Halftime Report

UMBC and the Highlanders have shown up to the game, but their offenses sure haven't. Sitting on a score of 32-25, UMBC has looked like the better team, but there's still one more half to play.

UMBC came into the contest with some extra motivation after the defeat they were dealt the last time these two teams faced off. We'll see if they're able to flip the script or if it'll just be more of the same.

Who's Playing

UMBC Retrievers @ N.J. Tech Highlanders

Current Records: UMBC 10-19, N.J. Tech 7-19

How To Watch

What to Know

UMBC and the Highlanders are an even 4-4 against one another since January of 2016, but not for long. Both teams will face off in an America East battle at 7:00 p.m. ET on Thursday at Wellness and Events Center. Coming in fresh off a victory as the underdog, UMBC will stroll into this one as the favorite.

After a disappointing 56 points in their last matchup, UMBC made sure to put some points up on the board against the Wildcats on Saturday. The Retrievers enjoyed a cozy 86-68 victory over the Wildcats. Winning is a bit easier when your shooting is a whole 18.3% better than the opposition, as UMBC's was.

Meanwhile, N.J. Tech's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Saturday after their fourth straight loss. They fell 68-58 to the Black Bears.

The Retrievers have been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 10-19 record this season. As for the Highlanders, they dropped their record down to 7-19 with that defeat, which was their fourth straight on the road.

This contest is shaping up to be a blowout: UMBC just can't miss this season, having made 46.9% of their shots per game. It's a different story for N.J. Tech, though, as they've only made 39.3% of their shots this season. Given UMBC's sizable advantage in that area, the Highlanders will need to find a way to close that gap.

UMBC and the Highlanders were neck-and-neck when the teams last played back in January, but the Retrievers came up empty-handed after a 75-74 defeat. Can UMBC avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.

Odds

UMBC is a 4-point favorite against N.J. Tech, according to the latest college basketball odds.

The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as a 4-point spread, and stayed right there.


The over/under is 151.5 points.

See college basketball picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine's advanced computer model. Get picks now.

Series History

N.J. Tech and UMBC both have 4 wins in their last 8 games.

  • Jan 27, 2024 - N.J. Tech 75 vs. UMBC 74
  • Feb 08, 2023 - UMBC 72 vs. N.J. Tech 63
  • Jan 25, 2023 - N.J. Tech 69 vs. UMBC 65
  • Jan 26, 2022 - UMBC 73 vs. N.J. Tech 69
  • Jan 12, 2022 - UMBC 76 vs. N.J. Tech 56
  • Feb 02, 2021 - UMBC 75 vs. N.J. Tech 71
  • Jan 31, 2021 - N.J. Tech 69 vs. UMBC 65
  • Jan 02, 2016 - N.J. Tech 86 vs. UMBC 83