UMBC (7-6, 0-0 AE) vs. Maine (2-12, 0-1 AE) | Thursday, Jan. 8, 6:00 p.m. | Baltimore, MD (The Peake) | Watch | Live Stats | International Feed | Game Notes
 
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 676-956 (.414) all-time.
• The Retrievers are 479-683 (.412) at the DI level
• The Retrievers are 4-2 at home this season.
• The Dawgs own the second highest winning percentage in the America East (.500) behind Vermont (.538).
• The Retrievers are second in the league with a +3.5 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 3rd in the league in scoring at 14.9 ppg. and graduate student guard DJ Armstrong Jr is 9th (13.0 ppg.).
• Armstrong leads the conference in 3-point shooting accuracy (.429, 34th NCAA) and 3's per game (3.2, 25th NCAA). He needs just four treys to hit 250 for his career.

 LAST TIME OUT - ARMSTRONG JR. ERUPTS IN BLOWOUT WIN AT COPPIN STATE

• Graduate student DJ Armstrong Jr. exploded for a career-high 31 points, fueling the Retrievers' dominant 93-59 road win over local rival Coppin State on December 29th at the Physical Education Complex. The 93 points were the most the Dawgs have scored against a Division I opponent this season.
• Armstrong put on a sensational shooting display as the shooting guard knocked down a career-best eight three-point field goals, including six in the second half, to put the game out of reach. The leading long-distance shooter in the America East Conference went 8-for-14 from deep and was 10-for-16 overall from the floor. The eight makes were the most by a Retriever since Marcus Banks Jr. hit nine against NJIT last season. 
• Junior guard Ace Valentine added a season-high 19 points and dished a game-high eight assists, also a season-high, along with seven rebounds. Valentine went 8-for-10 from the floor and swished 3-of-4 shots from behind the arc.
• Freshman forward Riley Jacobs was also in double-figures with 10 points, along with six boards. Graduate student forward Josh Odunowo contributed seven points and seven rebounds.
• UMBC (7-6) led from start to finish, jumping out to a 16-2 advantage just 5:28 into the contest. The visitors hit six of their first nine shots, with Armstrong Jr. contributing six points in the early run. After a trifecta by Armstrong Jr. at 12:11, the Retrievers built their largest first-half lead, 21-5.
• Fifth-year guard Cougar Downing drained a triple from the corner to give the Retrievers a 37-22 advantage with 3:21 left before intermission, but the hosts went on a 12-3 run to close within 40-34 at the break.
• The Eagles were within 46-38 with 17:23 left in the second half, but that was as close as they would get as UMBC took complete command of the contest. Valentine ignited a 7-0 spurt with a second-chance layup that eventually provided the Retrievers with a 53-38 lead with 15:51 left.
• Coppin State (2-15) inched within 53-41, but the Dawgs went on a 20-1 burst to widen their lead to 31 points, 73-42, with 10:42 to play. Armstrong Jr. delivered four threes during the stretch to deliver the knockout blow.
• UMBC, who sank a season-high 14-of-29 treys and shot 52.4 percent overall, led by as many as 37 points as the Eagles never made a run.

 ABOUT MAINE

• Maine's lone Division I victory came against Boston University on December 10 (69-59).
• The Black Bears are 1-5 in games decided by 10 points or less.
• Maine leads the league in defensive 3-point fied goal percentage (.308).
• The Black Bears are last in the conference in scoring at 60.8 points per game and rank first in defense (69.4 ppg.)
• Maine was defeated in their conference opener at home against Bryant, 56-51.
• The Black Bears came out in the second half and battled all the way back to take a 50-49 lead with a few minutes to play before the Bulldogs were able to retake the lead, coming away with the victory, 56-51.
• TJ Biel scored a season-high 20 points while adding seven rebounds, three assists and two blocks.
• Ryan Mabrey had nine points while Amare Allen had six points in his first collegiate start.
• Maine held Bryant to just 33.3% shooting from the field and 17.4% from three-point range.

 SERIES HISTORY WITH MAINE

• UMBC leads 27-17.
• The Dawgs are 15-6 all-time in Baltimore against the Black Bears.
• UMBC had won 11 straight at home until Maine came up with an 87-62 triumph last season.

 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.
• 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 13th in the America East in scoring (11.5 ppg.) and is first in 3s per game (2.8). He also leads the circuit in 3-point field goal percentage (.405).

 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 14.9 points per game, ranking third in the league. He is also 22nd in the league in rebounding, averaging 4.3 caroms per game and is 11th in steals (1.1).

 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 42nd in the nation in assist/turnover ratio (3.2) and is second in the AE in assists per game (4.8).
• The junior has shot the ball well from behind the arc going 20-for-45 (.444) and is 45-of-92 overall (.489).
• Ace needs 10 assists to hit the 250 mark.

 DICKERSON DELIGHTS

• Junior forward Daylon Dickerson has been a pleasant surprise for the Retrievers in non-conference play.
• Dickerson is playing 18.0 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 6.7 points and 4.2 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 owns a .541 field goal percentage this year and is a career .564 shooter.
• Odunowo is also 6th in the league in rebounding at 5.4 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 has reached double-figures in scoring in four of his last seven contests and is averaging 10.6 points per game during the stretch.

 MILESTONE WATCH   
1000 career points, Jah'Likai King (1,113)
200 career assists, Jah'Likai King (202)
300 career rebounds, Jah'Likai King (275)
900 career points, Josh Odunowo (847)
500 career rebounds, Josh Odunowo (458)
100 career blocks, Josh Odunowo (76)
600 career points, Ace Valentine, (567)
250 career assists, Ace Valentine (240)
500 career rebounds, Paul Greene (472)
500 career points, Paul Greene (500)
850 career points, DJ Armstrong Jr. (835)
200 career 3-pointers, DJ Armstrong Jr. (196)