UMBC

Albany, N.Y.—The UMBC men’s basketball team clinched at least a tie for the America East regular season title with a gutsy 81-77 overtime win over the two-time defending league champion Albany Great Danes (13-13, 8-6 America East).

The Retrievers (19-7 overall) improved to 11-2 in the conference, while second-place Hartford fell to Vermont and dropped to 8-5 in the league. UMBC could win the title outright with a win over New Hampshire at the RAC Arena on Saturday.

Senior guard Ray Barbosa (Allentown, Pa.) led all scorers with 27 points, while junior forward Darryl Proctor (District Heights, Md.) posted his 11^th double-double of the season with 22 points and ten rebounds.

Albany’s Brian Lillis sent the game to overtime at 68- all with a 24-foot three-pointer with 0.3 seconds remaining.  But UMBC never trailed in overtime, despite Barbosa leaving the game twice with cramps.

The key play in extra time occurred with UMBC leading by 76-75 after Albany’s John Iati converted a four-point play with 58 seconds to play. Barbosa’s hurried three-pointer at the end of the shot clock hit the backboard, but Proctor hustled to the loose ball, laid it in and was fouled with 22 seconds to play. He missed the free throw and Albany had a chance to tie, but UMBC sophomore Justin Fry (New Bloomfield, Pa.) rebounded a Great Dane missed layup and hit two free throws with 15 seconds left to give UMBC an 80-75 lead.

Albany scored on a tip-in with seven seconds to play, but Fry hit one of two free throws a second later to complete the night’s scoring.

Barbosa hit six three-point field goals and is now averaging 21.8 points in the five games since classmate Brian Hodges went down with his ankle injury.

UMBC’s 19 wins is tied for its second-most in 22 years at the Division I level and the team’s seven-game winning streak is its longest since an 11 game streak in the 1998-99 campaign.

The Retrievers led, 32-24 at halftime and built a 43-31 advantage with 14:14 remaining in regulation. But the Great Danes went on a 12-0 run to take a 44-43 advantage with 9:44 to play. UMBC would take the lead back at 53-51 on a driving layup by Barbosa with 6:49 to play and held that lead until Lillis’ miraculous shot.

Senior post Cavell Johnson (Fort Washington, Md.) also scored in double figures with 10 points and he added seven rebounds. Junior guard Jay Greene (Whitehall, Pa.) played all 45 minutes and tied the school’s single season record with 177 assists. The Retrievers won their third straight game decided by four points or less as they hit 48.4 percent from the floor. Albany, the nation’s tenth-best rebound margin team, outrebounded their guests, 50-34.

Notes: Hodges dressed, but did not play for UMBC. Hodges, Johnson and Barbosa will be honored before the UNH game on Saturday as part of the “Senior Night” festivities.