The month of March is a favorite for Retriever Nation, with America East playoffs on the horizon and memories of UMBC’s 2018 March Madness victory on everyone’s mind.

This year, both UMBC’s men’s and women’s basketball teams will compete in America East postseason play. The winners will then go on to compete in the 2019 NCAA Championships at the end of March.

Tyler Moore ‘20, psychology,and graduate student Joe Sherburne ‘18, financial economics, are leading their teams on and off the court. These team captains have both been standouts in 3-point field goals, and have each earned 2019 Academic All-District 2 First Team (CoSIDA) honors.

Women’s basketball ready for America East quarterfinals

Janee’a Summers ‘21, psychology, joins Moore as co-captain of the women’s team. Even as one of the youngest teams in the nation—with no seniors this year—the team has finished the regular season strong to earn the No. 7 seed in the America East tournament.

Among this season’s most exciting contests, the Retrievers upset UAlbany in a late season game. Later on, with their playoff fate on the line, they won at New Hampshire, 55-47, to earn a spot in the quarterfinals.

The Retrievers will take on second-seeded Hartford in West Hartford, Conn., on Wednesday, March 6 at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ (see game info). Students can enjoy the game with friends and popcorn at a watch party in the Sports Zone, also starting at 7 p.m.

Men’s basketball heads into postseason at No. 3

The 2018-19 season figured to be a challenging endeavor for the men’s team, led by head coach Ryan Odom. Standout guards Jairus Lyles ‘17, sociology; K. J. Maura ‘18, sociology; and Jourdan Grant ‘18, media and communication studies, completed their UMBC careers in 2018. The Retrievers’ phenomenal NCAA success in 2018 also assured they’d be considered a team to beat by this year’s opponents.

The Retrievers’ record stood at 9-9 and 1-2 in America East play in mid-January. Moreover, starting forwards Max Curran ’20, sociology, and Daniel Akin ’21 suffered season-ending injuries in December and January respectively. But the tide soon turned.

With a strong defense, the team earned ten wins in the final 13 games. UMBC defeated eventual regular season champion Vermont twice in that span, including a 65-56 win before a national television audience (ESPNU) at the UMBC Event Center on February 21.

To cap the regular season, UMBC rallied from an 18-point second half deficit to defeat New Hampshire, 56-53, on March 2. Freshman guard José Placer’s 3-point field goal with 2.4 seconds left on the clock punctuated the comeback.

As a result, UMBC earned the No. 3 seed in the America East Tournament and will host No. 6 UAlbany at the UMBC Event Center on Saturday, March 9. Students are invited to a pre-game social in the Sports Zone, starting 11:30 a.m. Tip-off time is scheduled for 1 p.m. Tickets are now available online for both students and the general public. 

Featured image: UMBC team captain Joe Sherburne during a game against Vermont. Photo by Gail Burton.

This article was written by Steve Levy, UMBC Athletics.

The Women’s Center Advisory Board is a collective of faculty, staff, and students with an interest in supporting and cultivating the work of the Women’s Center at UMBC and advancing gender equity and social justice on UMBC’s campus.

Board members participate in monthly board meetings, scheduled for the first Friday of each month during the academic year. This forum allows Women’s Center staff to share information about the Center and similarly allows the board members to share their knowledge, wisdom and unique perspectives to advance the mission of the Women’s Center. 

In addition to advising the Director and Coordinator of the Women’s Center, board members provide support in the planning, programming, and advocacy of the Women’s Center. Board members are encouraged to attend Women’s Center events when possible and volunteer at larger events such as Critical Social Justice, Take Back the Night, or the Returning Women Students networking event. These responsibilities may entail additional hours of commitment outside of the monthly board meetings.

Board members are appointed for two-year terms, with the possibility of renewal.

The Women’s Center seeks to serve a diverse community of people interested in women’s, gender, and social justice issues.  We seek a diverse board to assure that varying needs and interests are represented.
For more on the Women’s Center mission, guiding principles, and priorities, visit womenscenter.umbc.edu

DEADLINE: Monday, April 22, 2019

Submit via email or campus mail. 

For additional information, please call the Women’s Center at x52714 or email womenscenter@umbc.edu. 

All Are Welcome So Long As They Respect Women’s Experiences, Stories & Potential

The DE-DC-MD Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (www.dedcmdasfaa.org) has established a scholarship fund that will award a minimum of three $1,000 scholarships to students who attend an eligible institution within each geographic area. 

Student Eligibility and Application Process:
 
Students must meet the following criteria to be considered for this scholarship:
1. Attend an eligible DE-DC-MD institution during the July 1, 2019 – June 30, 2020 academic year.  An eligible institution is defined as an institution with at least one member with an active membership with the DE-DC-MD ASFAA during 2018-2019.
2. Demonstrate financial need as defined by the FAFSA and the institution.
3. Possess the following GPA and standing –

Undergraduates:
    * A cumulative GPA of at least 2.5 or the equivalent.
·       At least a second year standing (as defined by your institution) prior to the start of the 2019-2020 academic year or,
·       Completion of one-half of a one year course of study in a private career school.
    

Graduates/Professionals:
·       A cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 or the equivalent.
·       Completion of at least one year of your program of study.
4.   Enroll as a full time student as defined by your institution.
5. Submit the completed application and all required documents (essay and letter of recommendation) to your Financial Aid Office.  Your Financial Aid Director MUST certify your application eligibility to complete the application process.
 
Application Guidelines:
 
Essay: submit a brief essay, no more than one typed page in length, explaining why you feel you would be a good candidate for this scholarship.  Include your educational and career goals, jobs held while in college, volunteer or community service performed, and any special circumstances that the Scholarship Committee should be aware of in making a selection.
 
Letter of Recommendation: Submit one letter of recommendation from an academic counselor or professor with your application.

Applications must be submitted no later than April 1, 2019 to the UMBC Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships for nomination consideration. 

All selected nominees will be forwarded to the DEDCMD ASFAA Committee for further consideration.