University of Albany's Britney McGee's 30 Points Helps Women's Basketball in 92-80 Win

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Albany, N.Y. – Britney McGee scored a career-high 30 points and made seven three-point field goals as UAlbany snapped a 10-game losing streak with a 92-80 victory over UMBC in America East Conference play on Wednesday, Feb. 25 at SEFCU Arena.

UMBC (14-13, AE 6-8) rallied from a 14-point deficit early in the second half. Michelle Kurowski, a freshman guard who had 25 points, hit a driving layup, before Katie Brooks made a jumper in the lane to draw their team even at 64-all. Kurowski, who added three assists and four steals, made two of her three 3-point field goals in that run.

With the game still tied at 66 apiece, UAlbany (4-22, AE 2-11) ran off 11 consecutive points to take control. McGee canned a three-pointer from the right corner on an inbounds play to break the tie. Tabitha Makopondo, a 6-foot-1 freshman, connected on a drive and then scored in the lane off a feed from Tiffanie Johnson. McGee, who made 7-of-8 from beyond the arc, later buried two free throws for a 77-66 advantage with 3:54 remaining.

The Retrievers, who won the first meeting this season by a 13-point spread, never got closer than seven in the stretch. After Melissa Book drilled a three-point field goal, UAlbany’s Janea Aiken answered with a conventional three-point play. Aiken, who had 14 points and five assists, was fouled on a left baseline drive.

“We shot the ball well and we played good defense,” said UAlbany coach Trina Patterson, whose team made a season-best 58.5 percent from the field on 31-of-53 shooting. “When they made their run, we didn’t clam up, we fought back. We were committed to pride, purpose and being physical. We have been in the valley so long; now they know how to climb out.”

The first half featured nine lead changes and five ties. The Retrievers were behind, 24-23, but then went ahead on Kurowski’s two foul shots and a three-pointer by Michele Brokans. UAlbany answered with a 20-4 run over the next four minutes. McGee, who added five assists, seven rebounds and three steals to the second-highest scoring total by a Great Danes this season, helped her team regain the lead with back-to-back long-range jumpers. Still leading 36-32, McGee hit another 3-pointer from right of the key off a kick-out pass. Johnson made a right baseline jumper and McGee sank a 23-footer for a 44-32 cushion.

After taking a 48-38 lead to the locker room, McGee and Makopondo helped expand that margin early in the final stanza. McGee nailed a 14-foot jumper and another three-pointer. Makopondo, who had a career-high 17 points, scored on the right baseline and sank two from the charity stripe for a 57-43 advantage with 17:28 left.

“We played as a team and we were all on the same page,” offered McGee, whose squad scored the most points in a Division I game, breaking a mark established in a 91-73 win over Lafayette on Jan. 2, 2003. “There was a little fear (when they tied the game), because we have been so use to losing. But we toughened up, pulled together and pushed through.”

Brooks was the only other UMBC player in double figures with 15 points, while Erin Brown added nine points and six rebounds. Carlee Cassidy, the conference’s leading scorer with a 21.5 average coming into the contest, was held to four on 1-of-6 shooting. Charity Iromuanya added 10 points and three steals for the Great Danes, who ended the second-longest losing skid in the program’s Division I history and won for the first time since Jan. 13th against Maine.