BALTIMORE – More than 400 student-athletes, faculty, staff and family members were in attendance on Monday, May 6 at the RAC Arena as UMBC honored its student-athletes for another successful year both on the playing surface and in the classroom. Junior Pete Caringi III (Perry Hall, Md./Calvert Hall) joined second-year honorees, sophomore Mercedes Jackson (Huntingtown, Md./Huntingtown) and junior Mohamed Hussein (Cairo, Egypt/Victory College), as the Retrievers’ Most Outstanding Athletes for the 2012-13 academic year, an honor that was renamed the Dr. Charles R. Brown Outstanding Athlete Award to recognize the Athletic Director, who will retire in June, for his 24 years of dedication to the department and school.

Men’s Lacrosse four-year letterwinner Scott Jones (Port Coquitlam, Brit. Columbia/Terry Fox) earned Outstanding Senior Male Athlete recognition, while track & field’s Amanda Deller (Aberdeen, Md./Aberdeen) and women’s lacrosse’s Jamie Fahey(Baldwin, Md./Loch Raven) shared the Outstanding Senior Female Athlete Award.

Women’s Basketball’s Raven Harris (Virginia Beach, Va./Princess Anne/American) and men’s soccer’s Liam Paddock(Worcestershire, England/Chase Technology College) received the prestigious Matt Skalsky Scholar-Athlete Award, given to the department’s top academic honorees.

Caringi III authored a breakthrough season for the men’s soccer program, and was the offensive force that propelled the team to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, earning several post-season honors. He was cited as the America East Striker of the Year, the ECAC Offensive Player of the Year and he was selected to National College Soccer Coaches’ Association All-Northeast Region Second Team.

An America East First Team selection and the league’s Fans’ Choice Player of the Year, he scored 14 goals and recorded 32 points to place 13th and 15th respectively in the country. The local Calvert Hall product also tied a school single-game record by scoring four goals in a resounding victory over league foe Hartford.

Jackson pushed past her record-setting freshman campaign and continued to make history both inside and outside, as she garnered her second consecutive Athlete of the Year recognition. Already the school-record holder in the 60-meter and 200-meter dash events indoors from last year, Jackson ran past both marks during the 2012-13 indoor track season, including a personal-best time of 7.34 in the 60-meter event to become just the fourth UMBC track athlete ever to advance to the NCAA Championships. In Fayetteville, Arkansas, she placed 13th and earned a spot on the All-America Second Team.

Outside, the sophomore has continued her bristling pace, winning the 100m and 200m dash events in record-breaking time at the America East Outdoor Championships. Her victory in the 100-meter race broke an eight-year old conference record, while her win the 200-meter snapped her own conference and school-record times. For her efforts, she was named the Most Outstanding Female Track Performer.

A year after breaking onto the scene at UMBC with three individual gold medals at the 2012 America East Championships,Hussein, also a back-to-back honoree of Most Outstanding Athlete recognition, pushed even further this season, leading the Retrievers to just their second-ever undefeated dual meet season. In Orono, Maine, he once again won three individual events and was named the Most Outstanding Male Swimmer for the second-straight year, as he helped guide the Retrievers back to the top of the conference with a meet-record 1,075 total points at the America East Championships in Maine.

Following the America East meet, the junior claimed Top Male Swimmer accolades at the ECAC Championships and became just the third Retriever in program history, and first male swimmer, to make the cut for the NCAA Championships. In Indianapolis, against a national field, he set personal-records in the 200-yard individual medley, 200-yard freestyle, and the 200-yard backstroke, breaking his own school record with each swim.

Jones has been the men’s lacrosse team’s offensive leader for the past three seasons. He has earned three all-conference honors, including first team recognition in 2012, when he finished eighth in the nation in goals scored per game. Earlier this season, he became the 30th player in school history to record 100 points and currently stands 20th with 117 career points. Jones has served as team captain of the Retrievers for the past two season and earned all-tournament honors at the 2013 America East Men’s Lacrosse Championships.

Deller has won the shot put all eight times at the America East Championships, earning a gold medal in the event indoors and outdoors, all four years of her career. In addition, she has won the weight throw at the indoor meet to be named the Most Outstanding Female Field Athlete each of the last two years. Last year, she added the discus championship to her career haul and this season at the conference championships at Binghamton, she repeated in the discus to bring her career haul to 12 America East titles.

