Durham, NH – Senior guard
Marcus Banks Jr. scored a career-high 30 points. However, the UMBC men's basketball team fell in the final seconds to the New Hampshire Wildcats, 79-78, in an America East Conference contest at Lundholm Gymnasium.
Banks Jr. swished 6-of-10 attempts from behind the arc and finished 10-for-18 overall from the floor to pace the Retrievers. Junior forward
Regimantas Ciunys contributed 14 points in 28 minutes off the bench. UMBC's leading scorer,
Bryce Johnson, was held to just seven points but did grab a team-high seven boards.
UMBC (11-13, 3-6 AE) led 78-73 with thirty-five seconds remaining after Banks Jr. converted one of two free throws; however, UNH (5-19, 3-6 AE) guard Sami Pissis (27 points) delivered a conventional three-point play with twenty ticks left after the hosts grabbed three offensive rebounds.
After a timeout, UMBC committed a critical turnover on the inbounds pass to allow the Wildcats an opportunity to grab the lead. Pissis misfired on a trifecta from the left corner, but Anthony McComb III (18 points) was able to track down the rebound in the opposite corner. McComb III immediately drilled the game-winning three-pointer with seven seconds left.
UMBC had an opportunity to recapture the lead, but New Hampshire was able to force a jump ball with 1.9 seconds left. The Retrievers maintained possession on the alternating arrow, but Ciunys' fadeaway jumper outside the paint was short at the buzzer off the inbounds play.
The Retrievers led by as many as 16 points in the opening half and settled for a 45-39 advantage at the break. Banks Jr. poured in 19 points in the opening twenty minutes and nailed five treys.
UMBC opened the second stanza on a 15-5 run to stretch their lead back to 16, 60-44, with 14:56 remaining. Banks Jr. scored 10 points during the burst, forcing the hosts to call a timeout.
The Retrievers, who led for 34:31 of the contest, still held a double-digit lead at 75-64 following two free throws from sophomore guard
Ace Valentine at the 4:04 mark.
The visitors shot 53.8 percent (28-of-52) from the floor but allowed 16 offensive rebounds and were outscored by an 18-4 margin in second chance points.
UMBC travels to Maine on Saturday afternoon.
