BOX SCORE
PHOTO GALLERY
West Hartford, Conn. - The UMBC Retrievers held the Hawks to just 24 percent shooting and six total field goals in the second half en route to a 53-48 victory at the Chase Family Arena. The loss for Hartford (12-15, 9-5 America East) snapped a six-game win streak for the Hawks, their longest of the season. Hartford was led in the game by senior Jackie Smith who finished with 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting, including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc.
As a team, the Hawks finished the game shooting 32.7 percent (17-of-52). Joining Smith in double figures was sophomore Ruthanne Doherty who finished with a double double, her second in the last three games, with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Doherty finished the game shooting 3-of-7 overall and 5-of-6 from the free throw line. The sophomore also led the team with three assists.
Leading all scorers in the game was UMBC's Erin Brown who finished with 22 points on 8-of-13 from the field, including 4-of-6 from beyond the arc. Brown led two other players in double figures; Michelle Brokans with 11 and Michelle Kurowski with 10 points. Brokans' 11 points is the first career game in double figures for the senior from Landsale, Pa. As a team, the Retrievers (18-10, 12-3 AE) finished the game shooting 20-of-53 from the field (37.7 percent).
The Hawks came out of the gates and scored the first points of the game, on the first possession, on a layup from Doherty who accepted a pass from classmate Daphne Elliott and scored. The Retrievers would then tie the score at two and again at four, before the Hawks scored six-straight take a 10-4 lead with 13:50 remaining in the first half. Those six points all came within a 1:30 span of time and saw baskets from three different players; Smith, Doherty and Mary Silvia.
UMBC quickly whittled that lead back to one possession by scoring five of the next six points, pulling within two, 11-9, with 10:52 to play before the break. The teams would keep it within two buckets over the next seven minutes, with the Retrievers managing to tie the score for the third time on a three pointer from Brown.
Following a three pointer from Kurowski, which pulled the Retrievers within one points with 4:36 remaining, the Hawks began a 7-0 run to end the half with an eight point advantage 28-20. Over the final four-plus minutes, the Retrievers missed six baskets and turned the ball over twice.
Coming out of the halftime break, the Retrievers weren't going to begin the same way they ended, quickly cutting the Hawks eight point halftime advantage down to two points with back-to-back three pointers. The second three pointer, which came from Brokans, put the Hawks lead at two, 28-26, before a pair of free throws from Doherty, which were the first points of the half for Hartford, gave the Hawks a 30-26 lead with 16:58 remaining.
UMBC kept on the offensive intensity, ties the game at 30 and again at 32 and matching the Hawks at 35 with Kurowksi matching a three pointer from Smith with 13:37 to play. The Hawks offense then went quiet, scoring two points over the next five-plus minutes, allowing the Retrievers to take their first lead of the game and build it to as much as seven with 9:53 remaining, 44-37.
Following a timeout for the Hawks, Hartford managed back-to-back buckets to pull within three and eventually take a one-point lead on a three pointer from Smith with 4:18 to play. UMBC answered right back with a three of their own from Brown, taking a 49-47 advantage with 3:52 remaining.
The Retrievers would not end up relinquishing that lead despite being held without a bucket for the final 3:52 of the game. Through that same time frame, the Hawks would only manage one free throw from Nikkia Smith with 2L21 remaining, while the Retrievers took advantage of their free throws, making 4-of-4 in the final 25 seconds to secure the victory. The Hawks had three chances to take the lead or tie the game within the final 57 seconds with four three pointers all rimming out.
The Hawks will return to action on Wednesday night when they travel to Stony Brook for their final regular season road game against the Seawolves. Hartford and Stony Brook are scheduled to tip-off at 7:00 p.m.
