UMBC

BALTIMORE—The UMBC women’s basketball team released the America East portion of its 2009-10 schedule, which tips off against four-time conference champion Hartford on Wednesday, Jan. 6, at 5 p.m. in the opening game of a UMBC hoops doubleheader.

The Retrievers are home for five of eight league games in January, including a three-game home stand Jan. 16-21 against New Hampshire (Jan. 16, 2 p.m.), Binghamton (Jan. 18, 7 p.m.) and defending America East champion Vermont (Jan. 21, 12 p.m.) following a two-game road swing at Maine (Jan. 10) and Albany (Jan. 13).

UMBC will hold its fifth annual Midday Madness on Thursday, Jan. 21. The Retrievers will welcome hundreds of local elementary and middle school students for the 12 p.m. tipoff against the Catamounts.

The Retrievers visit America East regular-season champion Boston University on Jan. 24, before returning home to close out January against Stony Brook at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 28.

UMBC plays three of its first four games on the road in February, beginning with a trip to Hartford on Feb. 2. The Retrievers host Maine at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 6, as part of another doubleheader with the men’s team before traveling to Binghamton (Feb. 10) and New Hampshire (Feb. 13).

The Retrievers will take part in the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Pink Zone initiative on Wednesday, Feb. 18, against Albany (7 p.m.) to help raise breast cancer awareness. Proceeds from the game will benefit the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund.

Following a trip to Vermont on Feb. 21, UMBC plays its final home game against Boston University at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 24, when the Retrievers will honor their lone senior, Carlee Cassidy, in a Senior Night ceremony. UMBC then closes out the regular season at Stony Brook on Feb. 27.

For the first time in league history, the America East Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships will be held in a combined format. The first three rounds will take place at Hartford’s Chase Arena March 4-7, while the title games will be played the following weekend at the home court of the highest remaining seeds.

UMBC opens its season at home on Friday, Nov. 13, against national power Virginia. The Retrievers will play 13 non-conference games before beginning their America East slate.

The Retrievers finished the 2008-09 campaign with a 14-16 overall record, including 6-10 in league play. Seeded fifth, UMBC fell to No. 4 Binghamton in the quarterfinals of the America East Championship.

Head coach Phil Stern returns 96 percent of the offense from his 2008-09 squad, which scored more than 2,000 points for just the second time in school history. The Retrievers will be led by Cassidy (20.4 ppg), who has led the conference in scoring in each of the last two seasons, and a trio of sophomores in Michelle Kurowski (13.7 ppg), Katie Brooks (9.3 ppg) and Erin Brown (9.2 ppg).