UMBC

Head Coach Randy Monroe and the Retrievers take on UMES on Friday, Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. in RAC Arena.

UMBC held its basketball media day on Tuesday, Nov. 1 in conjunction with the America East Conference call.  The America East Conference announced the preseason coaches’ poll for both the men and women, with UMBC men’s team selected to finish eighth in the league and the Retriever women’s team picked to finish ninth.  Click inside the full story for full coverage and read comments from Retriever men’s head coach Randy Monroe and women’s head coach Phil Stern.

The men’s basketball team lost two key seniors in steady guard Rob Gogerty, and rugged post man Andrew Feeley following last season.  Coach Monroe, however, wasted no time in reshaping his roster. Eight of the 14 players on the 2005-06 roster are new to the program.  In addition, the Retrievers return sophomore Brian Hodges (9.2 ppg), senior John Zito (6.7 ppg 3.9 rpg) and junior Chris Pugh (3.3 ppg, 1.8 rpg) for the 2005-06 campaign.

On the women’s side, Coach Stern is excited about the depth and experience his team possesses.  For the first time in the America East Conference the women’s basketball team will be upperclassman dominated and have depth at the post position.  UMBC returns fifth-year senior Matea Pender (13.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg) to lead the offense along with Brittnie Hughes (9.0 ppg, 3.53 apg) and Sharri Rohde (8.5 ppg, 4.3 rpg).

The UMBC men’s team opens play on Friday, Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. at UMBC RAC Arena while the women’s team will open at home on Saturday, Nov. 19 at 3 p.m. in the UMBC Tip-Off Tournament presented by Close Call America.