Baltimore, MD - - - The UMBC Retrievers won their first Northeast Conference game of the season, defeating visiting Long Island, 53-39, Thursday evening at the Retriever Activities Center.  UMBC improved to 4-9 (1-3 NEC) and the Blackbirds dropped to 3-10 (1-2 NEC).

UMBC led 21-18 at halftime after trailing for the first 13:25 of the game.  Trailing 11-6 with 9:53 remaining in the stanza, UMBC closed out the half with a 15-7 run and never trailed in the contest again.

Long Island trailed only 32-31, with 10:36 remaining in the game after a lay-up by senior forward Tamika Dudley.  However, UMBC went on a big 11-3 run over the next  4:17 to grab a 43-34 advantage with just 6:19 remaining.  LIU closed to within 43-37 on a three-pointer by freshman guard Amber Wirth, but the Retrievers put the game away by outscoring the Blackbirds, 10-2,  the rest of the way.

UMBC senior guard Shalayna Johsnon scored a game-high 24 points (9-for-19, 4-for-10 three-pointers) and classmate Jessie Brown added 15 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 steals.

The Retrievers, who shot 43 percent in the contest, held Long Island to a season-low in points.  The Blackbirds converted just 16 of their 50 field goal attempts (32 percent) and were just 6-for-21 from behind the arc.

Dudley and Wirth paced the Blackbirds with 11 points each.

- - -UMBC - - -