UMBC

Carlee Cassidy became the 15th player in school history to score 30 points in a game.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—UMBC junior guard Carlee Cassidy (Syracuse, N.Y./Westhill) scored 23 of her career-high 31 points in the first half, but the Retrievers shot just 28.8 percent from the floor in a 75-56 loss to George Washington in the season opener for both teams at the Charles E. Smith Center.

Cassidy is just the 15th Retriever ever to score 30 or more points in a game and the first since Ana Goncharova tallied 33 against New Hampshire on Jan. 29, 2005. In addition, the second of her personal-best six 3-pointers was the 100th of her career, making her the third-fastest Retriever to reach the milestone, as she hit the mark in her 60th game.

George Washington led 6-3 two minutes into the game, before Cassidy took over, leading the Retrievers on a 21-3 run with 16 of their first 18 points to give UMBC a 24-9 advantage at the 11:30 mark. The Colonials made just one of seven shots during that stretch.

But the hosts would not be denied for long, ending the period on a 27-9 spurt and taking the lead just 34 seconds before halftime. The Retrievers hit just three of their final 17 attempts in the half, and the Colonials went into the locker room ahead, 36-33.

The Colonials opened a six-point lead before a brief 7-0 UMBC run gave the visitors a 45-44 advantage with 13:56 remaining. But George Washington held the Retrievers to just three field goals the rest of the way and none in the final six minutes to secure the victory.

Freshman guard Michelle Kurowski (Hicksville, N.Y./Hicksville) was the only other Retriever in double figures, as she scored 10 points and pulled down six rebounds in her collegiate debut. Sophomore forward Meghan Colabella (Upper Montclair, N.J./Montclair) added seven points and eight boards.

Forward Antelia Parrish led four Colonials in double figures with 19 points and added 10 rebounds for a double-double. Center Jessica Adair notched 15 points to go along with nine rebounds and four steals, while Tara Booker scored 13 points and Tiana Myers tallied 11.

The much larger Colonials dominated inside, scoring 40 points in the paint to the Retrievers’ 16 and holding a 63-45 advantage on the glass.

The Retrievers return to action on Wednesday, Nov. 19, when they host George Mason in their home opener at RAC Arena. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.