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Retrievers Hold Off Catamounts in Women's Basketball

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Created on Monday, 23 January 2012 01:00

Written by George Commo

UMBC beat UVM 67-58

Courtesy Vermont Sports Information

BURLINGTON – UVM's Shanai Heber posted her second double-double of the season with 14 points and a game-high 15 rebounds, but the UMBC Retrievers were able to hold off Vermont, 67-58, in America East women's basketball action at Patrick Gymnasium on Sunday.
 
UMBC improves to 11-9 overall and 5-2 in America East, while Vermont falls to 8-13 and 2-6 in league play.
 
“Our team battled and showed some guts out there today,” said Vermont head coach Lori Gear McBride. “I think that's one of the things we've been focusing on, just playing as hard as we can because we know we can compete with anybody when we do that.  Our players are working hard to step up and make things happen and I think we are getting there.  We have a week to regroup and figure things out and put our players in a position to be successful.”
 
UMBC took a 6-0 lead to start the game and held a 10-point advantage with 9:37 left in the first half.  Vermont reeled the Retrievers in and took a 27-26 lead with 2:28 remaining.  The Catamounts climbed back into the game behind an 18-7 run that was capped by back-to-back 3-pointers from freshman Tierra Shumpert.    
 
UMBC regained the lead in the closing minutes and went into the locker room with a 31-29 lead.
 
In the second half, UMBC used a 7-0 run in the opening minutes to push out to 38-33 lead with 16:38 showing on the clock.  UVM answered with four straight points from Heber to climb back within one, 38-37 with 15:52 left, but the Catamounts made just one field goal over the next six minutes and UMBC went on a 13-3 run to take an 11-point lead, its largest of the game, with 9:12 remaining.  Vermont sliced the lead to five on a 3-pointer by Sam Simononis at the 5:13 mark, but that would be as close as the Catamounts would get the rest of the way.
 
Michelle Kurowski scored a game-high 20 points to lead four Retrievers in double figures.  Kristin Coles added 19 points off the bench, including a 9-for-14 effort from the foul line.  Erin Brown chipped in a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds and Tope Obajolu added 10 points.
 
Simononis matched Heber's team-high with 14 points and Shumpert chipped in 12 points, all in the first half. Freshman Niki Taylor grabbed 12 rebounds and added eight points.
 
UMBC shot 35.6 percent from the field and went 22-for-37 from the foul line.  The Catamounts shot 29.2 percent from the floor and went to the line 10 times, converting eight free throws.
 
Vermont returns to action on Saturday (Jan. 28) when it travels to Stony Brook.  Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. and the game can be heard on WVMT-620 AM and on the Internet at SportsJuice.com.
 
NOTES: The America East Players of the Game were Michelle Kurowski (UMBC) and Shanai Heber (Vermont) … Heber is averaging 12.8 rebounds per game over the last four games and has reached double-figures on the glass in three of the four contests.