Fahey received conference honors all four season with the Retrievers, including three straight selections to the America East All-Conference First Team. Additionally, she has earned national recognition on the IWLCA Mid-Atlantic Region Second Team, as well as garnering a spot on the womenslacrosse.com All-Rookie Squad. The four-year letterwinner eclipsed the century mark for draw controls with 115 and ground balls with 105 for her career this season, in addition to recording her first career point with an assist in a 15-12 victory against American.

Harris emerged as one of the elite point guards in the America East in her senior season, setting a new school record with 109 steals on the season, ranking fifth all-time in takeaways in a campaign for the America East, and ended the year ranked third in the country in steals per game. An America East All-Conference Second Team selection, and a member of the America East All-Defensive team, the senior guard tripled her scoring production from a year ago, averaging 12.4 points per game and adding 3.8 helpers. The America East Honor Roll member earned a bachelor’s degree with a major in media and communications studies in May 2012 and has posted a 4.0 GPA since starting her master’s program in early childhood education.

Paddock became just the second UMBC student-athlete ever to receive a prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, which he is using to pursue a master’s degree in the management of aging studies. He earned his undergraduate degree with a 3.92 GPA, completing a double-major in psychology and sociology and was the 2012 ECAC Division I Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

A team captain at UMBC, Paddock was named 2012 America East Defender of the Year and was a repeat selection to the America East All-Conference First Team. The two-time America East Scholar Athlete in the sport of men’s soccer, he started all 72 games that he dressed for in his four-year tenure in Baltimore.

The Leon Upshur Memorial Award, establish in 1994 to honor a student volunteer that contributes to the mission of the athletic department in capacities other than participation, was given to fourth-year student trainer Mariah Cheaves.

Juniors Andrew Smith (Chadds Ford, Pa./Garnet Valley) of track & field and Klara Pavelkova (Prague, Czech Republic/Gymnasium Pripotocni) of women’s swimming & diving wrapped up the major award winners as the recipients of the Retriever Club Scholarship Award, which will be used for their senior seasons of competition.

Below is the list of UMBC’s most valuable athletes, most improved athletes and unsung heroes for each sport, chose by that’ team’s coaches, as well as the winners of the third annual Gritty Awards:

2012-13 UMBC Award Winners

Men’s Soccer
Most Improved Athlete: Jordan Becker (Pocomoke City, Md./Pocomoke)
Most Valuable Athlete: Pete Carinigi III (Perry Hall, Md./Calvert Hall)
Most Valuable Athlete: Phil Saunders (Perry Hall, Md./Perry Hall)

Women’s Soccer
Unsung Hero: Melissa Hummel (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown East)
Most Improved Athlete: Stephanie Smith (Severna Park, Md./Archbishop Spalding)
Most Valuable Athlete: Lauren Kadet (Oakville, Ontario/St. Thomas Aquinas)

Volleyball
Unsung Hero: Robbin Lee (Olney, Md./Sherwood)
Most Improved Athlete: Mallory McIntyre (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada/St. Mary’s Academy)
Most Improved Athlete: Krystal Mlemchukwu (Baltimore, Md./Western Tech)

Men’s Cross Country
Unsung Hero: Tommy Eldridge (Rocky River, Ohio/Rocky River)
Most Improved Athlete: Jake Albino (Hampton, N.Y./Minisink Valley)
Most Valuable Athlete: Brandan McGee (Hiram, Ohio/Crestwood)

Women’s Cross Country
Unsung Hero: Nicole Dawson (Jessup, Md./Hammond)
Most Improved Athlete: Julie Gessler (Ellicott City, Md./Institute of Notre Dame)
Most Valuable Athlete: Cody Mezebish (Westminster, Md./South Carroll)

Men’s Basketball
Unsung Hero: Malik Garner (Philadelphia, Pa./Chestnut Hill Academy)
Most Improved Athlete: Brian Neller (Red Bank, N.J./Christian Brothers Academy)
Most Valuable Athlete: Ryan Cook (Laurel, Md./St. Vincent Pallotti/Chestnut Hill College)

Women’s Basketball
Unsung Hero: Kristin Coles (Charles Town, W.Va./Notre Dame Academy/American)
Most Improved Athlete: Kim Browning (Mechanicsville, Va./Hanover)
Most Valuable Athlete: Raven Harris (Virginia Beach, Va./Princess Anne/American)

Men’s Swimming & Diving
Unsung Hero: Andrew Eckhoff (Chelmsford, Mass./Chelmsford)
Unsung Hero: Pierre DeWaal (Pretoria, South Africa/Tuks Sport/Cleveland State)
Most Valuable Athlete: Mohammed Hussein (Cairo, Egypt/Victory College)

