Sanders Goes for 21 Points and Seven Assists in 79-73 Win at UMBC
BOX SCORE
BALTIMORE, MD.- Senior guard Ray Sanders tallied 21 points, seven assists and three steals as University at Albany men's basketball (18-6, 7-2 AE) picked up a 79-73 victory at UMBC (5-19, 1-8 AE) on Wednesday night. The Great Danes are now on a three-game winning streak headed into Saturday's Big Purple Growl against Vermont.
“This match-up against UMBC is tough,” said head coach Will Brown. “We showed poise and control down the stretch, and ultimately that's how you win games this time of the year. We'll enjoy the win, but it's important that we learn as much as we can from this over the next 48 hours before Vermont on Saturday.”
Looking to expose UAlbany's outside shooting, UMBC started the game in a 2-3 zone and forced the Danes to fire late in the shot clock. The Retrievers took an early four-point lead before a Peter Hooley three-pointer finally got Brown & co., on the board.
Despite the slow start, Greig Stire tallied all three of UAlbany's rebounds headed into the U16 media timeout. The sophomore notched three of his six first-half rebounds on the offensive glass to generate second-chance opportunities for Brown's squad.
As the Purple & Gold adjusted to UMBC's press and 2-3 zone, six different Danes got into the scoring column. Richard Peters caught the ball at the foul line, forcing the Retrievers to challenge off the baseline. Peters hit Dallas Ennema on the baseline for the easy bucket and an 11-10 lead with 13 minutes to go in the first half.
Jamir Andrews drained a three at the end of the shot clock with 8:19 on the clock, fueling an 11-0 Great Danes run mid-way through the period. Ennema and Sanders also stepped up to knock down from long range, and UAlbany took a 29-19 edge.
The Retrievers cut the advantage to four points, 29-25 and UAlbany briefly regained its double-digit lead off two baskets from Sanders. The Danes went the final 2:46 of the period without scoring, but managed a 35-29 lead at the break.
UAlbany attempted just one free throw in the first half, while starters Evan Singletary and Stire played a combined 18 minutes due to foul trouble. Sanders scored 11 points in the opening stanza on 5-for-8 shooting. The Danes saw nearly one-third of their offensive output come from the three-point line.
Despite the shooting slump to end the first, UAlbany came out firing on all cylinders in the second half. An 8-0 spurt gave the Danes their largest lead at 44-29 with just 1:15 gone.
But the America East's conference play leading scorer Jairus Lyles started to warm up. Lyles scored 11 points in the opening nine minutes of the second period, narrowing UAlbany's lead to six with under 10 minutes to play.
The Retrievers went on a 14-4 run before a Hooley three got the Danes back on track. The Purple & Gold committed seven turnovers in 10 minutes before retaking a double digit edge from the free throw line.
Brown's squad entered the bonus with 13:11 to play, and the double bonus with nine minutes to go. After taking just one free throw in the first half, UAlbany went 19-for-23 (.833) in the final 20 minutes.
The Purple & Gold skirted through from the charity stripe, but nearly three minutes without a field goal eventually caught up. The Retrievers came within four points with less than five minutes to go, 63-59.
Sanders went to work on both ends of the floor, driving for a lay-up to put the Danes up six, 65-59. The senior grabbed a steal on the ensuring UMBC possession, and found Hooley down court for an eight-point cushion as the clock ticked under four minutes to play.
Ennema provided the final dagger on a three down the stretch, complemented by a flurry of UAlbany made free throws.
Ray Sanders finished with 21 points, seven assists and three steals. It was his second 20+-point effort of the season, and matched his career best in assists. Peter Hooley met Sanders in double figures with 17 points in addition to seven rebounds.
Next up, UAlbany men's basketball hosts Vermont (14-10, 6-3 AE) in a 2-3 standings matchup on Saturday at 7:00 p.m. The annual Big Purple Growl will be broadcast on Time Warner Cable SportsChannel, with a special pregame ceremony to honor the 2005-06 America East Championship squad.
