Late comeback falls short against UMBC

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant Univeristy women's basketball team, fourth-quarter comeback, fell short in the 75-69 home loss against UMBC.

Mariona Planes Fortuny recorded 18 points and six rebounds, while Nicole Gallagher posted 14 points and seven boards.

Game Information
UMBC 75, Bryant 69
Records: Bryant 7-19 (1-12) | UMBC 12-12 (9-4)
Location Chace Athletic Center (Smithfield, R.I.)

Key Moment

• The Retrievers missed two free throws with 5.8 seconds left but got back-to-back offensive rebounds and made four free throws (76-69).

How it Happened

• It was a defensive battle to start the game, with UMBC earning a 6-2 edge at the media timeout. Gallagher scored the first bucket for the Bulldogs on a nice dribble move in the paint.
• Both teams scored five, making the score 11-7 in favor of the Retrievers after the first quarter. Fortuny tallied three, and Kemari Reynolds went 2-2 from the line.
• Jessica Berens began the second quarter with a layup inside, and Alana Perkins nailed a wing three off of an out-of-bounds play to get the Bulldogs to 12. UMBC scored two before the media timeout making the score 13-12.
• UMBC outscored Bryant 19-14 to end the half. Perkins hit two three-pointers, Berens scored four, and Fortuny hit one free throw (32-26).
• Fortuny scored six straight points to begin the third, Gallagher added two of her own, and Reynolds finished a layup on an excellent dish from Fortuny. UMBC tallied 12 as well (44-38).
• The Retrievers responded with a 10-0 run forcing Bryant to call a timeout with 1:33 left in the third quarter (54-38).
• The Bulldogs finished the quarter with a 6-2 run making the deficit 12 points heading into the fourth (56-44).
• Bryant fought back with a 13-7 run, including three consecutive from deep courtesy of Gallagher, Lucie Castagne, and Megan Bodziony, to cut the deficit to six with five minutes remaining (63-57).
• The Bulldogs came out of the timeout and nailed a three courtesy of Gallagher to make it a three-point game (63-60).
• Both teams scored five a piece with 2:17 remaining in the game (68-65).
• UMBC added three more and had a six-point lead with 44 seconds left (71-65).
• Marta Neira Martinez responded with a quick baseline drive to the cup. The Bulldogs then played a full-court press, forcing a ten-second violation on the Retrievers (71-67).
• Gallagher then got a tough layup to fall through contact and was at the line to complete the three-point play (71-69).
• Gallagher missed, and the Bulldogs were forced to foul. UMBC was at the line with 5.8 seconds left and missed both, but got two offensive rebounds in a row and then hit two at the line to halt the Black and Golds' comeback en route to a 75-69 victory.

Stats

• Bryant shot 41.5% from the field, 33.3% from deep, and 70% from the free-throw line.
• Fortuny tallied 18 points and six boards.
• Gallagher recorded 14 points and seven boards.
• The Bulldogs forced 16 UMBC turnovers.

Notes

• Fortuny now has 20 10+ scoring efforts and ten in conference play.
• This is the highest point total Bryant has scored in AE play in regulation.

Next Up

The Black and Gold will go back on the road to face UMass Lowell on Wednesday.