UMBC Edges Men´s Basketball in 81-77 Overtime Decision at SEFCU Arena in America East Conference Play

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Albany, N.Y. – Ray Barbosa had 27 points and Darryl Proctor added 22 points and 10 rebounds as UMBC held on for an 81-77 overtime win against UAlbany in America East Conference play on Wednesday, Feb. 20 before 3,380 fans at SEFCU Arena. The Retrievers, who have won seven in a row, clinched a share of the conference’s regular-season crown.

UAlbany (13-13, AE 8-6) came from 12 down in the final half to force the extra period. UMBC’s Barbosa, who had 20 second-half points, made pair of free throws with 3.3 seconds remaining for 68-65 lead. The Great Danes’ Brent Wilson then rifled a three-quarter court pass to Brian Lillis, who drilled a three-point field goal from the top of the arc with three-tenths of a second to play to draw his team even.

In overtime, UMBC (19-7, AE 11-2) took a quick lead that it never relinquished. Proctor, who made 11-of-18 from the field, canned a 10-footer on the right baseline, before Barbosa converted a driving layup following Cavell Johnson’s blocked shot on the defensive end. The Great Danes closed within one twice in the period. After Jay Greene sank a 3-pointer and Frank McKnight split a pair of foul shots for a 76-71 advantage, UAlbany’s Jon Iati came up with a four-point play. Iati, who tallied seven of his nine points in overtime, was fouled while making a three-pointer from the left wing following an offensive rebound.

The Retrievers, who have a three-game lead in the loss column over second-place Hartford in the league standings, scored on their next two possessions to put the game away. Proctor put back an offensive rebound basket after Barbosa missed a three-point attempt. Justin Fry then made two free throws for an 80-75 lead with 15.8 seconds left.

“We did a great job on that possession in overtime, but we gave up the offensive rebound,” said UAlbany coach Will Brown, whose team fell to UMBC, 69-65, in the first meeting of the season on Jan. 30. “Every time we got close they had an answer, so give them credit. They score so easily, but they also hit some tough shots in the second half.”

UMBC led by as much as 11 in the first half before settling for a 32-24 halftime margin. The Retrievers, who shot 48.4 percent from the floor, used an 8-2 run early in the final stanza to build a 43-31 cushion. Barbosa, who made 6-of-15 from beyond the arc, nailed two 3-pointers in that stretch.

The Great Danes, who had won four of their last five entering the contest, would then run off 13 unanswered to get back into the fray. Wilson, who had 10 points and nine rebounds, and freshman Josh Martin netted back-to-back three-pointers in that span. Lillis, who scored 18 after the break, connected on a drive and spun to hit a short bank shot that put his team ahead 44-43. The game remained tight over the final 10 minutes of regulation.

Johnson, a 6-foot-8 senior, was the third UMBC player in double figures with 10 points and seven rebounds. UAlbany’s Jerel Hastings and Tim Amborse had 10 points apiece.

“The ball just got over the defender’s hands on the inbounds (at the end of regulation),” said Lillis, who added eight rebounds and five assists. “I knew there was 3.3 seconds and I had time to react. We were flat in the first half, and (point guard) Jay Greene did a good job of creating for them. We picked things up on defense and made some shots in the second half and that’s why we were able to get back into it.”



UMBC 81, UAlbany 77, OT (2/20/08 at SEFCU Arena)


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Official Basketball Box Score
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Official Basketball Box Score
UMBC vs Albany
2/20/08 7:07 p.m. at Albany, N.Y. (SEFCU Arena)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VISITORS: UMBC 19-7, AE 11-2
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
21 Spadafora, Matt..... f 3-9 1-4 0-1 2 5 7 5 7 3 1 0 2 36
30 Fry, Justin......... f 2-3 0-0 3-4 0 4 4 3 7 1 0 0 0 29
32 Proctor, Darryl..... f 11-18 0-0 0-1 2 8 10 3 22 4 4 0 2 41
02 Greene, Jay......... g 3-8 1-4 0-0 1 0 1 0 7 4 3 0 1 45
34 Barbosa, Ray........ g 8-17 6-15 5-6 0 3 3 1 27 0 0 0 1 42
20 McKnight, Frank..... 0-0 0-0 1-2 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 3
22 Johnson, Cavell..... 4-9 0-1 2-4 1 6 7 1 10 4 1 2 0 29
TEAM................ 2 2
Totals.............. 31-64 8-24 11-18 8 26 34 14 81 16 9 2 6 225


TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 14-28 50.0% 2nd Half: 13-28 46.4% OT: 4-8 50.0% Game: 48.4% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 3-8 37.5% 2nd Half: 4-13 30.8% OT: 1-3 33.3% Game: 33.3% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 1-4 25.0% 2nd Half: 6-7 85.7% OT: 4-7 57.1% Game: 61.1% 1


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HOME TEAM: Albany 13-13, AE 8-6
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
33 Connelly, Brian..... f 1-7 0-0 2-2 2 3 5 0 4 0 3 0 1 21
34 Wilson, Brent....... f 4-10 2-7 0-0 3 6 9 1 10 4 0 1 1 39
55 Turley, Al.......... c 3-7 0-0 1-1 2 3 5 2 7 0 2 1 0 20
05 Hastings, Jerel..... g 5-9 0-1 0-0 2 4 6 4 10 0 0 0 0 30
21 Lillis, Brian....... g 8-16 1-2 3-5 2 6 8 5 20 5 7 0 1 38
03 Martin, Josh........ 2-5 1-3 0-0 0 2 2 1 5 2 0 0 0 14
14 Iati, Jon........... 2-5 2-5 3-3 2 2 4 0 9 1 0 0 0 28
23 Ambrose, Tim........ 3-10 1-2 3-4 6 3 9 2 10 2 1 1 0 23
42 Covington, Jimmie... 1-1 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 6
54 Gifford, Brett...... 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 6
TEAM................ 1 1
Totals.............. 29-71 7-20 12-15 19 31 50 17 77 14 14 3 3 225


TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 9-28 32.1% 2nd Half: 17-33 51.5% OT: 3-10 30.0% Game: 40.8% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 1-7 14.3% 2nd Half: 4-8 50.0% OT: 2-5 40.0% Game: 35.0% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 5-5 100 % 2nd Half: 6-9 66.7% OT: 1-1 100 % Game: 80.0% 0


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Officials: Michael Stephens, Lee Marelli, Mike McCloskey
Technical fouls: UMBC-None. Albany-None.
Attendance: 3380
Score by Periods 1st 2nd OT Total
UMBC.......................... 32 36 13 - 81
Albany........................ 24 44 9 - 77
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------