UMBC

RETRIEVER UPDATE: UMBC looks to repeat last year’s win over Morgan State as they travel to Hill Field House Monday, Nov. 17 at 7:00 p.m.  Last season’s 84-76 win over the Bears at the RAC Arena catapulted the Retrievers to one of their best starts in UMBC history. 

UMBC hopes to stretch the lead in the overall series match up as Monday’s game marks the 24th contest between the two teams with UMBC ahead, 13-10. 

Morgan State, who is projected to be the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Champions this season has two returning starters.  Senior forward Marquise Kately (13.1 ppg in ‘07-‘08) ) and junior guard Reggie Holmes (12.9 ppg) return as two of their top scorers. Morgan State finished first in the MEAC with a 22-11 record advancing to the NIT tournament for the first time in school‘s history.

Monday’s game can be heard on the new FOX1370 Sports Radio (www.fox1370.com).

BEAR UPDATE: The Bears opened the season with a tough 64-61 loss at La Salle. Morgan trailed, 25-24 at halftime, and attempted 20 more field goal attempts than the Explorers, but could not complete the comeback for a road victory. Jermaine Bolden led Morgan State with 14 points as the Bears hit eight of 19 from behind the arc.

Who’s Up Next: UMBC will travel to New York to take part in the Tyler Ugolyn Columbia Classic. The Retrievers will face former NEC rival Quinnipiac on Friday, Nov. 21 at 2:00 p.m., then play against the host Lions or Bryant on Saturday evening.

Inside the Series...A LOOK BACK

Four UMBC players scored in double figures for the fourth straight game as the Retrievers improved to 5-1 on the season with an 84-76 win Morgan State in non-conference action at the RAC Arena on Nov. 29, 2007. America East Player of the Game, Darryl Proctor hit nine of 15 shots from the floor in his 18-point, six-rebound, three-steal effort. UMBC never trailed, jumping on top 8-0 and extending the lead to as many as 20 points at 38-18 with 4:31 remaining in the first half. UMBC hit 48.5% (33/68) from the floor.  Jay Greene produced 11 assists and UMBC committed a season-low seven turnovers.

In the last meeting at Morgan State, on Nov. 27, 2006, Brian Hodges produced the third-most prolific scoring game in school history with 36 points in UMBC’s 86-72 win. Greene added 15 points and seven helpers and has 18 assists in two games vs. the Bears.

Proctor is averaging 16.4 points and 7.6 rebounds per game in his fiver career games vs. Morgan State, hitting  29 of 49 shots from the floor (59.2 percent).

FOR OPENERS: With the win over Stevenson, Head Coach Randy Monroe has now been the winning coach in four of his five season openers and UMBC has won their last six home lid-lifters. The Retrievers are 9-2 in their last ten home debuts.

The 76-69 win at La Salle last season snapped a three-game losing streak in UMBC’s first road effort of a season. Last season’s nine road victories tied a school record which was first notched in the 1998-99 campaign. 

LOVE THE ‘90’S: UMBC hit the 90-point plateau vs. Stevenson, reaching that mark for the first time since a 95-82 win at Navy in January of 2006. It was UMBC’s first 90-point effort at the RAC Arena since a 91-70 win over Long Island in the 2001-02 season.

DOUBLE THE PLEASURE: UMBC had five players (all starters) in double figures vs. the Mustangs, a feat which the team accomplished three times (3-0) last season.
 
CELEBRATION: The crowd of 3,114 which packed the RAC Arena is the tenth-largest in school history and the third-largest for a season opener. The all-time high for a lid-lifter is a crowd of 3,455 vs. Towson to kick off the 1988-89 season. 

UMBC vs.Morgan St. (UMBC leads series, 13-10)
1970-71 AL, 58-90;  HL, 48-81 
1971-72  NL, 69-92 
1976-77 HL, 61-68 
1979-80 HW, 68-61; HW, 55-52 
1980-81 AW, 81-79;  HW, 82-81,OT
1981-82 AW, 70-61;  AW, 48-45;  HW, 56-54 
1982-83 HL, 60-84;  AW, 72-70 
1983-84 HL, 70-81;  HW, 107-99 
1984-85 AL, 72-74 
1986-87 AL, 58-59;  HW! 45-25 
1994-95 HW, 70-61 
1995-96 AL, 56-57 
1998-99 NL, 56-57 
2006-07 AW, 86-72 
2007-08 HW, 84-76
! game forfeited to UMBC