BALTIMORE — Albany’s Byron Joshua shone on Thursday night, leading the Great Danes to a narrow 78-74 victory over UMBC. Joshua was in exceptional form, scoring 22 points as he led his team to conquer their opponents. He displayed impressive accuracy, hitting 7 out of 13 shots from the field and sinking 4 out of 8 attempts from beyond the arc. Additionally, Joshua was nearly flawless from the free-throw line, converting 4 out of 5 attempts. This formidable performance contributed to Albany’s overall record of 15-14 and a 7-7 standing in the America East Conference.
Alongside Joshua, Justin Neely played a significant role in the win. Neely chipped in with 13 points, despite hitting only 5 of his 13 shots from the field. His tenacity on the court was evident in his contribution of 11 rebounds, reinforcing Albany’s defense. Amar’e Marshall also helped cement the victory by scoring 11 points, connecting on 4 of his 10 shots, including 3 successful three-pointers out of 7 attempts.
On the other side, Marcus Banks was a standout performer for the Retrievers. He topped UMBC’s scoring chart with an impressive 24 points and grabbed seven rebounds. His efforts were supported by Marlon Short, who added 20 points and also tallied seven rebounds in the game. Anthony Valentine contributed 10 points and made two steals, but even their combined efforts were not enough to overcome Albany’s determined gameplay.
This exciting contest was part of the ongoing saga of matchups in the America East Conference. Both teams displayed commendable effort, but Albany’s players managed to edge out and secure the victory, adding to their momentum as the season progresses.
