Hughes hopes to go out on high note

The 5-foot-7 point guard then got thrown into the proverbial fire as a sophomore when she emerged as the starter for the Retrievers. Hughes? game has improved steadily since then. Now, the Roanoke, Va., native is considered one of the leaders on the team.

She is currently second on the team in scoring (11.4 points per game) and leads the America East Conference in assists average (4.6). Also a great defender on the perimeter, she is fifth in the league with two steals per game. UMBC is 10-10 overall, 3-4 in conference.

“Brittnie has gotten better every year she has been here,” UMBC coach Phil Stern said. “She has always been a great passer, but she has really worked hard to be a better three-point shooter.”

Hughes displayed her offensive prowess Wednesday, when she scored a team-high 16 points in a 74-66 loss to conference rival Maine.

Hughes said becoming a more well-rounded player is something she has worked at since her freshman year, when she averaged just 1.3 points a game. Today, she is also a dangerous three-point threat with a .384 shooting percentage beyond the arc.

“I stayed in Baltimore rather than going home in the offseason so I could work out and become a better player,” Hughes said. “I?ve always loved to pass and get my teammates involved, but now I know that if the team needs me to, I can score at key times in the game.”

As the regular season enters its final month, Hughes knows she and the team?s other two seniors have to play with a sense of urgency if they want to win the conference tournament and advancing to the NCAA tournament.

“We?ve come a long way, but we haven?t been shooting the ball well lately,” Hughes said. “We have a lot of good players, so I think we?ll be fine if we continue to work like we have.”

THE HUGHES FILE

» Position: Guard

» Major: Psychology

» Did you know: Hughes ranked second in assists last year in conference at 4.2 a game ? She became a starter her sophomore year, starting 27 of 28 games.