PHILADELPHIA -- Earl Hawkins says the antidote for his struggling UMBC basketball team is simple.
"We definitely need a win," Hawkins said last night after the Retrievers shot 32 percent and fell to 0-4 with a 64-48 nonconference loss to Drexel. "When you're 0-4 and not playing well, balls are bouncing the wrong way and it's going to have an impact on you."
Drexel led just 28-23 at halftime, but UMBC hit just two of its first 13 shots after the break, committed nine turnovers and never mounted any kind of run.
Brian Holden scored 19 points and George Hudgins added 16 points and eight rebounds to lead the Dragons (2-1) of the North Atlantic Conference. Jeff Myers added 12 points, five rebounds and five assists.
Tony Thompson had nine points and eight rebounds to lead UMBC and Marc Lay and Chris Thompson each added eight points.
Hawkins was upset that UMBC's taller front line let the 6-6 Hudgins snake inside for position on the offensive boards, resulting in tip-ins.
He wasn't happy with the way the defense failed to challenge Holden, who made four of seven three-point attempts.
And he was miffed by a breakdown that led to a Hudgins layup off an inbounds play, as Drexel built a 44-30 lead with 8:44 remaining.
"I think that's been our problem most of the season," said Hawkins. "For whatever reason we have mental breakdowns like that."
Said Lay: "We executed well in the beginning but we didn't make any shots. Then we started forcing shots. It was real frustrating . . . but we have to play through it."