Men's Hoops Travels to Top-Seeded Bryant for 2025 Jersey Mike's America East Quarterfinals on Saturday Afternoon

The winner will advance to the AE semifinals on Tuesday, March 11 at the higher seed. The Championship game will be played on Saturday, March 15th at the highest seed remaining.

UMBC'S AMERICA EAST TOURNAMENT HISTORY

The Retrievers are 17-19 in America East postseason play since joining the conference in 2003-04.
This is the 5th time that the Retrievers have come into the tournament as the No. 8 seed. UMBC pulled off a victory over #9 Stony Brook in 2005-06 for their lone win as the #8 seed.
The Retrievers have reached the championship game five times.
UMBC won the tournament in 2008 and 2018.
The Retrievers reached the finals in Head Coach Jim Ferry's first season in 2022 but fell at Vermont.

ABOUT THE BULLDOGS

With Tuesday's win over New Hampshire in the regular season finale, Bryant now won 20+ games in back-to-back seasons and three times in the last four years.
It marks the first time in DI program history they've won 20+ games in back-to-back years and the first time in program history since the Black and Gold won 20+ in four-straight years from 2003-07.
In two seasons under head coach Phil Martelli Jr., Bryant has posted a 40-24 overall record and a 25-7 record in the America East.
Earl Timberlake closed out a historic regular season as the only player in America East history, and just the second in NCAA history, to record 15.0+ ppg, 8.0+ rpg, 4.5+ apg and 1.5+ bpg in a single season (per Sports Reference). He currently ranks 9th in the league in scoring, 2nd in rebounding, T-1st in assists and 3rd in blocks.
Rafael Pinzon led Bryant with 17 points vs New Hampshire and closed the regular season 2nd in the league with 18.6 ppg. He averaged 18.4 ppg (3rd) in America East play. Pinzon now has 520 total points this year, tying him for 10th in a single season in DI program history with Adam Grant.

SERIES HISTORY

Bryant owns a 4-2 lead in the series and has won each of the last four meetings. That includes 92-86 and 81-79 victories this season.
Four of the six meetings have been decided by four points or less.
In the first meeting in January, Bryant led by seven at the half but then had to rally from four points down in the second half.
In Smithfield, UMBC had a shot to win at the buzzer fall short as the Bulldogs held on.

IT'S BRYCE'S WORLD

Johnson is third in the America East in scoring at 16.7 ppg. He's also 5th in field goal percentage (.518), 17th in 3-pt fg. per game (1.7), and is 10th in free throw percentage (.748).
Bryce joined the 1,000-point club at UAlbany late in the second half.
Johnson has reached 20+ points on ten different occasions.
He's also drawing a team-high 3.9 fouls per game.
Johnson's nine drawn fouls at American was a career-high and he followed that up with eight at Binghamton.

MONEY IN THE BANKS; 100 BIG ONES

Banks Jr. became UMBC's all-time single-season 3-point field goal leader with 100 makes this season. He is just the 5th player in AE history to hit the century mark.
He drilled nine treys in UMBC's win over NJIT on 2/22. It was just one shy of the school record.
The senior guard joined the 1,000-point club in the second half of the win at UAlbany.
Banks Jr. was named the America East Player of the Week (12/31/24) after his performance in UMBC's OT win at American.
Banks Jr. has made 5+ treys in eight contests this season and is fourth in the country in total makes.
His 3.2 threes per game ranks first in the America East and is 30th in the NCAA. His 41 percent clip from behind the arc is 3rd in the league and slots 51st in the country.
Overall, the sharpshooter is 5th on the circuit, scoring at 16.4 ppg. He also averaged 18.1 ppg. in conference play (4th). He's also one of the top guards in the conference in rebounding (4.1 pg.) and is 29th overall.

NOT JOSHING AROUND

GR forward Josh Odunowo has enjoyed an excellent season at UMBC.
The Columbia graduate is 26th in the league in scoring (11.0 ppg.), 15th in rebounding (5.2 rpg.) and is 9th in blocks per game (0.8). In addition, he ranks 3rd in field goal percentage (.570).
Odunowo returned to the lineup against Vermont after missing three games with an injury.

