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Loss won’t diminish accomplishments
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UMBC senior guard Brittnie Hughes, right, grabs a rebound in front of Connecticut’s Mel Thomas. Hughes scored a team-high nine points in Sunday’s loss to Connecticut.
HARTFORD, Conn. (Map, News) - Their bus broke down on the way to Connecticut, they didn’t arrive to their hotel until 3:45 a.m. Saturday morning and then they lost their opening-round NCAA tournament game by 49 points.
Still, the members of the University of Maryland-Baltimore County women’s basketball team have never been happier. Following an 82-33 loss to Connecticut Sunday in the school’s first-ever appearance in the NCAA tournament, the Retrievers were still upbeat.
“No one associated with this program will ever forget what we experienced this week,” UMBC coach Phil Stern said. “The players competed hard, enjoyed the atmosphere and represented UMBC in the best way possible.”
UMBC, which finished the season at 16-17, slowed the game down and did all it could to hang with Connecticut on Sunday. The five-time former national champion Huskies only led, 29-20, before closing out the first half on a 12-0 run and running away in the second half. In the end, Connecticut was just “too big, too strong and too fast” for UMBC, Stern said.
The final score was of secondary importance to the Retrievers, according to Stern, whose team accomplished its ultimate goal of winning the America East Conference tournament last week after losing seven of 10 games to end the regular season.
Getting to play in the NCAA tournament, Stern added, was an invaluable experience that can only help his team build toward the future.
“There aren’t any teams like UConn that play in the America East,” Stern said. “We came out against them and connected on some early threes and did a good job getting some backdoor cuts. We can only learn from this experience.”
While Sunday’s loss marked the final games for UMBC seniors Sharri Rohde, Brittnie Hughes and Heather Lutrell, three starters return for the Retrievers next year. Junior guard Kristin Drabyn is among those players ready to make another run next year for UMBC.
“This weekend was great, and it was especially great to do this with this group of girls,” Drabyn said. “Despite the score, we never stopped fighting. This was the perfect way to send our seniors out on a high note. We already feel like we have more confidence going into next season, and we know what it takes to get back here.”
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Jim Steinmetz said:
It's particularly unfair to say that Hurley was a nice college player but a marginal pro - he was in a gruesome accident that essentially destroyed his NBA career. What's next? Are you going to say Jay Williams was a disappointment?
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Examiner Reader said:
I'm still scratching my head trying find any similarities between Kevin Love and Larry Bird. Love is a low post player who can hit an outside shot if he's left unguarded, Larry Bird was a great outside shooter who could penetrate. Love lumbers down the court like a Clydesdale, Bird could run like a quarter horse. Other than the fact that they're both white and both are good, they're as different as could be.
6 agree | 8 disagree
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notme said:
Also, USC playing better as the season progressed? As shown by their 6-4 record in the last 10 games? Or their 12-8 record over the past 20 games? Oh, wait, USC actually was most successful EARLY in the season.
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notme said:
Did Dickey even watch the Pac-10 finals? Only a little help from Love? I guess, if only offense counts. Of course, the real reason UCLA won the game is that Love totally shut down Brook Lopez in the second half.
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Larry Williams said:
How can you talk about a resurgence of college hoops in the area and not mention the only school from Baltimore to win a National Championship ad has the best chance to reach the NCAA Division I tourny this year: Morgan State University!! Is it because Morgan plays in the predominately Black college MEAC. or have you become conditioned to disregard any accomlishments by this great university, just like the rest of the sports journalist in this city?
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Examiner Reader said:
Joe Mclean is like a breath of fresh air,especially in a time when the very life we live seems to be suffocating from the nonsensical stinch that's presently being emitted from a misguided generation of African/american youth that somehow seems insurmountable and even far too complex for the creator Himself to resolve. Joe is one of the most well rounded young brothers I know. He's a possitve role model and a gift to any parent. That's why I'm overwhelmed at the very fact of his existance and forever grateful to my Lord for allowing me to be his POP-POP. Thanks Joe, keep up the good work.
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Great story, Ron!!!! said:
Ron, I love this story on the Terp freshmen WBB players getting ahead, as well as the other tidbits you wove into the story. Thank you very much for writing this one. If you need another idea, how about one on the three outstanding Lady Terps that won gold medals this summer playing for the USA?!? Keep up the great work. Thanks, again.
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Examiner Reader said:
i thank that this is going to be a good thing for mason ,cam is a will rounded player he wiil add big games in the wins .
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