Sophomore point guard Chris De La Rosa led the team with 18 points and shot a team high 50% from the field. He also shot 85% from the free throw line and dished out a team high four assists. [Corey Johns- TRW]

After having their game against Vermont moved up a day to avoid the snow storm, the men’s basketball team looked like they could have used the extra practice as they could not keep up in the 79-60 loss.

Neither team could get much of anything going on offense in the game. The flow was interrupted 52 times with fouls, resulting in a staggering 71 free throw attempts.

But Vermont found a way to get out of the gates quickly and find a double-digit lead in just eight minutes, and they never looked back. At that point Vermont was shooting 63% while UMBC was shooting just 25% from the field.

Both teams played sloppy. The Catamounts turned the ball over 21 times and committed 25 fouls, while UMBC turned the ball over 11 times and committed 27 fouls. However, despite turning the ball over so much Vermont managed to make 48.9% of their shots while UMBC struggled the entire game, shooting just 35.6%.

The game very much played out like the last time these two teams met up. In the first reigning two-time player and defensive players of the year was held to zero points and just three rebounds because of a double-team he was met with the entire game, but that left Garvey Young, a career 28.5% three-point shooter, open as he scored a career high 20 points and made three baskets from behind the arc. Sixteen of his points came in the first half.

After being down by 10 points at halftime, Randy Monroe was not pleased with the way his starting five came out in the second half and in less than two minutes subbed all five out in favor of Robbie Jackson, Brian Neller, Nick Groce, Shawn Grant, and Bakari Smith.

That group did not let Vermont pull away, and were cutting the deficit, but fouls forced Grant back to the bench, bringing Chauncey Gilliam back in and with the 14 point deficit combining with a foul call that he felt did not go his way, he was issued with a technical foul, and his fourth personal of the game.

Once that happened the starters were being filtered back in, and Vermont built their lead up to 21 points with 2:23 left in the game before Monroe was issued his fourth technical foul of the season because of frustration in the way his team was playing.

While Vermont was being carried by Young and Evan Fjeld, eight points, in the first half, their two stars came alive in the second half as Blakely scored 13 points, nine of which came from the foul line, and Maurice Joseph scored eight points, giving him 13 in the game. Brendan Bald also scored seven points in the second half, giving him nine for the game.

Sophomore guard Chauncey Gilliam has constantly been met with double-teams by opposing defenses, which has caused him to struggle from the field, shooting just 37% in his last five games, despite scoring in double figures in all of them. [Corey Johns-TRW]

UMBC however only had two players score in double figures as Chris De La Rosa led the team with 18 points and four assists and Chauncey Gilliam scored 15 points.

Despite having scored in double figures in seven straight games, Gilliam has not had much success shooting the ball over the last four. He is just 15-of-43 (34.8%) from the field but has capitalized on his free throw opportunities going 20-of-24 (83.3%) from the line.

Monroe was unavailable for questioning following the game.

Twelve days after Corey Lowe, John Holland, and Jake O’Brien each had 20 points to lead Boston U past the Retrievers in Chase Gym, the two teams met up again, this time in the RAC. But the result was no different than before as the Terriers shot 54.9% from the field and made 11 three-pointers to hand the men’s basketball team their 19th loss of the season, 79-61.

“They’re just really good, point blank,” said coach Randy Monroe. “They’re picked to win the league and they’re certainly good enough to do that.”

Holland matched his 25 points effort last game with the help of five three-pointers. He also had 12 rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a block. O’Brien added 18 points and six rebounds with three blocks while Lowe packed the stat sheet with 10 points, eight assists, five rebounds, two three-pointers, and a steal. While those three were expected to have big games against UMBC again, Carlos Strong stepped up to add 13 points in their effort, hitting three three’s.

“I thought our kids gave a tremendous effort but it didn’t matter what defense we were playing, those guys are flat out good shooters,” Monroe said.

After going into the half down by 14 points UMBC looked to be done and just a walkover for the rest of the game. But the Retrievers went on a 19-7 run in the first five minutes of the second half to cut the Terrier lead to just five points.

“I was a gut check,” said sophomore point guard Chris De La Rosa who led the team with 18 points and six assists. “We could have just easily given up and called it quits and gone through the motions, but we didn’t and fought.”

After Robbie Jackson made two free throws to cut the Terrier lead to just five, on the ensuing possession John Holland went to the basket and was fouled by the seven-footer, sending him to the line to shoot two. He made both shots, ended UMBC’s run, and took away all the momentum and life UMBC had in them as his two shots started a 17-1 Boston U run over the next five minutes of the game.