Women’s Swimming & Diving
Most Improved Athlete: Corinna Darelius (Rye, N.Y./Rye)
Most Improved Athlete: Faye Hixenbaugh (Rockville, Md./Richard Montgomery)
Most Valuable Athlete: Jennifer Kotonias (Burtonsville, Md./Academy of Holy Cross)

Men’s Indoor Track & Field
Most Improved Athlete: Liam Stott (Carrboro, N.C./Chapel Hill)
Most Valuable Athlete: Dennison Long (Greenbelt, Md./Eleanor Roosevelt/FIU)
Most Valuable Athlete: Andrew Smith (Chadds Ford, Pa./Garnet Valley)

Women’s Indoor Track & Field
Most Improved Athlete: Mary Katherine Kulp (Vestal, N.Y./Vestal)
Most Valuable Athlete: Mercedes Jackson (Huntingtown, Md./Huntingtown)
Most Valuable Athlete: Amanda Deller (Aberdeen, Md./Aberdeen)

Men’s Lacrosse
Unsung Hero: Matt Gregoire (Crofton, Md./South River
Unsung Hero: Ethan Murphy (West Seneca, N.Y./West Seneca East)
Unsung Hero: Jake Zimmerman (Towson, Md./Boys’ Latin)

Women’s Lacrosse
Unsung Hero: Kendall Mason (Lloyd Harbor, N.Y./Cold Spring Harbor)
Most Improved Athlete: Lexi Bristow (Annapolis, Md./Broadneck)
Most Valuable Athlete: Jamie Fahey (Baldwin, Md./Loch Raven)

Men’s Tennis
Unsung Hero: Patrick Geoffrion-Amorim (Pointe-Claire, Quebec, Canada/American Heritage)
Most Improved Athlete: Daniel Gray (Bowie, Md./The Bullis School)
Most Valuable Athlete: Justin Carter (Randallstown, Md./National Connections Academy)

Women’s Tennis
Unsung Hero: Isabel Aldunate (Bowie, Md./Home School)
Most Improved Athlete: Heidi Danielsson (Jonkoping, Sweden/Sanda)
Most Valuable Athlete: Josefin Stange-Jonsson (Vasteras, Sweden/De La Gardiegymnasiet)

Men’s Outdoor Track & Field
Most Valuable Athlete: Dennison Long (Greenbelt, Md./Eleanor Roosevelt/FIU)
Most Valuable Athlete: Vincent Rentzsch (Oranienburg, Germany)
Most Valuable Athlete: Thor Serafenas (Olney, Md./Good Counsel/Clemson)

Women’s Outdoor Track & Field
Most Valuable Athlete: Kirsten Jones (Brentwood, Tenn./M.L.K. Magnet)
Most Valuable Athlete: Amanda Deller (Aberdeen, Md./Aberdeen)
Most Valuable Athlete: Mercedes Jackson (Huntingtown, Md./Huntingtown)

Baseball
Unsung Hero: Robert Hopp (Catonsville, Md./Catonsville)
Unsung Hero: Luke Seppi (Annapolis, Md./Eleanor Roosevelt)
Most Improved Athlete: Jon Cohn (Scottsdale, Ariz./Notre Dame Prep)

Softball
Unsung Hero: Danielle O’Neill (Loathian, Md./Southern)
Most Valuable Athlete: Heather Brown (Pasadena, Md./Northeast)
Most Valuable Athlete: Taylor Hall (Cosby, Va./Cosby)

2012-13 Gritty Award Winners

Upset of the Year: Men’s Soccer victory over Old Dominion

Rookie of the Year: Pat Young (Ewing, N.J./Christchurch School) – men’s lacrosse

Record-Breaking Performance: Mohammed Hussein (Cairo, Egypt/Victory College) – men’s swimming & diving

Comeback Athlete of the Year: Amy Fay (Haverhill, Mass./Haverhill) – women’s swimming & diving

Play of the Year: Brian Neller (Red Bank, N.J./Christian Brothers Academy) – men’s basketball

Breakthrough Athlete of the Year: Shannon Harkey (Purcellville, Va./Loudoun Valley/Florida) – women’s

UMBC concludes its tenth season of America East Conference play on Sunday, March 3 when they host Binghamton at the RAC Arena. UMBC would wrap up the No. 6 seed in next weekend’s America East Conference Tournament with a victory over the Bearcats. UMBC Basketball will also celebrate its “Senior Day”, as the Retrievers honor Ryan Cook, Brian Neller and Adrian Satchell before the contest which tips off at 2:10 p.m. Gary Stein and Paul Mittermeier have all the play-by-play action and streaming is available at www.umbcretrievers.tv.

