Retrievers’ stingy defense stifles Stony Brook
UMBC men’s basketball relied heavily on their calling card this season, defense, to drop the Stony Brook Seawolves (17-5, 5-2) Wednesday evening at the UMBC Event Center, 57-49.
The Seawolves shot a meager 31% from the floor, sinking only 17 of their 55 shots. They were led by redshirt freshman G/F Akwasi Yeboah, who scored 14 points, but no other Seawolf scored more than 10.
The Retrievers’ defensive effort was no more evident than at the perimeter. They held Stony Brook to just two made 3-pointer’s on 22 attempts for the game.
Much like the weather in Catonsville, both teams started off cold from the floor. The game remained scoreless 2:10 into the contest when the Retrievers finally broke the ice.
Stony Brook would grab an early 11-8 lead 8 minutes and 14 seconds into the game, but the Retrievers would tie it up less than a minute later and never trail again.
UMBC (14-9, 6-2) would take a six point lead into halftime and would lead by as much as 13 points with 14:20 remaining in the game. The Seawolves would get the deficit back down to seven with 5:48 remaining, but a 3-pointer by junior guard K.J. Jackson, followed by short jumper from freshman guard R.J. Eytle-Rock extended the UMBC lead back to 12 with 4:29 on the clock.
Once again the Retrievers were led by graduate student forward Joe Sherburne who scored 17 points and grabbed 11 rebounds on the evening. Eytle-Rock and junior forward Arkel Lamar each chipped in 10 points.
The Retrievers have now won five consecutive games and are tied with Stony Brook for second place in the America East conference standings.
UMBC will now have a week off as their next contest will be Wednesday, February 6th at home against the Hartford Hawks.
