UMBC clinched the third seed for the Big South Conference tournament last night, but the Retrievers hardly did it with style.
It took two overtimes to decide a game marked by poor field-goal shooting on both sides, and the home team finally won it from the unlikeliest of places -- the free-throw line.
UMBC did not make a free throw until there were only three seconds left in regulation, when freshman Mark Lay converted three times to force overtime.
Then, after each team made only one field goal in the first extra period, the Retrievers scored six of their final eight points from the foul line for a 63-62 win over UNC-Asheville before 1,042 at UMBC Fieldhouse.
"We said our prayers, that's all I can say," said UMBC coach Earl TC Hawkins, whose team improved to 13-12 overall and 10-5 in the conference. "Somebody was looking over us tonight.
"We played without intensity, we didn't have any focus, and we can't do that. We have to understand that we just got over .500. We haven't won any championships."
Lay hit a driving layup to start a 6-0 run to put UMBC ahead 57-52 in the second overtime. UNC-Asheville cut the lead to 57-56 on layups by Josh Kohn and Josh Pittman, but UMBC scored the next five points to lead 62-56 with 10 seconds left.
After Pittman (15 points) hit a three-pointer to make it 62-59, UMBC's Eric Hayes hit one of two free throws. Kohn hit a half-court shot at the buzzer to account for the final margin.
After shooting 46 percent (12-for-26) in the first half, UMBC connected on 31 percent (8-for-26) in the second.
"We had no inside game," said Hawkins. "They played a zone, we didn't attack it very well, Pascal [Fleury, the 7-foot-2 center] didn't have a particularly good game and passing the ball was a lost art for us.
"I thought the only one who played well was Tony Thompson, and we probably would've won in regulation if we had been able to keep him on the floor."
Thompson, who scored 15 points but was just 2-for-7 from the floor in the second half, hit a three-pointer to give the Retrievers a 46-41 lead with 3:29 to play, but he fouled out 23 seconds later.
UNC-Asheville (11-14, 7-8) played without two starters, junior forward Ralf Melis and senior point guard Kevin Carter, but the Bulldogs stayed in the game because of the Retrievers' numerous scoring lapses in the second half. After scoring the first six points after halftime and then taking a 37-28 lead, UMBC went scoreless for the next 6:22.
Remco Smits and Jeff Coble (five points in a two-minute span) rallied the visitors within 37-36 with 10:23 left in regulation. After the Retrievers spurted to a 43-36 lead, Pittman led another Bulldogs charge.
When Kohn hit a three-pointer with 2:25 left, UMBC's lead was reduced to 46-45. Then came what appeared to be the game's critical play.
After calling a timeout with 32 seconds left on the shot clock, the Retrievers were called for a 10-second time-line violation -- although only nine seconds had elapsed after the ball was put back in play.
Smits hit a jumper with 1:55 left to give UNC-Asheville the lead, and when Victor Newman hit two free throws with six seconds remaining, the Bulldogs led 49-46.
However, after the throw-in, UMBC's Artie Walker found Lay open in the right-front court. He started toward the basket, pulled up and took a three-point shot on the run, drawing a foul from Pittman.
After hitting the first two free throws, Lay endured a UNC-Asheville timeout, then made his third shot to tie it with 3.2 ++ seconds left.
"It was a very smart play by Marc and Artie made a great pass,"said Hawkins.