RETRIEVER UPDATE: UMBC (4-11, 6-22) has dropped six straight, including Thursday’s 68-56 setback at Hartford. For the second time in the last three road games, UMBC had a halftime lead, but could not protect it in the second half. The Retrievers held UH to 20 first half points, but the Hawks hit over 60 percent from the field and scored 48 in the final 20 minutes. Cook (14.6 ppg) went over the 400-point barrier for the season with a team-high 16 points for UMBC.

BEARCAT UPDATE: Binghamton (1-14, 3-25) has dropped nine straight, but gave Vermont a scare on Thursday, leading early in the second half before the Catamounts pulled away for a 78-61 victory. FR G Jordan Reed is one of the nation’s top newcomers- he leads America East in scoring (16.9 ppg) and rebounding (9.5 rpg). SR G Jimmy Gray has buried 62 treys on the campaign for the Bearcats.

WHO’S UP NEXT: A UMBC win would pit the Retrievers vs. either host Albany or Hartford in the America East Tournament on Sat., March 9. A loss and a UNH win over Maine would mean the Retrievers would face No. 2 Vermont.

The UMBC men’s basketball team will welcome Boston University to the RAC Arena for the final time with the Terriers as members of the America East Conference on Sat., Feb. 23. Tip-off time between the Retrievers and Terriers is 7:00 p.m.

RETRIEVER UPDATE: UMBC (4-9, 6-20) suffered through its poorest contest of the 2012-13 season on Tuesday, when they fell, 83-39 at America East leader Stony Brook. SR G Ryan Cook (team-leading 14.7 ppg) was the lone Retriever in double figures with 15 points. UMBC led, 23-14 at the nine-minute mark of the first half, but managed only five field goals in the final 30 minutes of action.

TERRIER UPDATE:  Boston University is surging and bring a five-game winning streak into this evening’s game. The Terriers just knocked off Albany, 79-69, at home on Wednesday, hitting nearly 52 percent from the floor and committing only four turnovers vs. the Great Danes. JR G D.J. Irving leads the team with 14.4 points per game and JR F Dom Morris is contributing 11.8 ppg and a team-best 6.5 rebounds per contest.

WHO’S UP NEXT:  UMBC completes the regular season next week, facing Hartford in West Hartford, Conn. on Feb.  28 and play the finale vs. Binghamton at home on Sun., March 3 at 2:00 p.m.

UMBC plays two of the top three teams in America East this week, as they welcome Albany and then Vermont to the RAC Arena. The Retrievers meet the Great Danes on Wed., Feb. 6 with a tip time of 7:05 p.m. Gary Stein and Paul Mittermeier handle broadcast duties, all UMBC home basketball games are streamed on www.umbcretrievers.tv.

UMBC will be clad in its traditional black road uniforms for the 7th annual “RAC in Black” promotion.

RETRIEVER UPDATE: UMBC (4-5, 6-16) is riding its first two-game winning streak since 2010-11 with back-to-back nail-biting victories over Binghamton and Maine last week. SR G Brian Neller was named America East Player of the Week after scoring a season-high 18 points vs. the Bearcats and hitting the game-winning trey with 0.5 seconds remaining vs. the Black Bears. JR F Chase Plummer leads UMBC with 13.2 ppg in league play, while SR G Ryan Cook is the overall leader at 15.2 points per outing.

GREAT DANE UPDATE:  Albany (6-4, 17-7) just completed a four-game homestand and snapped a three-game slide with a 79-46 thrashing of Binghamton on Feb. 2. SR wing Jayson Guerrier led a resurgent UA attack with 18 points. Albany had averaged just 46.0 points per game in setbacks to Vermont and Stony Brook. SR G Mike Black leads Albany with 15.2 points per game. Albany is 8-2 on the road in 2012-13.

WHO’S UP NEXT:  The Retrievers complete the three-game homestand by entertaining Vermont in the nightcap of a doubleheader on Sat., Feb. 9. Tip-off time is set for 3:30 p.m.

It’s “WNST Day” this Saturday, February 9th, where we will gather to support UMBC basketball and continue to celebrate a great Ravens Super Bowl triumph.

