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News Release

Defending America East Champion Albany Defeats Men's Basketball

1/31/2007

Albany, N.Y.—Reigning America East Conference Player of the Year Jamar Wilson scored 18 points as defending America East champion Albany defeated visiting UMBC, 82-58 before 3,211 points at SEFCU Arena.

Albany won its fifth straight game and improved to 15-7 overall and 8-2 in league play, while UMBC’s two-game winning streak was halted and the Retrievers fell to 9-14, 5-5. UMBC is still tied for fourth place with Maine in the America East standings.

The Great Danes came out on fire, hitting 13 of their first 15 field goal attempts and all four three-point tries. They built a 29-9 lead with 9:31 remaining in the first half and increased the margin to 52-25 at intermission.

UMBC outscored Albany, 33-30 in the second half, but never got closer than 22 points at 77-55 after a Matt Spadafora three-point field goal with 3:55 remaining.

Junior guard Brian Hodges led UMBC with 11 points, but hit only three of 16 shots from the floor. Senior guard Chris Pugh, UMBC’s America East Player of the Game, and freshman post Justin Fry scored 10 points each. Spadafora hit both his shots from behind the arc and posted a season-high eight points.

The Great Danes now have six straight wins over UMBC in the series and lead it, 7-2.

UMBC returns home to entertain Stony Brook on Saturday night at 7:00 p.m.