The 2009-10 men's basketball regular season is off to a slow start as the Retrievers lost to defending MEAC champion Morgan State 72-57 at the RAC Arena on Sunday. In this game it was the tale of two halves. A crowd of 2,440 watched as UMBC controlled the first half while the Bears steam- rolled the Retrievers in the second half as they improved to 2-0 on the year.

"You have to maintain a level of intensity," said UMBC head coach Randy Monroe. "College basketball is about forty minutes of intensity and I think my guys got a lesson in that tonight."

Both wins for Morgan State not only came on the road, but also against America East opponents as the Bears defeated the Great Danes 69-65. In the opening minutes of the game UMBC defense pressure forced Morgan State into tough shots or turnovers as the Retrievers took an early 7-2 lead three minutes into the game. It seemed that the home team fed off the crowd in the first half.

"Our home crowd plays such a vital role for what we do as a team at home," said Monroe.

Morgan State applied a full court press which slowed the offensive production of UMBC. The defense of the Bears often times made UMBC use up the entire shot clock on multiple possessions forcing the Retrievers to take difficult shots.

Youth and inexperience showed in the first half as the Retrievers turned the ball five times. In addition to the turnovers, UMBC missed fast break opportunities. Despite those miscues, UMBC led 34-22 at the half. UMBC shot 41.4 percent from the field, while Morgan State was just 22.2 percent from the perimeter, as they missed on all six of their three-point shots. Sophomore Chauncey Gilliam, who been cleared to play the opener, led the team in scoring the first half with seven points.

The saving grace for the Bears in first half was free throw shooting. Ten of Morgan State's 22 points came from the charity stripe as they shot 76.9 percent from the free throw line. Free throw shooting became a vital part in their win over UMBC.

In the second half, the Retrievers came out strong, padding their lead to eighteen points with 17:15 left to go in the game leading 42-24. Morgan State switched to a 2-3 zone, which seemed to confuse the Retrievers.

"In the second half Morgan State went to a 2-3 zone and our players began to look like a scene of Friday the 13th; they were just scared to death," said Monroe. "We stopped moving on offense and when you don't move on offense then no matter what you run, it just won't work."

In addition to the defense adjustment by the Bears, the Reggie Holmes show started as the Morgan State senior helped turn things for the Bears in a hurry. The Bears went on a 19-0 run that took 3:36 off the clock in which Holmes was responsible for 14 of those 19 points, which gave them a 43-42 lead. The Morgan fans, who had been quiet during most of the game, got behind their team as the momentum shifted to the blue and orange squad. Holmes, who had only four points in the first half, ended the contest with a game-high 23 points. Holmes talked about what he said to his teammates during the 19-0 run.

"I told the guys during the breaks that we weren't going to lose the game," said Holmes. "I don't like to lose and I don't mind taking the big shots in games."

Junior transfer Robbie Jackson ended the run with a lay-up as both teams wrestled for the lead at the mid-way point of the second half.

With 8:11 left in the game, Morgan State began to pull away for good, finishing off the Retrievers with a 8-0 run, increasing the lead to double digits at 61-51. This lead would grow to thirteen as the stunned UMBC fans headed for exits minutes before the final buzzer.

In the second half UMBC amassed eight team fouls six minutes into the second period, which helped fuel the Morgan State comeback. The Bears attacked the paint getting to the free throw 37 times and made 28 on those shot attempts. Morgan State also outscored UMBC 50-23 and they blocked 11 shot attempts by the Retrievers.

Senior Matt Spadafora lead the team in scoring with 12 points as Gilliam finished with 11. Sophomore Chris De La Rosa was solid at the point guard position as he had five assists and controlled the tempo for the home team. Freshman Adrian Satchell did well in his first game as he had 9 points and 10 boards.

UMBC will remain home for a Wednesday night battle with another in-state school as the Retrievers host Loyola. Monroe commented on what his team needed to do for their next game.

"In order to play at this level you need to maintain a level of focus and intensity."