“Basketball is a game of runs,” De La Rosa explained. “They made there and we didn’t respond. All we can do is come in tomorrow and practice and watch film.”

While De La Rosa led the team in points, only one other Retriever could get their total into double figures as Chauncey Gilliam had 10 points with five rebounds, four steals and three assists. That guard duo combined for five of the teams their three pointers.

Freshman swingman Adrian Satchell did not score in double figures but had a very solid game with seven points off a 3-9 shooting effort, and 10 rebounds. This season Satchell has started every game and is averaging 6.1 points and 4.5 rebounds. In conference play he has increased both of those totals to 8.2 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.

“Adrian is really developing and really growing,” Monroe said. “Those shots he missed today are shots he usually makes; it just wasn’t his day today. But he gave a tremendous effort and he’s getting better and better. His best days are certainly ahead of him.”

UMBC may not have been expected to contend for a championship this season, but nobody expected a 1-19 record 20 games into the season. But the team is still fighting and giving it everything they have to get wins even though they are not coming.

“These kids could have quit 10 games ago but they didn’t,” Monroe said. “They hang in and fight and keep scrapping. I’m proud of them. Obviously you’d like to have a better record but that will take care of itself in time.

“They’re a competitive group of young men and it does bother them to be in this situation and I wish I had a magic want to sooth some of the ills but this is our team…you take seven new faces, five freshman and I even consider Robbie [Jackson] and Chris [De La Rosa] freshman because they’re new and still figuring out how to play. Chris sat out for a year and Robbie sat out for a year and a half and just started playing basketball when he was in 10th grade. They’re learning and getting better but sometimes you have to go through some Rocky Roads to get where you want to go.”

Despite and 0-7 conference record the Retrievers still have an outside shot at a winning America East record with nine games left but in order to do that, “we have to scrap on everything,” De La Rosa said. “We have to play D, dive for loose balls, everything. We can’t take possessions off and can’t let [opponents] get comfortable. We have to jump on them from the beginning.

“I see improvement but we have to do it at a consistent basis and keep reminding [ourselves] all it takes is one good weekend at the end of the season.”

UMBC returns to action when classes resume on Wednesday, January 27 at 7:00 when they will take on Binghamton, who despite losing their top four scorers from last season, and having six players kicked off the team and replaced by walk-ons, have been a surprise with an 8-13 record, with a recent 73-67 upset of conference leading Vermont.

If you did not know the men’s basketball team’s record before their game against New Hampshire you’d definitely be surprised that the close loss was their 18th of the 19 games plays so far. It was an inspired, hard fought battle that the guys stepped up and did what ever they could do to get a win.

Chauncey Gilliam, Robbie Jackson, and Matt Spadafora showed they are tired of losing and did what ever they could to get a win. Gilliam led the team with 16 points and had five rebounds, Spadafora out-hustled every player on the court to score seven points and get 10 rebounds, seven of which came in the first half, and Jackson was fired up and finally played like the seven-footer that he is to score 13 points.

“He has a swagger about him that he just felt good and I think that’s very important for his development as a player and to me he got better from Monday to today [Thusday] and that’s going to be important as we go along,” said coach Randy Monroe.

Even though they do have one win, this loss was their best performance of the season. They hustled, battled down low, fought for rebounds, and stepped up and played defense. UMBC went into the game with over a minus nine rebound differential and were allowing over 73 points per game. Against New Hampshire they were out-rebounded but only 39-36, and only gave up 62 points.

“I think everyone was tied of getting pounded on the glass these past couple of games so I know even for me I just try and go in extra hard and just set an example and not let a team come in here and own us on the glass,” Spadafora said.

Chris De La Rosa also bounced back from a very sub-par road trip with 10 points and zero turnovers in 27 minutes of running the point.

But being inspired is not everything, UMBC missed three free throws in the final two minutes and in the game they had four pass passes turn into eight New Hampshire points.

“It’s a mental thing. That’s what this game is, it’s 90-percent mental,” Monroe said. “You’ve got to be able to fight through situation…I always tell guys that when you miss that first free throw don’t get emotional about it, examine why you missed it.”

UMBC scored 17 points from the foul line and in the first half shot 90%, but in the second half they struggled and only made 57.1% from the line.

“It’s a big part of the game,” Monroe said. “We spend at least 10 minutes each day shooting them. We ended up shooting well, 71%, in the game but down the stretch it is critical, especially when you’re in a tight game.”

While the pieces seem to be in place for UMBC, they just have not brought everything together and the little things such as, “how you cut off a screen, passing angles to get the ball inside, flair screens to get an open shooter,” as described by Monroe are holding them back from a win.

