Wildcats Prevail in Battle Over UMBC, 79-76

Thursday, January 16

Baltimore, Md.

6 PM

University of New Hampshire

4-15,2-2America East

University of Maryland Baltimore County

9-9,1-2America East

New Hampshire

UMBC

1/16/2025 8:31:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

Five Wildcats Find Double-Digit Scoring

BALTIMORE, Md.  – The University of New Hampshire men's basketball team defeated UMBC, 79-76 on Thursday night from Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena.

Junior guard Sami Pissis (Paris, France) scored 17 points for the Wildcats while junior guard Anthony McComb III (Dayton, Ohio) added 16 points. Both players knocked down four three-pointers.

The Wildcats improve to 4-15 (2-2 AE). 

Score:  New Hampshire 79, UMBC 76
Records:  UNH (4-15, 2-2 AE), UMBC (9-9, 1-2 AE)
Location: Baltimore, Maryland (Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena)
Date: Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025

FIRST HALF

Pissis had an electric start to the game with seven of the team's nine points. The 'Cats led 9-8 before UMBC took a 10-9 lead. Junior guard Jawarie Hamelin (Westerly, R.I.) knocked down a three-pointer for his first points of the game to regain the lead for UNH.
Sophomore forward Dylan Saunders (Roanoke, Va.) drilled a three-pointer thanks to a great pass by sophomore forward Davide Poser (Veneto, Italy). The Retrievers took another lead at 19-16 but Pissis made two threes with 11 and a half minutes remaining in the first half (22-21 UNH).
Freshman guard Antoni Siewruk (Koszalin, Poland) gave the 'Cats a 31-28 point lead before UMBC made the score a one-point game. The Wildcats surged with a 12-0 run consisting of points from McComb III, freshman guard Khalil Badru (New Britain, Conn.), graduate student forward/center Emmanuel Okpomo (Delta State, Nigeria), and Hamelin (43-31).
UMBC brought the UNH lead which stood as high as 14 points, down to eight points with a halftime score of 46-38.

SECOND HALF

Okpomo began the second half with three baskets mixed with a Pissis three-pointer to lift the 'Cats to 55 points (55-41).
After knocking down three threes in a row and making a layup, UMBC thinned the deficit to one point (57-56).
Four points from Badru put the 'Cats back up five with 9:15 to go in the game. McComb III added to that after finding the bottom of the net three times from beyond the arch (70-60).
UMBC would not go away as they brought the score back to a three-point game with less than two minutes to go. Poser hit the dagger from the corner to put UNH up 77-71 with 1:23 remaining.
The Retrievers once again battled back to a one-point game with 33 seconds left but it was too late as free throws from McComb III gave UNH the win (79-76).

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE

McComb III and Pissis's double-digit point streak extends to nine games.
Hamelin's 10-point performance serves as his Wildcat career high.
Five Wildcats scored in the double-digits.
In the first half, UNH shot 61.5% from three (8-13) and 51.5% from the field (17-33).
This is UNH's first road win of the season and first two-game win streak.
All players who checked into the game recorded at least three points.

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