At 1pm on Saturday, Phil Stern’s Lady Retrievers take on Vermont and then, at 3:30, it’s the Men’s team battling Vermont in a key America East contest.

Best of all?

Just print this blog and take it to the RAC box office and you’ll get in for just $3.00 (for BOTH games!).  Yes, that’s all you need to do.  Print the blog and get a $7.00 ticket discount just for being a friend of WNST and UMBC Athletics.

We – the folks from WNST – will be there in full force to cheer UMBC on to victory and support the Retrievers.  UMBC has been a longtime supporter of WNST and vice versa — so what better way to say “Thank You” than to head out to the RAC this Saturday and see some exciting college basketball!

Print this out — and take it to the RAC box office this Saturday for either the women’s game or the men’s game — or both! — and enjoy UMBC basketball at a discount price.

Cambridge, Mass.- UMBC senior guard Brian Neller (Red Bank, N.J./Christian Brothers Acad.) has been named America East Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for games ending Feb. 3, 2013.

Neller netted a heavily-contested 25-footer with 0.5 seconds to play to propel the Retrievers to a thrilling 68-67 victory over Maine at the RAC Arena on Sat., Feb. 2.

He shook off a difficult first half and hit 3-of-6 from behind the arc in the second half to finish with 12 points. On Wednesday, Neller scored a season-high 18 points, hitting 6-of-13 from behind the arc in the Retrievers’ 61-58 victory at Binghamton on Wed., Jan. 30.

Neller, who moved into fifth place on UMBC’s all-time 3-point field goal list (now 228) with six at Binghamton on Wednesday, has 25 treys in his last six outings. He needs four more treys to move past Skip Saunders (1990-94) and into fourth place.

He leads America East in treys per game (now 3.6) in league play and is fifth in 3-point percentage at 39.5.

UMBC opens a rare three-game America East Conference homestand when they welcome the Maine Black Bears to the RAC Arena on Sat., Feb. 2. The Retrievers are 3-3 in their last six contests, while Maine has dropped five of six since defeating UMBC, 81-66 on Jan. 5 in Orono. Steve Levy will be doing the broadcast, all UMBC home basketball games are streamed on www.umbcretrievers.tv.

RETRIEVER UPDATE: UMBC (3-5, 5-16) completed the first swing around the league at 3-5 after defeating Binghamton, 61-58 in Vestal, N.Y. on Wednesday. JR F Chase Plummer scored 13 of his 17 points in the second half and SR G Brian Neller made six three-pointers to lead the Retrievers to their first road victory of the season. Plummer, who added 10 rebonds vs. the Bearcats, has double-doubles in back-to-back games, while Neller leads the AEC with  3.5 treys per outing.

BLACK BEAR UPDATE:  Maine (3-5, 8-13) came up with a big 71-68 win over Vermont on Jan. 22, but have dropped games to Stony Brook (79-69) and UNH (57-54) since that victory. JR F Alasdair Fraser (13.9 ppg, 8.7 rpg) scored 20 points and added eight caroms to lead a Maine rally vs. UNH which fell just short. High-flying SO G Justin Edwards leads America East in scoring at 17.0 points per game.

WHO’S UP NEXT:  The Retrievers welcome Albany to the RAC Arena on Wednesday, Jan. 6. Tip-off time is set for 7:05 p.m.

After a week lay-off, UMBC looks to continue to protect its home court in league play on Wed., Jan. 23 when they host league power Stony Brook.  The Retrievers have won both league home dates vs. UNH and Hartford. Tip-off time at the RAC Arena is set for 7:05 p.m. with Paul Mittermeier on the call. All UMBC home basketball games are streamed on www.umbcretrievers.tv.

RETRIEVER UPDATE: UMBC (2-3, 4-14) jumped out to a 20-0 lead and went on to outshoot Hartford, 70-57, in their last action on Jan. 16. The Retrievers hit 9-of-17 shots from behind thec, while the Hawks misfired on their first 18 attempts of the evening. SR G Brian Neller tied a season-high with 15 points and is 14-of-31 from behind the arc in his last four outings. SR G Ryan Cook is in the top ten in America East in scoring (15.8), rebounding (6.4), field goal and free throw percentage and minutes played.

SEAWOLF UPDATE:  Stony Brook (4-1, 13-5) allowed Vermont to shoot 50 percent from the floor and surrendered its most points of the season in suffering its first league loss (81-73) Friday. FR F Jameel Warney, a seven-time America East Rookie-of-the Week honoree, recorded his third career double-double (15 points, 10 rebounds).  Winners of five its last six, Stony Brook has its best 18-game record at the Division I level. SR F Tommy Brenton is just 18 rebounds shy of becoming the league’s 8th player to 1,000 rebounds.