“We’re not like one of those teams like a couple years ago when we had five guys who could break down players and score,” Monroe said. “We don’t have that many guys this year…it’s about our team getting things done by committee.”

At 1-18 and 0-6 in the conference, the team has not stopped fighting, but do have 10 more games to make a turnaround. With six of those games being in the RAC they still have plenty of time to make a move up the standings in the America East Conference but in order to do that UMBC has to keep improving three areas of their game.

“I think defense and rebounding is something we need to focus on, along with offensive execution, especially down the stretch,” Spadafora said. “If we keep working on those three thing we’ll be all set for the end of the conference [schedule].”

Chauncey Gilliam scored a career-high 24 points off eight field goals, four of which were from three-point range, and four free throws but the rebounding and defensive woes continue to put UMBC on the losing end as they fell to Stony Brook, 81-69.

Just forty-two seconds into the game Gilliam was sent to the bench for the next eight minutes after picking up two quick fouls. Less than three minutes after that coach Randy Monroe attempted to fire up his team and received an intentional foul. But the Retrievers could not get anything going as they fell behind 20-4 in just seven minutes.

After not being able get anything going Gilliam was brought back into the game and he and Grant made six three-pointers and combined for 24 points to get UMBC back into the game. Grant scored all 11 of his points in the first half while the team shot 50% from the field.

Stony Brook let UMBC hang around and eventually cut the Seawolf lead to just five points early in the second half. While UMBC was closing in towards the end, when it came time to foul Stony Brook on each possession, UMBC came up with empty possessions.

But once again it was poor defense and a lack of rebounding that got the best of UMBC. The Retrievers came up empty on a lot of possessions as they only managed five offensive rebounds, just two days after grabbing just one against Albany, and were out-rebounded 50-28 in the game. Stony Brook shot less than 40% in the game but scored 81 points, the fourth most UMBC has allowed in 40 minutes this season, off 66 shot attempts.

While Monroe admits he hates the term, he has admitted that a lot of the problems this season are because of youth and inexperience. Of the 10 available players this season, four of them are freshman, and three are sophomores. They have combined for 74% of the playing time this season and 73% of the team’s points.

At 1-17, the team will look to get their first conference win of the season with three straight home games against New Hampshire, Boston University, and Binghamton in a span of seven days.

When a college basketball team scores 71 points in a game it should be enough for them to win the game, but with UMBC that was not the case as their defense continues to struggle.

Though Pennsylvania was better than their 0-10 record going into the game indicated, UMBC should have come away from the game with a win. The Quakers fired their coach and interim coach Jessie Allen was only in charge of his fourth game, they were allowing over 83 points per game, and were not playing well offensively.

While UMBC shot 50% from the field and 53.8% from three point range, their defense just could not stop the Quakers’ offense that also shot 50% from the field, but made 13 three-pointers to UMBC’s six.

“The guys have to understand the importance of the defense and we’re not playing well there right now which is disappointing,” coach Randy Monroe said.

Poor defensive play has been the issue all year for UMBC. They are allowing 73.1 points per game, and teams are shooting 44% against them this season while they are averaging just 60.1 points per game.

“We work on it everyday. It takes commitment. It takes getting into stance and be willing to do it. But evidently these young guys are trying to grasp concepts and understand what it is that we want them to do,” Monroe said.

In the first half only four players found a way to score but Chauncey Gilliam looked to be off to a career day as he scored 16 points before the break. Bur after the break Gilliam was held to just two points which came in the final two minutes of the game.

“We knew he was one of the keys to the game because he’s such an aggressive scorer,” Allen said. “At halftime we talking about making the adjustment of just paying attention to him and I thought all our guys on the perimeter locked on and paid more attention to him.”

Pennsylvania coach Jessie Allen made a defensive switch at half time to double team Gilliam every time his touched the ball. If proved to be effective as he only scored two points in the second half after scoring 16 in the first. [Corey Johns-TRW]

While the rest of the offense continued to struggle in the second half, point guard Chris De La Rosa put the team on his back and did every thing he could to try and win the game. He scored a career high 28 points, made two three’s, had five assists, three rebounds, a steal, and no turnovers.

“Chris did a very good job and his numbers showed it and he’s getting better and better,” Monroe said.

But despite his efforts, the defense allowed Pennsylvania to shoot 60% in the second half and 47 points while they missed just one shot in the final 10 minutes of the game.

“We have to put it all together,” Monroe said. “We have 15 more games to go and they are all league games now and we have to get ready for them.”

