BOSTON ‘ UMBC point guard Jay Greene hit a 10-foot go-ahead floater and was fouled with 1:03 remaining, leading the no.5 Retrievers to a 70-61 victory over fourth-seeded Maine in the second quarterfinal of the day. They advance to face Vermont tomorrow at 1 p.m.
The game was much, much closer than the final score indicated. The teams traded blows until Greene hit the short jumper, with an ensuing three-point attempt by Maine’s Kevin Reed clanging off the rim.
The Retrievers hit six free throw attempts in the last minute to ice the victory.
Maine shot a 43% for the game, but UMBC shot an even more impressive 49%.
The Black Bears led the game 61-59, but a Brian Hodges jumper tied it at 61 with 2:38 remaining, setting the stage for Greene’s heroics. The Retrievers finished the game on an 11-0 run.
Official attendance of the game was not announced, but there were still at least 1,000 Vermont fans that stuck around from the day’s first game.
The day’s action will continue at 6:05 p.m. tonight when no. 2 Albany takes on no. 7 New Hampshire. In the nightcap of the nightcap, host no. 3 Boston University will take on no. 6 Binghamton.