Men's Basketball Turned Back By Defending Champion UMBC in America East Semifinals

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Albany, N.Y. – Jay Greene had 29 points in leading UMBC to a 64-58 victory over UAlbany in the America East Conference Tournament’s semifinal round on Sunday, March 8 at SEFCU Arena. The Retrievers advanced to the championship final for the second straight year.

UMBC (15-16) led 48-46 with 7:52 remaining, but then pulled away with six consecutive points. Greene, a senior guard who made 7-of-12 from the field and 10-of-12 from the line, hit a runner in the lane, before Darryl Proctor converted a fastbreak layup. Proctor, who added 15 points and eight rebounds, drilled a fadeaway from the foul line for a 54-46 advantage.

The Great Danes, who upset second-seeded Vermont in the quarterfinals, later pulled within a basket when Tim Ambrose sank a three-point field goal and Brian Connelly split a pair of free throws. But Greene, the championship’s most outstanding player last year when he led his team to the title, built the lead back to 61-54 with two foul shots and his fifth 3-pointer of the game.

UAlbany (15-16) still had several opportunities to close the gap in the final minute. Ambrose, who totaled 21 points and eight rebounds, made back-to-back baskets, including a baseline jumper that sliced the deficit to 61-58. The Retrievers twice turned the ball over against pressure, but the home team failed to capitalize on both occasions. Louis Barraza misfired on a game-tying three-pointer from the right wing and Greene made three from the charity stripe to end the suspense.

“Their experience was a factor,” said UAlbany coach Will Brown, whose team was bidding to become the first seventh seed to reach the tournament’s championship. “Jay Greene dominated the game down the stretch. That’s what great players do. We struggled to score and every defensive possession becomes important.”

The Great Danes jumped out an 11-point lead in the early going when Jimmie Covington connected on a one-hander in the lane. UAlbany was still ahead 22-18, but the defending conference champions ripped off 12 unanswered. Greene sank two foul shots to put his team ahead. Justin Fry scored off an inbounds pass and Proctor converted in transition for a 30-22 cushion.

UAlbany trailed by as much as seven in the final period, before clawing their way back. Still trailing 44-40, Brian Connelly made a 14-footer on the right baseline and Ambrose delivered a 3-pointer from left of the key to put their team in front. The Retrievers quickly regained the lead at 46-45 when Fry scored in the lane on a shot that rolled on the rim and in and made a jumper in the circle.

“We knew it would be a game of runs,” said Connelly, one of three seniors making his final appearance. “How we handled it and responded would be important. As poor as the last ten minutes of the first half were, we still fought in the second half. We just had breakdowns here and there.”

Will Harris had 14 points for the Great Danes, who reached the America East semifinals for the third time in the last four years. Connelly finished with nine points and five rebounds. UMBC is just the second sixth seed to reach the tournament’s final, as Vermont was the first to accomplish that feat in 2006.