UMBC

Senior Mariana Santos and the Retrievers open play on Saturday night in the Retriever Tip-Off Tourney.

Baltimore, Md. – The UMBC Women’s Basketball team will begin the 2003-04 season hosting the Retriever Tip-Off Tourney at UMBC RAC Arena on Saturday Nov. 22.  The Retrievers will take on the University of Pennsylvania in the night cap with a start time scheduled for 7:30 p.m.  Delaware State and Iona will open tournament play at 5:30 on Saturday with the winners from both games advancing to the championship game on Sunday Nov. 23 at 4 p.m.  A consolation game will precede the championship game at 2 p.m. on Sunday.

The start of the season marks the second year of the Phil Stern era at UMBC as he enters his second season at the helm of the Retrievers women’s hoops program.  Stern in his first season took the Retrievers to the conference title game for the first-time ever and posted a 14-16 record.

After a great ending to the 2002-03 season, the Retrievers will be looking to make this year just as memorable with a number of new faces on the court.  The Retrievers will open the season with five new starters with the departure of last season’s starting five.  In addition, UMBC features six newcomers brought in by Stern during the off season. 

Highlighting this year’s squad will by lone senior Marian Santos, junior Anastasia Goncharova and sophomore Maria Brown.  All three played in over half of UMBC’s games last season with Goncharova logging the most minutes with 27 games played.    

This season marks the 36^th year of UMBC women’s basketball and the 18^th with Division I status.  Since beginning D-I play, the Retrievers have had success in their home openers, going 13-4 in their RAC Arena season debut. 

Amongst the tournament’s other competitors, UMBC holds a combined 3-9 all-time record (Penn (0-1), Delaware State (2-7), Iona (1-1)), and have beat Delaware State and Iona in each of their last meetings.