UMBC (11-7, 4-1 AE) vs. UMass Lowell (8-12, 3-2 AE) | Saturday, Jan. 24, 1:00 p.m. | Baltimore, Md. (The Peake) | Watch | Live Stats | International Stream | Game Notes | Game Program
 
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 680-957 (.414) all-time.
• The Retrievers are 481-684 (.412) at the DI level
• The Retrievers are 7-2 at home this season.
• UMBC is 3-0 in games decided by two points or less this season.
• The Dawgs are 5-5 in games decided by single figures.
• The Dawgs own the highest overall winning percentage in the America East (.611).
• UMBC is fifth in the country in fewest fouls allowed per game (13.5).
• The Retrievers lead the league with a +4.4 scoring margin.
• The Dawgs lead the AE with a .360 three-point shooting percentage (63rd NCAA).
• UMBC leads the league with 26.6 defensive rebounds per game (75th NCAA).
• The Retrievers have outscored their five America East opponents by a combined total of 79-36 from the free throw line (8.6 more makes per game).
• Junior guard Jah'Likai King is 3rd in the league in scoring at 15.2 ppg. and graduate student guard DJ Armstrong Jr is 8th (13.1 ppg.).
• Armstrong leads the conference in 3-point shooting accuracy (.415, 35th NCAA) and leads the league in 3's per game (2.8, 53rd NCAA). He drilled his 200th career triple at Bryant on Jan. 15. He also eclipsed 900-career points in the win against NJIT on Thursday night.
• Armstrong Jr. is a perfect 17-of-17 from the foul line in conference play and is a sensational 34-for-36 (.944) on the year.
• Junior guard Ace Valentine leads the conference with a 3.5 assist/turnover ratio (21st NCAA). He recorded his 250th career assist at Bryant on Thursday evening.
• Graduate student forward Josh Odunowo is expected to make his 100th career start on Saturday.

 
LAST TIME OUT - UMBC BLITZES NJIT IN FIRST HALF; DEFEAT HIGHLANDERS ON THURSDAY EVENING

• UMBC defeated the NJIT Highlanders, 87-74, on Thursday evening at the Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena.  The Retrievers improved to 11-7 overall and 4-1 in the America East Conference, and are tied with Vermont for first place in the league standings.
• Junior guard Ace Valentine paced six Retrievers in double-figures with 19 points to tie his season-high. Valentine went 7-for-10 from the field and added four caroms. Junior guard Jah'Likai King, the third leading scorer in the league, added 17 points, including 10 in the opening half. Graduate student forward Josh Odunowo (five boards) and sophomore forward Caden Diggs (6-of-12 field goals) each had 12 points, while graduate student guard DJ Armstrong Jr. (2-of-4 treys) and junior forward Daylon Dickerson contributed 10 points apiece.
• UMBC, which never trailed in the contest, blitzed the Highlanders in the opening half as they shot a sizzling 63.3 percent (19-of-30) to take a 47-28 advantage at intermission.
• The Dawgs jumped out to a 15-5 lead at the 15:36 mark as they connected on six of their first eight shots, including trifectas from King, junior forward Jose Roberto Tanchyn, and Valentine. The lead grew to 32-17 with 7:42 left before the break, with the hosts converting 14-of-20 shots to start the contest.
• The lead ballooned to 18 points, 37-19, after a free throw by Valentine at the 4:51 mark, and UMBC settled for the 19-point halftime advantage after Dickerson hit two free throws in the closing seconds.
• NJIT (9-12, 4-2 AE) managed to close within 16, 52-36, after guard Sebastian Robinson (team-high 19 points) made a jumper with 15:57 left in the second half. However, UMBC went on an 8-2 spurt to take their largest lead of the night at 60-38 after a free throw by Valentine at the 10:53 mark.
• The Highlanders inched within 79-68 with 1:44 left after two free throws by forward Melvyn Ebonkoli (17 points), but that was as close as they managed to get.
• UMBC finished shooting at a 51.8 percent clip, hitting 29 of 56 attempts on the night.  The Dawgs, who held NJIT to a 43.8 percent rate, outscored the visitors by a 17-2 margin in fast break points.
• Armstrong Jr. eclipsed 900 points for his career in the second half and has made at least two treys in 15 of 18 contests this season.

