Scoring Just 10 Points in First Half, UMBC Basketball Underscores Its Consistency Problem

On a team plagued by a lack of consistency from half to half and game to game, the one constant for UMBC men’s basketball had been junior guard Chris De La Rosa.

Performing like an American East Conference Player of the Year candidate, De La Rosa is averaging 16.3 points per game and 6.5 assists per game. He’s also the best in the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio and has played more minutes than anyone in the league.

“Chris is Mr. Steady,” Retrievers coach Randy Monroe said after another 20-point effort by the junior versus Vermont last week.

But De La Rosa and his team imploded Saturday, losing 63-46 to New Hampshire at RAC Arena after scoring 10 first-half points.

The dependable De La Rosa played only 16 minutes, scoring three points and turned the ball over three times.

After two lackluster first halves this week, could the team – and maybe even De La Rosa – be starting to wilt as the losses continue to pile up?

Monroe doesn’t think so. But he knows if some level of consistency isn’t suddenly found, the season will come to an abrupt end in the next few weeks.

“That’s not to say we can’t finish off strong in the conference, because I believe we can,” Monroe said. “But you’ve got to have that belief.”

De La Rosa’s performance Saturday may have been an aberration, but one player Monroe certainly needs more consistency from is senior guard Travis King, who can light up the scoreboard when he gets hot.

King has the third-highest 3-point percentage in the conference this season, .421, and is shooting .483 overall from the field.

But King too often disappears from games. He’s averaging only 24.4 minutes each game, and scored three points Saturday after a 15-point second half effort earlier in the week against the Catamounts. King scored only three points in that game’s first half.

But against Vermont, and in general, Monroe said King gets all his share of opportunities.

“We run stuff for those guys,” Monroe said. “I think we were looking for Travis early. He really did a great job in the second half.”

For UMBC to make any kind of late season run, it will have to starting doing a great job in two halves each game.

Quote of the Week

“I think we kind of gave them a little too much respect from the beginning. They are very good and in order to beat Goliath you got to be able to have a strategy and a plan to take him down, and then you’ve got to believe you can take him down.” – UMBC basketball coach Randy Monroe, after a poor first half led to an to Vermont last week.

Line of the Week

19 points, seven rebounds, two steals in 40 minutes – UMBC women’s basketball forward Erin Brown in 43-32 win at Vermont last week.

Top Tweet

“Great road win to get to 10-3 in aec and 2nd place. So proud of our effort today.” – UMBCwbb, women’s basketball coach Phil Stern after his team’s big win on the road.

For the Record

The UMBC men’s basketball team scored only 10 points in the first half versus New Hampshire Saturday, the fewest ever in the team’s 25-year Division I history.

Player to Watch

UMBC women’s lacrosse senior attack Erika Braerman (Fallston), who scored a career-high eight points (five goals, three assists) in the team’s season-opening, 19-7 win over George Mason.

Game to Watch

Thursday, Feb. 17 through Sunday, Feb. 20, the UMBC swimming and diving team competes for the 2011 America East Championship at the Germantown Indoor Swim Center in Boyds, Md.