The two will apply for medical hardship waivers from the NCAA to regain a year of eligibility to play for UMBC.

Fry underwent surgery to repair the medial patellofemoral ligament in his right knee to prevent the recurrence of dislocation.

Last season Fry earned All-Academic Team honors from the America East, the first Retriever to do so, and expected to graduate in the spring with a degree in economics and apply for graduate school for the fall of 2010, making him eligible to to play in 2010-2011.

It is clear what the addition of Fry would be doing this season. The size starved team could have been much better with his 6’9″ 220 pound frame and defensive ability teamed up with 7’0″ 265 pound Robbie Jackson. Jackson will be a senior next season with Fry.

The three-year starter averaged a career-best 8.1 points and 4.7 rebounds per game last season. He underwent a surgical procedure on his right knee in February and missed four games before returning to play the final four games of the season, including three in the America East Conference tournament. In the opening round upset of No. 3 Boston University he scored a career-high 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.

Wertz underwent arthroscopic knee surgery in early November during practice and has not returned to full team practice.

Wertz was a highly touted recruit and the freshman was expected to have a significant role this year. He is 6’4″ 185 pounds and strong enough to slash inside to get a layup and fight for rebounds, but he also has a very good outside stroke and can hit three-pointers. He his 63 three-point field goals in high school and averaged 14.2 points per game as a senior while leading King’s Fork High School to a 31-1 record and VHSL boys’ basketball state championship.

“I’d have to lie if I say it didn’t hurt but everybody is being positive,” said Matt Spadafora. “We still have 20 games left and there is a lot of basketball to be played. It hurts right now but we’re going through from adverse situations but it’s only going to help us in the end.”

While they lost their final home game of 2009 to Rider, 79-67, the team played their best game of the season. While the team was without 7’0” center Robbie Jackson, who missed his second straight game with an ankle injury, and had a injured Chauncey Gilliam limited with time because of an ankle injury, the team was just outmatched but the Broncs who used their big size advantage on UMBC to get things going inside.

UMBC shot an astounding 50% from the field and hit just on less three-pointer than Rider, but once again the defense did not play well as they allowed their opponents to scored 79 points and also shoot 50% from the field.

“On the defensive side we just have to do a better job overall as a team,” said Matt Spadafora. “If one guy gets beat we have to have guys slide over and step up. Then to finish we have to rebound and keep guys off the glass.”

With Jackson out of action, and Gilliam playing with an ankle injury, Spadafora stepped up and played on of his best games of his career as he scored 16 points with a career high nine rebounds.

“I was really proud of Matt. He really stepped up and made some key baskets, played hard, and gutted it out,” said coach Randy Monroe.

Two other Retrievers finished the games in double digits in scoring, freshman Adrian Satchell, who scored 10 points, and sophomore Chris De La Rosa, who scored 11 points with five assists and three rebounds.

Because of the injuries Gilliam came off the bench, and filling to two gaps in the starting lineup were Shawn Grant, who made his second straight start, and Nick Groce. Whiel Grant struggled to get anything going as he scored just three points, Groce excelled both defensively and offensively. He scored eight points, went perfect from the field, and missed just one free throw.

Also because of the injuries, Bakari Smith, Brian Neller, and Jake Wasco all saw significant minutes off the bench. Smith went 2-2 from the floor for four points while Neller, who hit two threes, and Wasco, each scored six points.

“I think these guys are definitively growing,” Monroe said. “They are very coachable and they have a very bright future. They have a chance to be very good, but they are learning what college basketball is all about now. It’s a true lesson but it’s something I think that will make them very good players down the road.”

With that 0-9 record, the team has just three more games before beginning conference play. All three games are on the road and after a conference challenge at Vermont, they return to the RAC for one final tune-up game against Pennsylvania.

“Each game we just want to get better as a team,” Spadafora said. “Once conference starts our team is going to be rolling and we hopefully will be coming up on the other side of these games.”

Chauncey Gilliam, a sophomore guard on the UMBC men’s basketball team, has been declared academically ineligible to compete in games during th fall 2009 semester.

Gilliam, who averaged 10.9 points per game in his freshman campaign, will be permitted to practice with the team.  His eligibility status will be reviews after UMBC’s final exam period concludes on December 22.

“Obviously, we’re disappointed that we’ll be without Chauncey during the first semester,” head coach Randy Monroe said.  “He’s such a fierce competitor who brings that swagger to our team.  We’ll miss him, but he will certainly have our support during this difficult time.”

Further coverage of this event will be featured in the Sept. 22, 2009 issue of The Retriever Weekly.

