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News Release

MEN'S BASKETBALL ICE COLD AT HOME, RETRIEVERS FALL TO NEW HAMPSHIRE, 60-41

1/2/2005

Baltimore, MD—After one of its best road efforts in its Division I history, the UMBC Retrievers had one of their worst at home, falling to America East rival New Hampshire, 60-41, at the RAC Arena. UMBC’s (5-6, 0-2 AEC) three-game winning streak came to an end, while the Wildcats (5-6, 1-1) snapped a five-game losing streak.

The 41 points scored at home is the second fewest in 19 years of NCAA Division I competition. The 1995-96 Retrievers tallied 38 vs. Charleston Southern in a 54-38 setback. UMBC had just defeated Delaware, 66-56, on Wednesday, shooting 53.3% from the field, but managed to make just 14 of 52 attempts (26.9%) and only 1 of 20 from behind the arc vs. the Wildcats.

UMBC has now lost seven straight league games dating back to last year.

The Retrievers managed only one tie in this game, at 9-all, as freshman Brian Hodges hit his team’s lone three-pointer of the game at the 11:12 mark of the first half. But the Wildcats proceeded to go on a 17-4 run, highlighted by three-point goals by Jeremy Friel, Blagoj Janev, and Jermaine Anderson. UNH maintained a 13-point cushion at intermission at 28-15, as UMBC did not go to the free throw line at all in the first 20 minutes.

UMBC never got inside that 13-point deficit, and trailed by 20 points on two occasions. The Retrievers hit only 7 of 31 shots (22.6%) from the floor in the second half, despite 13 second half offensive rebounds.

No Retriever scored in double figures. Senior center Andrew Feeley had 9 points and 8 rebounds, and junior forward John Zito added 8 points. Hodges, who was brilliant in a 16-point effort (4 of 5 from behind the arc) at Delaware on Wednesday, struggled in a 1 of 13 performance, including 1 of 10 from three-point range.

Anderson led a balanced UNH attack with 14 points, while Janev added 13 and Friel scored 11. The Wildcats hit just 34.7% from the floor, but only committed 10 turnovers, down from their 17.4 turnover per game average.