UMBC

Michelle Kurowski is averaging 22.8 ppg in her last four contests.

BALTIMORE—Junior guard Carlee Cassidy (Syracuse, N.Y./Westhill) scored 28 points and freshman guard Michelle Kurowski (Hicksville, N.Y./Hicksville) added 20 as the UMBC women’s basketball team defeated cross-town rival Coppin State, 76-63, Monday evening at the RAC Arena. The Retrievers improve to 7-2 on the season, matching their best start in the program’s Division I history, while the Eagles fall to 0-7.

Cassidy made nine of 20 field goal attempts, including four of eight from three-point range, and was a perfect 6-for-6 from the foul line en route to America East Player of the Game honors. Kurowski shot 7-for-12 from the floor and added a team-high five rebounds. Earlier in the day, the duo was named America East Player and Rookie of the Week, respectively, for their performances against Navy and Towson.

The Retrievers were hot out of the gates, making three straight triples and six of their first eight field goal attempts to take a 15-6 lead at the 16:32 mark. But a 9-0 Eagle run, sparked by six points from forward Danielle Anders, tied the game less than three minutes later, as UMBC missed nine of their next 10 shots.

A pair of free throws by Coppin State guard Shante Cummings at the 9:42 mark gave the visitors a 22-20 lead before a Kurowski three-pointer ignited a 6-0 UMBC run that put the hosts back on top. A jumper by sophomore forward Meghan Colabella (Upper Montclair, N.J./Montclair) with three seconds left gave the Retrievers a 32-29 advantage at halftime.

The Eagles tied the score three times in the first 3:26 of the second period, but the Retrievers answered each time and finally took the lead for good on a jumper by Cassidy at the 15:18 mark.

Leading by two points with 12:16 to play after a pair of foul shots by Coppin State center Whitney Cunningham, UMBC used a 16-3 spurt over the next 5:36 to take control of the game and go ahead, 61-46. Cassidy tallied nine points during that stretch. The Eagles were never able to get closer than 10 the rest of the way.

Freshman guard Katie Brooks (Maryville, Tenn./Heritage) was the only other Retriever in double figures with 13 points, and she added four rebounds and four assists.

Cunningham led the Eagles wit ha double-double of 20 points and 11 rebounds and also added seven blocked shots. Forward Jennifer Martin grabbed a game-high 14 boards.

UMBC shot 56 percent in the second half and 42.6 percent on the game, while Coppin State shot 36.7 percent from the floor. The Eagles outrebounded the Retrievers, 46-33, including 19 offensive boards that led to 20 second-chance points, but 25 Coppin State turnovers led to 24 points for UMBC.

The Retrievers now have a 10-day break for final exams before returning to action on Thursday, Dec. 18 at James Madison.