UMBC

Baltimore—Senior guard Jay Greene (Whitehall, Pa.) hit a season-high five three-point field goals and led UMBC with 17 points as the Retrievers defeated visiting Hartford, 69-60, in a rematch of last season’s America East Conference title game.

UMBC evened its records at 8-8 overall and 2-2 in league play, while Hartford fell to 6-12, 2-2.

Greene, named UMBC’s America East Player of the Game, hit five of nine from behind the arc, and added four assists with no turnovers to lead five Retrievers in double figures. Senior forward Darryl Proctor (District Heights, Md.) contributed 14 points and a season-high 14 rebounds, while junior wing Matt Spadafora (Richboro, Pa.) scored a season-high 15 points.

Hartford sophomore forward Morgan Sabia was Hartford’s America East Player of the Game, scoring 18 points.

UMBC has the most wins against the Hawks at the RAC Arena, as they improved their record to 6-1 vs. Hartford.

The Retrievers took the lead for good by scoring five straight points after the game was tied at 21-all with 5:58 remaining in the first half. UMBC settled for a 33-29 lead at intermission and improved to 6-0 on the campaign when leading at the half. Hartford fell to 0-10 when behind at the break.

The Hawks closed to within two points at 41-39 on Andres Torres’ three-point field goal at the 15:15 mark. But Proctor’s fast-break dunk highlighted an 8-1 run which gave UMBC a 49-40 advantage with 11:10 remaining.

The Retrievers extended the advantage to as many as 14 points at 59-45 with 6:35 to play and had three possessions to extend that margin, but came up empty each time and the Hawks would creep back into contention. Freshman post Genesis Maciel hit an improbable baseline three-pointer and was fouled with 50 seconds left. He converted to trim the deficit to 63-57, but Spadafora hit four straight free throws and freshman wing Chauncey Gilliam (Columbia, Md.) added a pair in the final minute to preserve the UMBC win.

Gilliam and sophomore forward Rich Flemming gave the Retrievers five players in double figures as they scored 10 points each.

Hartford’s leading scorer, Jaret von Rosenberg, who hit for 50 points in his last two games, was held to 1 of 12 shooting by Spadafora and company, although he did manage a game high six assists and corralled 11 rebounds.

Notes: UMBC hit a season-high seven three-point field goals. They had only converted seven in the past five contests… Proctor posted his seventh double-double of the season and the 36^th of his career…The Retrievers committed only six turnovers and just one in the first half…UMBC begins an eight-day, three-game road swing at Vermont on Monday night.