UMBC

Katie Brooks tallied a season-high 17 points and added five assists at New Hampshire.

DURHAM, N.H.—Sophomore guard Katie Brooks (Maryville, Tenn./Heritage) and senior guard Carlee Cassidy (Syracuse, N.Y./Westhill) scored a game-high 17 points each to lead the UMBC women’s basketball team (11-14, 5-7 AE) to a big 54-40 road win at America East rival New Hampshire (8-17, 3-9 AE) Saturday afternoon at Lundholm Gymnasium.

The America East Player of the Game, Brooks made seven of 11 shots from the floor and added five assists, while Cassidy buried five 3-pointers and grabbed seven rebounds.

The score was tied six times and neither team led by more than three points in the first 14:23 of play, but back-to-back Cassidy 3-pointers sparked a 14-3 UMBC run to end the period, and the Retrievers led 30-22 at halftime.

UMBC held the Wildcats without a field goal for more than five minutes midway through the second half and extended its lead to 19 points, 54-35, with just under three minutes to play, before UNH tallied the final five points of the game.

The Retrievers shot 40.8 percent in the game, including 50 percent in the first half, while holding the Wildcats to just 28.3 percent from the floor. UMBC also made eight of 19 three-point attempts and allowed just three. The Retrievers outrebounded the Wildcats, 38-32.

Sophomore guard Michelle Kurowski (Hicksville, N.Y./Hicksville) added 12 points for the Retrievers, while junior forward Meghan Colabella (Upper Montclair, N.J./Montclair) grabbed a team-high nine rebounds. Junior guard Michele Brokans (Lansdale, Pa./Lansdale Catholic) picked up three steals and held UNH point guard Amy Simpson off the scoreboard.

Forward Candace Williams posted a double-double with 16 points and 13 boards to earn her team’s Player of the Game honors. Center Jill McDonald netted 14 points.

The Retrievers return to action on Thursday, Feb. 18, when they host America East rival Albany.

Notes: The win marked UMBC’s seventh on the road this season, one shy of the school Division I record of eight, set in 1998-99… Cassidy moved into the America East’s top 25 career scoring leaders with 1,558 points… She also now has 239 career 3-pointers, just six shy of the conference record… The Retrievers played without head coach Phil Stern, who could not travel due to an illness.