UMBC

Katie Brooks scored a game-high 23 points to lead the Retrievers in scoring.

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y.—Junior guard Carlee Cassidy (Syracuse, N.Y./Westhill) and freshman guard Katie Brooks (Maryville, Tenn./Heritage) combined to score 32 of the Retrievers’ 45 second-half points to lead the UMBC women’s basketball team (3-2) past Western Michigan (0-4) by a score of 81-69 Saturday afternoon on the first day of the Iona Basketball Classic.

Cassidy scored all 21 of her points in the second half, while Brooks tallied 12 in the second period and finished with a game-high 23 on 9-of-13 shooting, including a perfect 5-for-5 from the foul line.

Freshman guard Michelle Kurowski (Hicksville, N.Y./Hicksville) scored eight of the Retrievers’ first 18 points as they took an 18-12 lead at the 13:41 mark. But Western Michigan held UMBC to just four field goals over the next 12:30 to go ahead by four points, 33-29, with 1:16 remaining in the half.

Brooks scored the final seven points of the stanza to give the Retrievers a 36-33 lead at intermission.

The Broncos scored the first three points of the second half to tie the game for the seventh and final time before UMBC used a 16-4 run to take control of the game with a 10-point lead, 52-42, with 11:27 remaining.

Western Michigan cut their deficit in half, 56-51, with 8:28 left, but Cassidy and Brooks combined to score the next 23 Retriever points, as the duo hit six of nine field goal attempts and 11 of 12 foul shots in the remaining minutes.

Brooks and Cassidy led four Retrievers in double figures, as Kurowski posted 14 points and seven rebounds, while sophomore forward Meghan Colabella (Upper Montclair, N.J./Montclair) finished just shy of a double-double with 12 points and a team-high nine rebounds to go along with a game-best four steals.

Western Michigan guard Tiera DeLaHoussaye led the Broncos with 14 points, while forward Ebony Cleary added 12 and forward Miame Giden posted a double-double with 10 points and 10 boards.

The Retrievers shot a season-high 49.1 percent (27-for-55) in the game, despite making just five of 20 attempts from beyond the arc. UMBC also made 22 of 27 free throws (81.5 percent).

The Broncos shot 41.3 percent from the floor and just 60.9 percent from the foul line but outrebounded the Retrievers, 41-29.

UMBC returns to action on Sunday to face in-state rival Maryland-Eastern Shore on the second day of the Iona Thanksgiving Classic.