UAlbany WBB Defeats UMBC 84-68 to Stay Tied for First in America East Play
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ALBANY, N.Y. – The UAlbany women's basketball team held off a scrappy UMBC squad for an 84-68 home victory on Wednesday night, keeping a tie for first place in the America East.
“We never knew what was coming, as UMBC kept changing things up against Shereesha [Richards],” said UAlbany coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson. “They played man [to-man defense] this game. Imani [Tate] did a great job stepping up.”
UAlbany (19-7, 12-1 AE) led wire-to-wire against UMBC (9-17, 4-9 AE), using a 14-3 run in a five-minute span to build the lead to 15 in the first half. UMBC pulled to within eight at the half. UAlbany regained a double-digit lead in the opening minutes of the second half and did not relinquish it the rest of the way.
With the win, UAlbany remains tied with Maine for first place in the America East at 12-1. UAlbany has guaranteed at least the 2-seed after the victory.
Shereesha Richards earned her 10th double-double of the year with 27 points and 11 rebounds, going 9-11 from the field and 9-10 on the line. She set a new UAlbany record with her 26th-consecutive double digit scoring game.
“We did get some good looks inside, but [UMBC] put three and four on me,” said Richards. “I had to pass out to people for shots.”
Along with Richards, four UAlbany players scored in double digits. Imani Tate netted 16 points off the bench, adding six boards and five assists. Zakiya Saunders tallied 14 points, five boards and six assists while Sarah Royals had 14 points and five assists.
For UMBC, Capree Garner concluded with 23 points off 9-16 shooting. Taylor McCarley nearly got a double-double with 12 points, eight assists and three steals.
UAlbany used its pressure defense to force the action early, using two early Saunders baskets to start the game on a 7-0 run in the first 2:45.
UMBC broke its scoring drought with a Garner jumper as the teams exchanged baskets, with each using the press. With UAlbany up 10-2, UMBC went on a 6-2 streak in the following five minutes to make it 12-8 Great Danes.
At 14-10, UAlbany used a half court press steal and a charge to go on a 6-0 run in less than a minute, started by four Tate points. Later, Richards and Tate added free throws to make it a 9-0 run as UAlbany led 23-10 with eight minutes remaining in the 1st.
The two sides traded runs as UAlbany scored five points in a row, capped by a jumper and one by Royals, followed by Laura Castaldo scoring four points to start a 6-0 UMBC run, making it 28-19 UAlbany with 4:36 left in the period.
UAlbany built its lead to 11 with about a minute left in the half. UMBC scored three points, including an Amanda Hagaman layup in the closing seconds. UAlbany took a 33-25 lead into the locker room.
Early in the 2nd, UAlbany went on a quick spurt, with a Tiana-Jo Carter layup and one plus a Saunders transition layup making it 40-28 home team after the half's opening 2:04.
With the score 46-35, Tate went on a personal 7-0 run, hitting a jumper from the free throw line, three free throws and another jumper, pushing UAlbany's advantage to 53-35 with 12:46 left.
Two quick UMBC layups were countered by a 6-0 UAlbany run, sandwiched by two Royals layups. As UAlbany's frontcourt got into foul trouble, the backcourt kept the home team ahead with free throws and jumpers. UMBC kept pulling to within 13, while UAlbany would counter and stay ahead by double digits, over and over again.
A couple of late Garner baskets pulled UMBC within 13 again at 73-60 UAlbany, later at 75-62. Richards kept UAlbany ahead again, going on a personal 5-0 run off a layup and one, followed by another layup. The Great Danes took the victory 84-68 over UMBC.
UAlbany hits the road for its next two games, taking on Stony Brook on Long Island at 4 p.m. on Sunday, February 22nd.
