Men’s Basketball Meets UMBC at SEFCU Arena on Wednesday Night in Second America East Showdown
COVERAGE: America East.tv
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Twitter: @UAlbany_MBB
ALBANY, N.Y. – University at Albany men’s basketball (7-7, 1-0 AE) hosts UMBC (4-10, 0-1 AE) in its second league game of the season at SEFCU Arena on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
The Great Danes downed Hartford for the sixth consecutive time, 81-56 on Saturday night. UAlbany also won its home league opener for the fourth-straight year against the Hawks.
A DAY FOR THE RECORD BOOKS
In its 81-56 win over Hartford, UAlbany made a Division I program-high 16 threes against the Hawks. DJ Evans and Peter Hooley notched six apiece, while Dallas Ennema and Anders Haas made two each. The previous single-game record for three-pointers made was 15, set at South Carolina State last season. UAlbany entered the game against Hartford making a league-low 3.8 threes per game, while the Hawks led the league in the category with 7.4 per game.
Hooley’s 25 points and six made threes marks a new career high for the sophomore guard. Evans matched his career high in points with 20 while making a career-best six threes, all in the second half.
The Purple & Gold scored a season-high 81 points, the program’s highest point total since its 83-55 win at South Carolina State on Nov. 20, 2012. UAlbany’s 14-for-23 (.696) clip from three-point land also ranks second in 3-point field goal percentage in the Division I era. Hooley and Evans were both one three shy of matching the program’s individual single-game record of seven made treys.
With a 6-for-8 (.750) performance from the three-point line, Evans matched a single-game program high in three-point shooting percentage.
IT’S RAINING THREES
The last time UAlbany had four players make multiple 3-pointers in a single game was in the 2011, in an 81-77 overtime win at Maine to conclude the 2010-11 regular season. The team went 13-for-29; Mike Black (5-7), Logan Aronhalt (3-8), Tim Ambrose (2-5) and Ralph Watts (2-2) all made more than one three in the win.
THE ROARING 20’S
Peter Hooley and DJ Evans both tallied 20 points or more against the Hawks, marking the first time two Great Danes have scored at least 20 points since last season. In a 77-73 win over St. Francis (N.Y.) on Dec. 5, 2012, Mike Black had 21 and Jacob Iati recorded 20 points. The last time two players scored 20 points or more in an America East Conference regular season game was at Binghamton on Feb. 23, 2012 when Black and Iati had 21 and 22 points, respectively.
SECOND IS THE BEST
The Great Danes rank second in the nation in free throw percentage (.781), and top the America East for the eighth-straight week. Sophomore guard Peter Hooley ranks 45th nationally (.880, 73-83) overall, 33rd among those who have attempted 50 or more free throws and 11th among players who have attempted 75 or more.
GREAT DANES BREAK SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER
With the inaugural game of 2014 America East conference play, UAlbany downed Hartford 81-56 on Saturday, picking up its first win on Saturday all year. The Purple & Gold was previously 0-3.
SCOUTING UMBC
• UMBC handed UMass Lowell its first program Division I win on Sunday by a score of 59-54.
• The Retrievers lead the league in offensive rebounds with 13.1 per game. UMBC is one of just two teams in the league to rank two players in the top-10 in individual offensive rebounds, with Devarick Houston (T-5th/2.1 per game) and Malik Garner (8th, 1.8 per game).
• UAlbany leads the overall series 16-6, including an 8-3 record at SEFCU Arena. The last time the teams met in the America East opener last season in Albany, Peter Hooley and Sam Rowley each tallied eight points in a 65-48 win on Jan. 2. Hooley also had five assists.
• Quentin Jones and David Kadiri entered the starting line-up for the Retrievers at Towson on Nov. 26. The freshman-senior duo is combining for 11.3 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.
• UMBC has lost seven of its last eight conference regular season games.
• The Retrievers concluded non-conference play with a record of 4-9, including a 4-1 clip at home and 0-8 on the road. UMBC was 3-4 against fellow teams from the state of Maryland and 0-2 against opponents on the DC-Maryland-Virginia beltway.
