UMBC

New York, N.Y.—Senior forward Darryl Proctor (District Heights, Md.) scored a UMBC career high of 25 points as the Retrievers held off a tenacious Quinnipiac team, 76-71 in the first round of the Tyler Ugolyn Columbia Classic.

The Retrievers will meet the winner of the Columbia-Bryant game on Saturday night at 8:00 p.m.

Proctor posted his first double-double of the season as he added a season high 11 rebounds. He hit 11 of 18 shots from the floor in all 40 minutes of action.

Senior guard Jay Greene also had a double-double with 10 points and a season-high 10 assists, as all five UMBC starters finished in double figures.

UMBC trailed, 37-35 at halftime and fell behind by six points on two occasions early in the second half. With the Bobcats ahead, 43-37 and 16:35 remaining, the Retrievers went on a 11-2 run to take the lead for good.

UMBC gradually built the advantage to nine points at 68-59 with 5:22 to play and could have gone ahead by double digits, but Matt Spadafora’s open three-point attempt from the wing drew iron. The Bobcats climbed back into the game, sparked by a four-point play by freshman guard James Johnson. QU’s James Feldeine hit one of two free throws to trim the gap to two points at 71-69 with 1:06 to play.

On the next possession, with the clock winding down, Proctor banked in a turnaround from the post to restore the advantage to four points at 73-69 with 31 seconds left. Bobcat forward Justin Rutty followed a miss with a offensive put-back and Proctor was fouled as UMBC inbounded the ball with 14 seconds to play. He hit one of two free throws, giving the Bobcats a chance to tie. Bryan Geffen’s off-balance three pointer was short from the right side with three seconds left and junior guard Matt Spadafora (Richboro, Pa.) grabbed the rebound and sealed the win by converting two free throws with 0.5 seconds to play.  

Spadafora hit nine of ten free throw attempts and scored a season high 15 points. Junior forward Justin Fry (New Bloomfield, Pa.) added 11 points and sophomore post Rich Flemming (Chester, Pa.) scored eight of his ten points in the second half.

UMBC hit nearly 56 percent from the floor, converting on 29 of 52 shots from the floor. The Bobcats, who were led by Johnson’s 17-point effort, were not far behind, hitting 27 of 53 for 51 percent.