Junior guard Chelsea Barker started her first game of the season and played a team high 29 minutes, and led UMBC with 10 points. [Corey Johns-TRW]

After winning two road games the women’s basketball team looked like they were going to be a serious contender in the America East, and looked to be ready to soar up the standings with three straight home-games. But the team lost all three, capped off by a 79-51 defeat by No. 24 Vermont.

While the team was not expected to beat the Catamounts, they did have match-ups working in their favor. Vermont has one of the best guard duos in the nation in Courtnay Pilypaitis and May Kotsopoulos but lack a consistent threat inside. UMBC however has Topé Obajolu, who has more than doubled her non-conference points and rebounding averages in conference play. While she managed to score nine points, grab three steals, and swat away four Catamount shots, the team still failed to even keep the game close.

“Vermont is a good team and played very well and we didn’t play with a lot of passion and energy and it showed on the scoreboard,” said coach Phil Stern.

UMBC just struggled to do the simple things in the games. They were not boxing out, they were not fighting for loose balls or rebounds, and they were just settling for shots rather than making their own.

“We were trying to run but weren’t running. Defensively we were flat footed,” Stern said. “[Vermont is] an aggressive team and if you don’t match their energy you’re going to lose.”

After dropping the first two games of the three game home stand Stern decided to make a roster move in order to shake things up on the team. He inserted junior guard Chelsea Barker into the starting lineup in place of Michelle Kurowski, though she did see 26 minutes of action and scored seven points.

Barker did not see much time last season but has seen an increase of minutes this year and has had some very big nights for UMBC. Against the Catamounts she led the team with 10 points.

“Right now every position is up in the air. You play like you did in the last three games, practice will determine who’s going to play,” Stern said. “Chelsea earned a start. It wasn’t what anybody else did, she’s been practicing well and had a good night [against Binghamton].”

At 8-11 and 2-4 in America East play, the Retrievers have nine more games to make a turnaround. They will have to make a quick turnaround from this game with a road game at Boston University on January 24.

“We have to get back to playing with the energy and the passion we played with against Virginia, East Carolina, and Towson,” Stern said. “I don’t know where we lost it in the last week but we did and it’s disappointing after two road wins. We’ll figure it out. We’ve got some kids who really want to get it done.”