UMBC Men's Basketball Loses Home Opener to VMI, 94-77

Virginia Military Institute unleashed a second-half barrage of three pointers versus the UMBC's men's basketball team in a 94-77 win at RAC Arena, spoiling the successful return to the court for Retrievers center Justin Fry in the team's season opener.

UMBC was well within striking distance at the half down by just three, 38-35, and could have taken the lead into the locker room were it not for four missed lay-ups.

But the Retrievers came out determined in the second half and took the lead 45-43 on a Justin Fry three-point play less than five minutes after the break.

The Keydets inched ahead 50-49 and then went on a torrid 8-of-14 three-point shooting spree by forward Nick Gore and guards Keith Sparks and Michael Gabriel that helped stretch their leadto 67-58 with 7:14 to play.

At one point VMI made seven threes in a row and were never threatened as they eventually pulled away to the final 17 point margin.

"We have to look at this as just one game," UMBC coach Randy Monroe said. "There were a lot of positives out there. The season is not a sprint, it's a marathon."

One of the major positives the Retrievers will build on is the return of Fry.

The 6-foot-10 Pennsylvania native, a three-year starter who missed all of last season due to knee surgery, showed no ill effects or rust from the layoff.

He led UMBC with a double-double, putting up 15 points and bringing down 11 rebounds.

"I felt really comfortable out there," Fry said. "It was good to be back playing with the guys."

Another positive for the Retrievers was the play of senior transfer Laurence Jolicoeur. A three-year contributor at Manhattan, Jolicoeur opened the season with his own double-double, draining 18 points and grabbing 10 boards.

"Coach Monroe put me in places where I felt comfortable," said Jolicoeur. "We all worked well together and we will continue to get better."

For the day, the Keydets shot 32-of-66 while UMBC was just 28-of-67.

"We could have guarded better on their threes, but you just have to give them credit," Monroe said. "Still, we put up 77 points today which is pretty good for a college game. We had five guys in double figures and defensively we did a lot of good things, but this is still a work in progress.

"For our first game this was still a feeling-out process, but overall I liked whatI saw."

The Retrievers now look to even their record when they visit cross-town rival Loyola Wednesday at 7 p.m.