UMBC

Mike Housman, the America East leader in field goal percentage, has hit 18 of 21 attempts in two games this week

Baltimore, Md.—Mike Housman’s uncontested layup with 0.7 seconds to play gave host UMBC (6-7, 2-0 America East) a 65-64 win over Boston University (5-9, 2-1) in a thrilling overtime contest played at the RAC Arena.

It is UMBC’s first 2-0 start in league play in three seasons of America East competition, and the first time in five tries that they have beaten the Terriers in conference play.

“It was a very gutty performance,” head coach Randy Monroe said. “We had to play a physical team in Navy on Tuesday and then faced the best defensive team in the conference tonight.  I was so proud of the team. When they made a run at us, we didn’t wilt.”

The game featured huge runs by both teams, but ended in an exchange of baskets in the final seven seconds. Terrier freshman forward Corey Hassan drained a 17-foot jumper to give the guests a 64-63 lead, and UMBC took timeout near midcourt with 4.1 seconds remaining. After timeouts by both teams, junior guard Chris Pugh drove into the paint, where he was rushed by a trio of Terrier defenders. Pugh lofted a pass beyond the defense to a wide-open Housman, who converted his 11^th field goal of the night.

Kevin Gardner’s desperation three-point attempt from 35 feet was off to the left at the buzzer.

Housman said, “We were supposed to have Brian (Hodges) coming off a double screen, but they covered that pretty well, so I set a ball screen for Chris (Pugh) and rolled to the basket. They all went to Chris and I was wide open under the basket. It couldn’t get any better than this.”

Despite playing with a painful hip pointer and other nagging injuries, Housman had a brilliant night. He scored a career high 24 points, hitting 11 of 14 shots, and posted his second career double-double with a team high ten rebounds. He was matched bucket-for-bucket by Gardner, who scored 24 points and added 11 rebounds in 43 minutes of work.

“(Kevin) Gardner is an outstanding player and I knew I had to get pumped up to play. I was playing mainly on adrenelaine,” said Housman, who is 18 of 21 from the floor in wins vs. Navy and Boston University in the last 72 hours. “I did anything I could to stop him, and I didn’t do too good of a job, but I worked as hard as I could and didn’t worry about the pain.”

Boston University jumped out to a 13-4 lead, but UMBC battled back on the strength on 12 first half points by John Zito to take a 30-29 lead at halftime. The Terriers scored just one field goal in a span of 14:42 and the Retrievers built a 46-32 lead with 10:25 remaining. After UMBC’s 25-3 run, the Terriers countered with a huge surge, outscoring UMBC, 20-3, over the next six minutes and change. Tony Gaffney’s lone field goal of the night, a three-pointer which hit the rim and rolled in, gave the Terriers a 52-49 lead with 3:52 to play.

UMBC sophomore guard Brian Hodges restored the lead with 48 seconds left, hitting a three-pointer to put his team ahead, 57-55 with 48 seconds left. But Boston senior guard Shaun Wynn countered with a tough runner in the lane to knot the game at 57-all with 12 second remaining. UMBC freshman guard Jay Greene was just off the mark on his game-winning attempt, a driving layup which rolled around the rim with three seconds left.

Neither team led by more than three points in overtime as Housman and Zito scored four each in the extra frame for UMBC.

Zito finished with 18 points and 8 rebounds in 38 minutes. Hassan and Wynn each added 10 for Boston University.

UMBC shot 46.6% from the floor, but were a paltry 6 of 15 from the free throw line, hitting just 3 of 11 in the final 25 minutes. The Terriers hit 43.6% from the floor and outrebounded a smaller UMBC team, 37-35. Each team maintained outstanding ball control, suffering only 12 turnovers apiece.

Notes: It was UMBC’s first overtime game since February of 2003, a span of 70 games…the Retrievers are now 5-1 at home this season…UMBC faces another team it is winless against on Sunday, when they take on America East defending champion Vermont in Burlington.