:57 remaining in the opening half. Banks Jr. drilled three triples and scored 11 points during the stretch.
UML (15-8, 4-4 AE), however, went on an 8-0 spurt to claim a 17-16 advantage at the 10:51 mark. Martin Sommerville (12 first-half points) and Quinton Mincey (15 first-half points) connected from deep during the run.
The Retrievers answered with a 10-5 burst to re-claim a 26-22 advantage at the 7:21 mark. Johnson swished his second trey during the run, off an assist from senior guard J.C. Harris to cap the stretch.
After UMBC fell behind again, the hosts would take their final lead of the game, 28-27, after a jumper in the paint by senior guard Devin Sapp with 6:03 left in the stanza.
The Retrievers trailed just 38-36 after another jumper by Sapp at the 2:57 mark, but the River Hawks rattled off eight straight points to close out the half and took a 46-36 lead at the break.
UMass Lowell took complete control of the game early in the second half as they extended their lead to 58-38 with 14 minutes left in the contest
UMBC was able to close within 73-61 after a layup by Odunowo with 2:58 left but could not get any closer the rest of the way.
Mincey finished with a game-high 26 points and 17 rebounds to lead the visitors, who have won six straight versus the Retrievers. Max Brooks (17 points), Covington (16 points), and Somerville (15 points, 4-5 treys) were also in double-digits.
UMBC will travel to New Hampshire on Thursday evening.
