Kristin Higy Leads UAlbany to A-East Women's Basketball Win Over UMBC, 62-54

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Baltimore, Md. – Kristin Higy tied a season-high with 20 points while Gia Sanders added 18 points and a game-high eight rebounds to lead the UAlbany women’s basketball team to a 62-54 win over UMBC in America East Conference action on Wednesday evening at the RAC Arena.

UAlbany (10-15, AE 8-4) got out to a 17-0 lead to start the game, as UMBC missed its first seven shots. The Retrievers finally got on the board at the 12:00 mark on a 3-pointer by Kristin Drabyn. UMBC then went on an 11-4 run to cut the lead to seven, 21-14, with 7:08 left to play. Sanders was fouled on a layup and made the ensuing free throw to give the Great Danes back their double-digit lead, but the Retrievers scored the next seven points to cut within three, 24-21, on two free throws by Carlee Cassidy.

Sophomore guard Britney McGee knocked down a 3-pointer with 3:10 on the clock to give UAlbany a seven-point lead, 29-22, with just over three minutes left in the half. The teams would exchange baskets, ending with a Higy layup at 21 seconds to send the Great Danes to the locker room up, 33-26.

UMBC (8-17, AE 4-8) made back-to-back 3-pointers to start the second half, and took a two-point lead, 35-33, on a layup and foul shot by Cassidy three minutes into the stanza. Higy scored six straight points for UAlbany to reclaim the lead for the Great Danes with 13:34 left to play

Sanders hit a 3-pointer and then assisted on Higy’s next basket to give UAlbany a nine-point lead, 52-43 with 6:55 left on the clock. A trey by Cassidy would cut the lead to four, 52-48, with just over four minutes remaining, but the Great Danes would use strong shooting down the stretch from Sanders and Higy to hold on to the lead and claim the win.

“This showed our ability to win the tough games on the road,” said UAlbany head coach Trina Patterson, whose team had won five straight contests before falling to Vermont in the last outing. “Our energy in the beginning of the game helped us get back into it at the end. The senior leadership willed the team to win. The chemistry is very good on the floor for us.”

Higy was named the America East Conference Player of the Game for her efforts, which included shooting 9-of-13 from the floor, grabbing five rebounds and handing out four assists. Sanders, who returned to the starting lineup for the Great Danes, filled the boxscore, going 2-of-3 from 3-point range and recording five helpers, four steals and a block. Senior forward Sherri Mikus added six points, eight boards and two steals.

Cassidy led the UMBC with 17 points, including a 6-of-7 performance from the free throw line. Megan Colabella finished with 16 points, a team-high six rebounds and four assists, while Drabyn added 10 points for the Retrievers, who won the first meeting between the two teams earlier this season.



UAlbany 62, UMBC 54 (2/20/08 at RAC Arena (Baltimore, Md.))
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Official Basketball Box Score
ALBANY vs UMBC
2/20/08 7:00 at RAC Arena (Baltimore, Md.)
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VISITORS: ALBANY 10-15, 8-4 AEC
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
24 Sanders, Gia........ f 7-14 2-3 2-3 2 6 8 1 18 5 6 1 4 37
31 Higy, Kristin....... f 9-13 2-4 0-0 3 2 5 1 20 4 1 0 0 34
02 McGee, Britney...... g 2-8 1-5 1-1 1 3 4 1 6 5 2 0 0 31
05 Thrower, Tanika..... g 0-2 0-1 0-0 0 1 1 3 0 1 1 0 0 14
23 Iromuanya, Charity.. g 2-5 0-3 0-0 0 1 1 2 4 0 3 1 0 23
01 Ford, Amira......... 1-2 0-0 0-0 0 2 2 1 2 1 1 0 1 12
10 Aiken, Janea........ 2-6 1-3 1-2 0 1 1 3 6 1 1 0 0 14
14 Clements, Kim....... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2
15 Mikus, Sherri....... 2-3 0-0 2-4 1 7 8 3 6 0 1 0 2 26
55 Peterson, Kirsten... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 3 3 2 0 0 2 0 0 7
TEAM................ 2 2
Totals.............. 25-53 6-19 6-10 9 26 35 18 62 17 18 2 7 200

TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 14-29 48.3% 2nd Half: 11-24 45.8% Game: 47.2% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 3-13 23.1% 2nd Half: 3-6 50.0% Game: 31.6% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 2-2 100 % 2nd Half: 4-8 50.0% Game: 60.0% 2,1

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HOME TEAM: UMBC 8-17, 4-8 AEC
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
10 Colabella, Meghan... f 6-10 1-2 3-3 1 5 6 4 16 4 2 0 1 34
05 Cassidy, Carlee..... g 5-16 1-9 6-7 2 3 5 0 17 2 3 0 1 36
13 Frazier, Chantay.... g 1-5 0-1 2-2 1 4 5 0 4 1 3 0 3 35
14 Drabyn, Kristin..... g 4-12 2-8 0-1 0 1 1 0 10 2 0 0 1 36
21 Brokans, Michele.... g 1-2 1-1 0-0 1 0 1 0 3 1 2 0 0 26
03 Barker, Chelsea..... 1-3 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 2 0 3 0 0 5
22 Robinson, Amanda.... 0-2 0-0 0-0 0 2 2 2 0 0 1 1 1 11
30 Hatten, Morgan...... 1-1 0-0 0-0 0 2 2 1 2 2 0 0 2 17
TEAM................ 1 3 4
Totals.............. 19-51 5-21 11-13 6 20 26 7 54 12 14 1 9 200

TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 9-23 39.1% 2nd Half: 10-28 35.7% Game: 37.3% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 2-7 28.6% 2nd Half: 3-14 21.4% Game: 23.8% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 6-7 85.7% 2nd Half: 5-6 83.3% Game: 84.6% 1,1

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Officials: Sue Blauch, Diana DePaul, Duane Mack
Technical fouls: ALBANY-None. UMBC-TEAM.
Attendance: 312
Score by Periods 1st 2nd Total
ALBANY........................ 33 29 - 62
UMBC.......................... 26 28 - 54