UMBC

Baltimore, MD—Junior center Ben Sturgill’s tip-in with 0.4 seconds left gave visiting New Hampshire (7-18, 3-12) a 62-60 win over UMBC (7-17, 4-11) in an America East game.

UMBC has lost three straight and seven of its last eight games.

Sturgill, who had missed seven games with a broken foot, returned to the lineup three games ago, and made his first start since January 14 tonight. He tallied a game high 20 points in 25 minutes of action.

On the game-winning play, freshman forward Blagoj Janev launched a long three-pointer from the top of the key which hit off the back of the rim. Sturgill outleaped UMBC’s John Zito and Cory McJimson and converted the tip. After a time-out, a three-quarter court pass by UMBC guard Rob Gogerty was deflected away.

It was a tale of two halves for the Wildcats. They hit just 5 of 25 shots in the first 20 minutes as UMBC took a 24-16 advantage. But for the fifth time in league action this season, the Retrievers blew a halftime lead. UNH hit 14 of its first 16 field goal attempts in the second half and took its first lead since 6-4 when Janev hit a three-pointer with 8:03 to play to give his team a 47-45 lead.

UMBC would battle back to tie the score at 55-all, and took its final lead at 60-58 on an inside driving layup by McJimson with 1:32 to play. But McJimson fouled the larger Sturgill on the ensuing possession and he hit both attempts with 1:13 to play. After a Rob Gogerty missed jumper and a turnover by Wildcat Craig Walls, UMBC appeared to have the last opportunity when they got the ball with 38 seconds remaining. But UNH’s Jermaine Anderson blocked Kareem Washington’s baseline jumper with 13 seconds to play, and the Wildcats called timeout to set up the game’s final sequence.

UNH hit 16 of 21 shots in the second half, and finished the game at 45.7% (21/46). UMBC was just 24 of 61 from the floor (39.3%), and were outscored from the free throw line (15-5) and outrebounded, 38-31. Janev was the other Wildcat in double figures with 12 points, while junior forward Craig Walls added a game-high 8 rebounds.

Rob Gogerty, who scored a career-high 20 points vs. UNH in the Retrievers’ 60-56 win a month ago, led the Retrievers with 19 points and Washington added 16. Chris Pugh added 8 points and 8 assists.