There is no better way to come back from a very disappointing effort and a loss to American than by beating Big 12  team Nebraska.  UMBC became the first team in 31 non-conference opponents to come away with a win in Lincoln to break the eighth-longest streak in the nation in front of 8,293 fans.

Nebraska entered the game No. 53 in RPI (Ratings Percentage Index), and UMBC’s win will likely raise the America East Conference RPI to potentially give the conference champion a higher seed than UMBC received last year.

At one point in the first half, the Retrievers built themselves a 20 point lead, and then went into the half up by sixteen.  Nebraska battled back in the second half, but a block by Darryl Proctor with 1.2 seconds left sealed the win for UMBC.

After losing to American, Monroe called out Matt Spadafora, Justin Fry and Richard Flemming and said that they all had to step up if they want to win and they cannot just sit and rely on All-Conference players Proctor and Jay Greene to win games. Spadafora certainly had himself a fine game with 11 points and three rebounds, but he went five for five from the foul line including four straight in the final two minutes of the game along with a steal that made it a two possession game for the Cornhusker.

As for Fry, he got into foul trouble down the stretch along with the rest of the team. Only Proctor ended the game with fewer than three fouls, but a dunk three minutes in really set the tone of the game.

Proctor and Greene were their usual steady selves. Proctor scored 15 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season and Greene was an assist away from a double-double with 13 points and nine assists.

But the star of the game was the freshman phenom, Chauncey Gilliam. He led all scored with 21 points and added eight rebounds. Coming into the game Gilliam lead all American East players in field goal percentage and sunk 82 percent of his shots in the game to raise his percentage to .647.

Gilliam’s performance in the game highlighting a remarkable season so far may just put him into the starting lineup in place of Richard Flemming who has struggled all season with fouls. Because of four fouls early in the second half, Flemming only played 13 minutes and did not score a point in that time.

If that move is made that would move Proctor to power forward and Spadafora to shooting forward where they played last year and Gilliam would take over the two-guard spot.

With the win the players will have something to celebrate over their Christmas break before they come back to practice on Sunday to prepare for their final non-conference opponent, St. Louis.

“We got our [butt] kicked,” said coach Randy Monroe. “We played against a team that [was] hungrier than us. They beat us in every phase of the game. We played lack-luster.”

At one point in the second half against American, UMBC was down by 26 points, which proved to be too much even after a valiant effort down the stretch. With three minutes left in the game UMBC battled back and cut the deficit to just eight points, but a called intentional foul on Chauncey Gilliam effectively sealed the game for American and turned the momentum completely in American’s favor.

“When you dig yourselves a hole that deep early you have to expend so much energy trying to fight back and that’s not going to happen against good teams,” Monroe said. “There are no excuses, we got our butts kicked tonight and we didn’t deserve to win this game.”

When a team doesn’t rebound or shoot well it almost becomes impossible to win and UMBC did not do either well.  They were out rebounded 34-24 (24-9 in the first half), and shot just 70.6 percent from the free throw line and 42.3 percent from the field.  But those stats were brought up by a much better second half.  In the first half UMBC made just six baskets and three free throws in a 17 point first half.

The second half was much better as the Retrievers slowed the game down and did not rush shots, but they put themselves in a hole in the first half they could not get out of to give themselves a 74-61 loss, despite a double-double (22 points and 11 rebounds) by Darryl Proctor and a 16 point night from Jay Greene.

“You can’t just rely on Darryl Proctor and Jason Greene all the time to do things,” Monroe said. “Matt Spadafora, Justin Fry, and Richard Flemming have to step up and accept the challenge and help these guys out and if they do that we’re a good basketball team.  But night in and night out you can’t just sit there and rely on Jason Greene and Darryl Proctor to do the job and just sit there and not help out.”

One positive of the game was everybody played. Jake Wasco was impressive and showed the ability to get up and down the court, good footwork, and good defense.

“I was happy with the job that Jake Wasco did as a freshman and Chauncey Gilliam and Bakari Smith did when they came in,” Monroe said. “I was happy with the young guys’ effort because they came in with some passion and some effort.”

This game was more than just a non-conference game to Monroe. “I told our guys playing American was similar to playing Boston University.”

Garrison Carr, who scored 34 points, has a very similar style of play to Corey Lowe and Monroe wanted to get a good look at how they would play against him. Obviously a 34 point night is not what Monroe expected, but there is still time to rebound.

UMBC will finish up 2008 with two more non-conference games in a long road stretch to Nebraska and St. Louis before starting conference play.