WHO’S UP NEXT:  The Retrievers travel to Boston U. on Friday to meet the Terriers on Saturday afternoon at 1:00 p.m.

Honorable Mention: Golf-PGA Tour Farmers Insurance Open (Thursday & Friday 3pm live on Golf Channel Saturday & Sunday 1pm live on Golf Channel 3pm live on CBS); Women’s College Basketball: North Carolina @ Maryland (Thursday 8:30pm from Comcast Center live on Comcast SportsNet PLUS), Maryland @ Clemson (Sunday 5pm from Clemson, SC live on YouTube); Soccer: MISL Rochester Lancers @ Baltimore Blast (Friday 7:35pm from 1st Mariner Arena live on MISLtv.com), Missouri Comets @ Baltimore Blast (Saturday 7:3pm from 1st Mariner Arena live on MISLtv.com); Boxing: Lucas Matthysse vs. Michael Dallas Jr. (Saturday 10pm from Las Vegas live on Showtime), Friday Night Fights: Sergiy Dzinziruk vs. Brian Vera (Friday 9pm from Verona, NY live on ESPN2)

10. Miranda Lambert/Dierks Bentley (Thursday 7:30pm 1st Mariner Arena); The xx (Monday 8pm Rams Head Live); Little River Band (Tuesday 8pm Rams Head on Stage), The English Beat (Wednesday 8pm Rams Head on Stage); Ra Ra Riot (Wednesday 7pm 9:30 Club), Cowboy Mouth/All Mighty Senators (Saturday 8pm 9:30 Club), The Used (Monday 7pm 9:30 Club); Sister Hazel (Saturday 8pm Howard Theatre); Ladysmith Black Mambazo (Friday 8pm Strathmore); Bryan Adams (Saturday 8pm National Theatre); Tony Bennett (Saturday 8pm Warner Theatre); Ben Harper & Charlie Musselwhite “Get Up!” available in stores/on iTunes (Tuesday)

The xx? In the words of Joe Flacco, “I don’t know.”

Forrester and I have gone to see Ra Ra Riot a few times. What of it?

Sister Hazel should legally be forced to play a show here once a week.

This Ben Harper/Charlie Musselwhite thing is a “yes.”

9. Baltimore County Winter Restaurant Week (Tuesday-Sunday); “Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters“, “Movie 43” and “Parker” out in theaters (Friday); John Witherspoon (Friday-Sunday Baltimore Comedy Factory), Todd Glass (Thursday-Sunday DC Improv); Maryland State Police Polar Bear Plunge (Saturday Sandy Point State Park)

The Polar Bear Plunge is a FINE reminder that…it’s been awhile since we’ve seen bikinis around here…

Now we should check in on Jennifer Lopez in Parker…

Okay. Nothing to see here obviously.

(Continued on Page 2…)

UMBC looks to continue to protect its home court in league play on Wed., Jan. 16 when they host the Hartford Hawks. The Retrievers have played three of its first four America East games on the road and won its lone home game over UNH one week ago. Tip-off time at the RAC Arena is set for 7:05 p.m. with Gary Stein and Paul Mittermeier on the call. All UMBC home basketball games are streamed on www.umbcretrievers.tv.

RETRIEVER UPDATE: UMBC (1-3, 3-14) could not sustain a mid-game rally and the Retrievers fell to America East defending champion, Vermont, 68-53, at Patrick Gym. JR F Chase Plummer led the visitors with 17 points.  SR G Ryan Cook (team-high 15.8 ppg) was held to four points and had his double-figures streak snapped at a career-high 11 straight. SR G Brian Neller is 9-of-21 from behind the arc in his last three outings.

HAWK UPDATE:  Hartford opened league play at 3-0 before falling, 73-59 at Stony Brook on Saturday. The Hawks fell behind, 37-18, at the half. FR G Evan Cooper led Hartford with 18 points vs. the Seawolves. SO F Mark Nwakamma leads the Hawks in scoring (13.5 ppg) and rebounding (5.2 rpg). Hartford has hit 141 3-point field goals on the season and only allowed 82.

WHO’S UP NEXT:  The Retrievers have a weekend bye before hosting first-place Stony Brook on Wed., Jan. 23 at 7:00 p.m.