UMBC

Sharri Rohde scored a career-high 27 points and added 10 rebounds against Vermont.

Burlington, Vt.-Senior forward Sharri Rohde posted a double-double with a career-high 27 points to go along with 10 rebounds, and the Retrievers hit 15 of 16 free throws down the stretch, as the UMBC women’s basketball team (13-14, 6-8 America East) defeated host Vermont (16-10, 6-7 America East) by a score of 80-72 Tuesday evening at Patrick Gymnasium, UMBC’s first-ever win on the Catamounts’ home court. The 80 points are a season high for the Retrievers and the most since Nov. 23, 2004.

Vermont led 17-12 at the 12:44 mark in the first half, but UMBC went on a 20-8 run over the next 10 minutes to take a 32-25 lead and led the rest of the game. The Retrievers took a 35-29 advantage into halftime.

Rohde led all scorers with 13 points on 6-for-9 shooting in the first period, and the Retrievers shot 53.6 percent from the floor while holding the Catamounts to just 34.4 percent.

Vermont opened the second half on a 7-2 run to pull to within one point, 37-36 at the 16:07 mark and tied the game 42-42 with 11:38 to play.

But the Retrievers scored 12 of the next 14 points to take a game-high 10-point lead, 54-44, with 8:18 remaining. Junior guard Kristin Drabyn drilled two three-pointers during that span.

Rohde’s lay-up at 1:22 was UMBC’s last field goal of the game, but the Retrievers made 15 of 16 free throws in the final 59 seconds, including 13 straight to start the stretch. Senior point guard Brittnie Hughes was 8-for-8 from the line, while Drabyn was 4-for-4 and Rohde 3-for-4.

A 68 percent free throw shooting team entering the contest, UMBC made 17 of 18 free throws in the game for a season-high 94.4 percent.

Rohde led all scorers with 27 points and added 10 rebounds and six assists, while Drabyn scored 18 with four three-pointers and Hughes added 12 points and four assists. In addition, junior forward Amanda Robinson scored nine points and posted six rebounds, while junior guard Morgan Hatten had six points, eight rebounds and four dishes.

Freshman Courtney Pilypaitis led the Catamounts with 22 points, while May Kotsopoulos and Sy Janousek scored 13 apiece. Andrea Cihal posted a game-high 11 rebounds.

UMBC shot 48.3 percent in the game and held Vermont to 33.8 percent from the floor. The Catamounts out-rebounded the Retrievers, 43-40.

In a crowded middle of the pack in the America East standings, the Retrievers move to within a half game of Vermont, Boston University and Maine for fourth place and one game of Binghamton for third.

UMBC concludes its road schedule on Saturday, Feb. 24 at Maine. Tip-off is 12 p.m.