Score: UAlbany 65, UMBC 68
 
Location: Broadview Center| Albany, N.Y.  
 
Records: UAlbany (7-16, 3-5 America East), UMBC (13-8, 6-2 America East) 
 
Short Story: The University at Albany men's basketball team battled hard but fell at home to UMBC on Saturday, January 31.
 
Coach Killings: "I challenged our two seniors before the game, and I thought Chris and Isaac stepped up, but honestly, we had the game won. Our discipline hurt us in the end—reckless turnovers, forcing passes that weren't there, and a lack of poise down the stretch. We executed against their zone once, got a stop, and had opportunities, but then we started doing things completely out of character, fouling one-on-one and trying to make highlight plays instead of being simple and disciplined. That's totally on me—I take full responsibility—but our careless decision-making cost us a game we had no business losing, which makes it a heartbreaking loss."
 
Key Stats: 

• Okechukwu Okeke led the Great Danes with a double-double on 20 points and ten rebounds, while adding two steals and one block.
• Amir Lindsey contributed a team-high seven assists.
• Isaac Abidde was 4-7 from beyond the arc, for a 57.1 shooting percentage.
• UAlbany shot 26-60 (43.3%) from the field, 9-17 (33.3%) from three-point range, and 4-8(50.0%) from the free-throw line.
• UMBC recorded 20-45(44.4%) in field goals, went 6-17(35.3%) beyond the arc, and 22-27(81.5%) from the charity stripe.

 
How it Happened: 

• The Great Danes started strong with back-to-back three-pointers from Amir Lindsey and Isaac Abidde in the first minute.
• UAlbany added three more threes in the first 11 minutes—two from Abidde and one from Jaden Kempson—while UMBC scored nine points.
• Between 10:32 and 5:45, both teams traded baskets, but UAlbany outscored the Retrievers 10-9, taking a 25-18 lead.
• In the final four minutes of the half, UMBC outscored UAlbany 9-3, yet the Great Danes led 28-27 at halftime.
• UAlbany came out of the break with Abidde scoring four quick points, but UMBC responded with an eight-point run to take a 35-32 lead at 17:51.
• From 17:20 to 12:57, UAlbany outscored UMBC 10-8, cutting the deficit to one.
• Over the next five minutes, UAlbany put up 10 points to UMBC's eight, regaining a 52-51 lead.
• Between 7:02 and 5:40, both teams scored four points each.
• In the final five minutes, the game stayed tight, but UMBC outscored UAlbany 12-9 to secure a 68-65 win.

 
UP NEXT: UAlbany's men's basketball is back in action at home on Thursday, February 5, when they travel to Smithfield, Rhode Island to face the Bryant Bulldogs.
 
Social Central:  Stay up to date with UAlbany men's basketball by following the team on X (@UAlbanyMBB), Instagram (@ualbany_mbb), and the team's official Facebook (UAlbany Men's Basketball) for all of the latest news and highlights throughout the year.