 
SERIES HISTORY WITH UML

•  The Retrievers are 8-18 against the River Hawks all-time.
• The series dates back to 1/5/2014.
• The Dawgs have dropped five straight in the series and have not won since 3/6/2022 (75-70 in Baltimore).
• UML has won nine of the last 10 contests.
• UMBC is 5-9 against the River Hawks in Baltimore.

 ABOUT UML

• UMass Lowell leads the league in scoring (76.0 ppg.) and rebounding (37.0 rpg.).
• Through 20 games, Austin Green leads the way with 13.9 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. Right behind him, Angel Montas Jr. sits second with 12.2 points per game. Xavier Spencer, who ranks third with 11.1 points per game, adds 22 steals, while Shawn Simmons II boasts 22 blocks to sit first on the team. Rounding out double-digit scorers, Darrel Yepdo adds 10.2 points. JJ
• Montas Jr. logged team highs with 18 points and eight rebounds, but the River Hawks dropped a weeknight matchup against Vermont on Thursday evening at the Kennedy Family Athletic Complex.
• Montas Jr. was joined in double figures by three other River Hawks. Spencer added 13 points, while Yepdo finished with 12 points on four three-pointers and Green rounded out the top scorers with 10 points.

 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.
• He also came up clutch by hitting two free thows in a one-and-one situation with 0.9 on the clock in the 75-74 win over UNH (1/10).
• DJ also enjoyed a career game at Coppin State with 31 points on 10-of-16 shooting. He drilled a career-best eight treys in 14 tries.
• Armstrong Jr. is 6th in the America East in scoring (13.2 ppg.) and is first in 3s per game (2.0). He's also first on the circuit in 3-point field goal percentage (.412). He's swished at least two treys in 15-of-18 contests this season.

 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 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 15.2 points per game, ranking third in the league. He is also 28th in the league in rebounding, averaging 4.1 caroms per game and is 17th in steals (1.0). Additionally, King is third in free throw percentage at .781.

 ACE IN THE HOLE

• Guard Ace Valentine continues to play a key role on both ends of the floor.
• Valentine leads the conference and is 25th in the nation in assist/turnover ratio (3.5) and is third in the AE in assists per game (4.5).
• The junior has shot the ball well from behind the arc going 23-for-57 (.404) and is 71-of-142 overall (.500).
• He dished his 250th career assist in the loss to Bryant on Jan. 15.
• Ace has reached double-figures in scoring in seven of the last eight contests and is averaging 13.4 ppg. during the stretch. He's 38-for-67 (.567) from the floor during the stretch.

 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 has reached double-figures in scoring in all five league contests and is averaging 12.6 ppg. during the stretch. The Old Dominion transfer is also 25-for-47 (.532) from the floor, including 7-of-16 (.438) from distance.

 TANCHYN GAINING STEAM

• Junior forward Jose Tanchyn has started two of the last three games, his first two as a Retriever.
• Tanchyn scored 13 points on 4-of-8 shooting in the overtime loss at Bryant. 
• He followed that up with eight points on 4-of-5 shooting along with a season-high seven boards in the win at Binghamton.

 
MILESTONE WATCH   
1200 career points, Jah'Likai King (1,193)
250 career assists, Jah'Likai King (209)
300 career rebounds, Jah'Likai King (293)
900 career points, Josh Odunowo (873)
500 career rebounds, Josh Odunowo (481)
100 career blocks, Josh Odunowo (77)
700 career points, Ace Valentine, (642)
300 career assists, Ace Valentine (261)
500 career rebounds, Paul Greene (474)
550 career points, Paul Greene (503)
1000 career points, DJ Armstrong Jr. (901)
225 career 3-pointers, DJ Armstrong Jr. (205)