With one second left in the first overtime against former Northeast Conference foe Central Connecticut State, Chris De La Rosa jumped up for a game-winning shot, but made an inexperienced decision and passed the ball out to an open man on the wing as time expired, sending the game into double-overtime, where UMBC came up short and fell to 1-11 on the season by a score of 89-86.
In their penultimate non-conference game of the season, four Retrievers scored in double figures. De La Rosa led the team and set multiple career highs with 25 points, more than doubling his previous mark of 12 against Coppin State earlier in the season off an 11-15 performance from the field, which also more than doubled his career high in field goals made. He added seven rebounds, a third career high.
Fellow transfer Robbie Jackson recorded his fourth double-double of the season as he scored 24 points off eight field goals and eight made free throws with 15 rebounds, all of which were career highs.
Sophomore Chauncey Gilliam and freshman Shawn Grant each added 12 points in the effort.
Neither team had any trouble offensively in the first half as the score at intermission was 40-36. UMBC shot an even 60% while the Blue Devils were shooting just over 51% from the field. In the second half neither team found as much success, but as the score indicated, their troubles were even as regulation ended with a score of 66-66.
In the first overtime Grant tied the game with under two minutes left with a three pointer. His 12 points marked his first double digit effort since his 12 point effort in Toledo earlier this month, but it also marked the first game he’s score in since scoring three against Rider.
De La Rosa scored the last six points for UMBC in the second overtime, but after trailing by three with under a minute left UMBC was forced to foul Central Connecticut State each time they had the ball in hope to conserve the clock, but missed three straight shots, putting them behind by five with just six seconds left.
UMBC did manage to make two more baskets in that time span but Central Connecticut State was able to add two more points without the clock running when Joe Seymore made two free throw attempts with just four seconds left to give the Blue Devils a five point advantage.
Though Central Connecticut State came into the game struggling with just a 3-6 record, they were unbeaten in their two home contests this season. Detrick Gym in New Britain, Connecticut has also not been a great place for UMBC as they lost their previous six games there.
While UMBC had four players score at least ten points, Central Connecticut State had five players do so as Robby Ptacek led the way with 23 points, Seymore scored 15, Vince Rosario scored 14, David Simmons scored 13, and Shemik Thompson added 12. Of those five, all but Thompson surpassed their season average.
With the loss UMBC has fallen to 1-11 on the season and will begin conference play on January 2 in Burlington, Vermont against the 9-5 Catamounts. Vermont, who was picked to finish seconds in the pre-season America East Conference coaches poll, is home two the two-time Player and Defensive Player of the Year, Marqus Blakely, who should give UMBC trouble inside as he is averaging 18.7 points per game, 9.0 rebounds per game, 3.1 steals per game, and 2.3 blocks per game.
On the outside, Vermont will rely on former Michigan State guard Maurice Joseph, who is in his second season at Vermont. This season he has worked his way into a starting role and is averaging 14.1 p.p.g. and has made 35 three-pointers in 14 games.
