The Retrievers women’s basketball team had its share of ups and downs over the winter break. In the month of December, the team achieved an impressive 7–1 record. However, despite starting the month off with a conference win, the Retrievers have only managed to win two of their six games.
The Retrievers started December off on a hot streak by winning three straight home games, including a 60–29 win over La Salle University. In the game against La Salle, junior forward Amanda Hagaman achieved her first career double-double, shooting for 12 points and recovering 11 rebounds. In their lop-sided victory, the Retrievers also forced 27 turnovers that resulted in 19 of their 60 points.
The Retrievers are currently ranked first in both steals, averaging 10.7 a game, and turnover margin with a plus six turnover margin.
After their three home wins, UMBC faced five straight games on the road. UMBC impressively only lost one game on the road, to Saint Joseph’s University at the Hawk Classic, losing 104–45.
The Retrievers lost to Saint Joseph’s in a one-sided fashion. Saint Joseph’s scored 23 points off of the Retrievers’ 16 turnovers. Saint Joseph’s also hit more than twice as many shots as the Retrievers did. The Retrievers only successfully made 15 field goals while Saint Joseph’s made 37.
January brought the beginning of conference matches for the Retrievers. The Retrievers started off well, beating the University of Vermont 85–48 at their first home game in a month. The Retrievers continued to impressive in the turnover category, stealing the ball from Vermont 30 times, resulting in 41 points.
The Retrievers only added one win to their record in January, defeating University of Massachusetts Lowell 68–44. The Retrievers had 34 turnovers against their conference rival, tying a season best for the team.
Three of the Retrievers’ four losses were close calls, losing by only a combined 27 in those three games. The team currently sits at sixth place in the conference with a 2–4 conference record, 11–8 overall.
Their last loss was in an away game against Hartford University, losing 65–57. Despite tying the game in the third quarter, the Retrievers fell behind again, getting outscored 14–22 in the fourth.