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Albany
The first time the University at Albany played UMBC, it was a Monday afternoon in the middle of January.
And the Great Danes rocked the Retrievers in the America East Conference dog show. The final score was 77-50, and it really wasn’t that close.
The rematch comes on Wednesday night, and if followers of the Danes expect a repeat of what happened in Baltimore, think again.
UAlbany thinks it can win the game, but it won’t be nearly as easy.
After practice at SEFCU Arena on Tuesday, coach Will Brown was asked what he thought of people who expect another rout.
“Foolish,” Brown said, shaking his head.
His players are not going to disagree with the coach on this one.
When UAlbany visited UMBC on Jan. 16, the Danes were reeling, losers of their first three conference games. UMBC had started out 3-1 and was coming off a nine-point loss to Vermont. The Catamounts are the only team in the league without a loss (13-0) and own the second longest current winning streak in the country (15).
Brown said the Danes were a desperate team when they played UMBC the first time. They needed a win.
UMBC vs. UAlbany
When: Wednesday, 7 p.m.
Where: SEFCU Arena, Albany
Radio: WTMM (104.5 FM)
For the rematch, both teams figure to be playing desperate because the regular season is whittling down to a precious few games and the Danes and Retrievers are tied for third place in the league. UAlbany and UMBC are both 7-5 in the league. The winner will have the inside track on the coveted third seed in the America East playoffs, which start two weeks from Wednesday at the home courts of the top four seeds.
“Regardless of what we think and how we feel about our team and our chances, let’s face it; we want the two or three seed for obvious reasons,” Brown said.
Even though Brown relishes the chance to play Vermont in the playoffs (UAlbany still has a regular-season game in Burlington next Wednesday), he would want to stay away from the best team in the league until the final game.
“We’ve talked about this game being a separation game,” Brown said. “There is light at the end of the tunnel and it’s the postseason and we have been talking about it for a few weeks now.”
UMBC (16-9 overall) has lost its last two, both at home. The Retrievers were surprised by Hartford (84-77) and then rallied from an 18-point deficit with 6:47 left but fell short again to Vermont, 77-74. Before those two losses, UMBC had won four of five.
The Danes and Retrievers are a combined 0-6 against Vermont and second-place Stony Brook. UMBC still has a game left with Stony Brook, at home, next Wednesday.
In the first game between UAlbany and UMBC, the Danes held the Retrievers, the highest-scoring team in the league (81.8 ppg), to their lowest scoring output of the season. No one in the UMBC lineup scored in double figures that day. Jarius Lyles, the second-leading scorer in the America East (19.4 ppg), was held to a season-low six points.
“A lot of things went right for us in that game,” said UAlbany guard David Nichols. “And they didn’t have their best game. We know we are going to get their best effort. They will be fired up and ready to play.”
After the UMBC game, the Danes (16-11 overall) will take their longest America East bus ride (seven hours) when they head to Maine early Saturday for a Sunday afternoon game. After next week’s trip to Vermont, the Danes close out the regular season with a game at SEFCU against Hartford on Feb. 25.
First, though, UMBC, and a game the Danes expect will be a lot closer than it was in January.
“When you beat a team like that by 27, you are happy to do that,” said sophomore guard Joe Cremo. “But we know they are talented. We know what we are getting into.”
twilkin@timesunion.com • 518-454-5415 • @tjwilkin
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