MARLON THE WIZARD

Senior guard Marlon Short has moved into UMBC's starting lineup over the last five contests
He's averaging 10.9 ppg, and is shooting 56 percent in AE contests.
Short's averaged 15.2 points per game over the last five outings and is shooting 57 percent from the floor during the stretch. He recorded a UMBC career high 23 points at Bryant on 2/15.

BOMBS AWAY

UMBC leads the AE with 8.9 3s made per game this season, which ranks 88th in the country.
The Retrievers 17 makes against Valley Forge were an America East single-game high.
The Retrievers lead the league in 3-pt field goal percentage (.385) and are 18th in the nation.
UMBC has reached double-figures in treys 12 different times.
Marcus Banks Jr. (3.1 pg.) and Louie Jordan (1.9 pg.) rank first and 9th respectively in treys per game. Johnson is now 17th (1.7 pg.). Banks Jr. is 3rd (.408) in the league in percentage.

SHARING IS CARING

UMBC dished an America East high 31 assists in the win versus Valley Forge. It was their highest output since they handed out 29 vs. Coppin St. on 11/30/2022.
It was also the most in the conference since Maine and Bryant recorded 32 during the 2022-23 season.
The Retrievers are 4th the AE in the category at 14.9 pg. and are 82nd in the NCAA.
Ace Valentine is 7th in the league with 3.2 helpers per game and is 4th in assist/turnover ratio (2.2).

KINGS OF BALTIMORE

The Retrievers won the Charm City Classic by virtue of their victories against Morgan State and Towson. UMBC, who had not defeated Towson since 2012, broke an eight-game losing skid against their Beltway rivals The Retrievers also knocked off Coppin State earlier this season.

A PROGRAM ON THR RISE

UMBC is enjoying their best stretch in program history as the Retrievers have gone a combined 156-124 (.545) over the past nine seasons. They are 78-58 in AE Play.
UMBC 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 23rd season as a collegiate head coach and his third at UMBC.
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)
1          Vermont (8)                64
2          UMass Lowell (1) 55
3          Bryant                         52
4          Maine                          39
5          UMBC                          31
6          Binghamton                30
7          UAlbany                      26
8          NJIT                             15
9          New Hampshire 12

MILESTONE WATCH
1250 career points -Marcus Banks, Jr. (1230)
1200 career points - Bryce Johnson (1152)
100 career points - Marlon Short (978)
750 career points, Josh Odunowo, (753)
250 career 3-pointers-Marcus Banks, (240)
475 career rebounds - Marlon Short (468).
400 career rebounds - Josh Odunowo (399)
400 career field goals - Bryce Johnson (400)
165 career 3pt-fg - Bryce Johnson (160).

LAST TIME OUT: BANKS JR DRILLS 100th TREY OF SEASON ON SENIOR DAY

BALTIMORE – Senior guard Marcus Banks Jr. scored a team-high 21 points and became the first Retriever in program history to nail 100 career three-pointers, but the UMBC men's basketball team dropped a 79-69 decision against the Vermont Catamounts at Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena on Senior Day. The Retrievers completed the regular season at 13-18 (5-11 America East) and will play either No. 1 seeded Bryant or No. 2 Vermont next Saturday in the quarterfinals of the conference playoffs.
Banks Jr. scored 19 points in the second half and finished 7-for-15 overall from the floor, including 3-of-6 from distance. He became just the fifth player in America East Conference history to hit the century mark with 5:24 remaining in the contest.
Senior guard Marlon Short scored all of his 16 points in the opening half as he converted his first six shots of the afternoon. Graduate forward Josh Odunowo returned to the lineup after missing two games and finished with seven points along with a team-high 10 caroms in 34 minutes.
After trailing by as many as eight points early in the second half, UMBC rattled off 10 consecutive points to take their final lead of the game, 55-53, with 12:14 remaining. Banks Jr. scored eight points during the stretch and splashed the go-ahead trifecta.
Vermont (19-11, 12-3 AW), who has won eight straight contests, answered with a 15-3 run to take control of the game as they built a 68-58 edge at the 6:11 mark. T.J. Hurley hit a pair of three-pointers during the key stretch.
The Retrievers managed to inch within six points on three different occasions down the stretch but could not get any closer.
Hurley led the Catamounts with 23 points and made a game-high five threes, while Sam Alamutu recorded a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.