WOMEN'S BASKETBALL KICKS OFF DEC. 20 DOUBLEHEADER VERSUS HOLY CROSS
THE MATCHUP
Sunday's matchup marks the 19th meeting
all-time between New Hampshire and Holy Cross College. The
Crusaders hold a 12-6 record in the series, with their most recent
victory coming in a 87-60 decision on Nov. 21, 2000 at the Hart
Center. UNH's first matchup against Holy Cross came on Feb. 15,
1983, which resulted in a 69-57 Wildcat victory. In the last five
meetings between the two squads, Holy Cross has a 4-1 record
against New Hampshire. However, the Wildcats controlled the series
in the first five meetings, posting a 4-1 record, including four
straight wins.
SCOUTING HOLY CROSS (3-7):
In Holy Cross' last outing, the Crusaders fell
to the University of Vermont, 78-56, on Dec. 7 ... Courtnay
Pilypaitis and May Kotsopoulos combined for 47 points in the
contest, leading the way for the Catamounts ... With the loss, Holy
Cross fell to 3-7 on the season, while Vermont improved to 6-1 ...
Briana McFadden led the Crusaders with a team-high 15 points and
eight rebounds ... Holy Cross started out the game with a 3-2 lead,
but that wouldn't last long as Vermont posted a 13-point run,
taking a 15-3 lead at 13:24 ... Vermont would continue to shut down
Holy Cross, holding the Crusaders to just eight points in the next
eight minutes of the action ... In that time, the Catamounts pushed
ahead with their largest lead to that point, with a 20-point
advantage with 4:44 remaining in the first frame ... Vermont
continued to pile on the points in the remainder of the stanza,
holding a 43-24 lead at the intermission ... Holy Cross shot 37.5
percent in the half, while Vermont shot 47.1 percent ... The
Catamounts continued to stay hot in the second half, pulling ahead
by 24 points, capitalizing on three Holy Cross turnovers ...
Vermont then posted its largest lead of the game, 66-35, with 8:47
remaining ... Holy Cross was able to cut the lead down to 19 on
back-to-back 3-pointers by Bethany O'Dell, however, the deficit was
too much to overcome as Vermont held on to win ... O'Dell and
Whitney Fremeau notched 12 and 11 points, respectively in the
contest ... O'Dell leads the Crusaders with 14.6 points and 3.1
rebounds per game .. McFadden adds 13.0 points, 3.9 rebounds and
2.8 assists per game ... Fremeau has chipped in with 13.0 points
and 5.7 rebounds per game.
SCOUTING NEW HAMPSHIRE (3-5):
Last time out the University of New Hampshire women's
basketball team fell to Central Connecticut State University,
60-48, on Dec. 10 at Lundholm Gymnasium ... Jill McDonald
(Middlebury, Vt.) scored 12 points, tallied six rebounds, two
assists and two blocks, earning America East Player of the Game
honors for UNH ... The two squads tipped off the action trading
baskets, until UNH strung off a 6-0 run, sparked by a McDonald
jumper at 11:57 that gave the Wildcats the early 11-10 lead ... New
Hampshire capped off the stretch with a pair of jumpers by Candace
Williams (Norfolk, Mass.) and McDonald, pushing its lead to five,
with the score 15-10 at 10:15 ... CCSU would fire back with a 6-0
run of its own, holding a 16-15 advantage over the ‘Cats ...
Emily Rose hit the go-ahead bucket for CCSU on a jumper at the
9-minute mark, giving the Blue Devils their first lead in nearly
three minutes ... Kelley Flynn (Hopinkton, N.H.) and Diamon
Beckford (Philadelphia, Pa.) answered the call for the Wildcats,
scoring back-to-back baskets pushing the score to 20-16 with 6:28
remaining ... The Blue Devils were once again quick to respond, as
Alexzandria Dowdy rebuttaled with a 3-pointer of her own on the
ensuing possession, sparking a 6-1 run, giving CCSU a 24-22 lead
with 3:08 remaining ... However, UNH would enter the half up 33-29
after Denise Beliveau (Framingham, Mass) nailed a trifecta at the
buzzer to close out the stanza ... The Blue Devils kicked off the
second half with back-to-back 3-pointers on ensuing possessions,
giving the visitors the 35-33 advantage with 18:46 remaining ...
The quick start would be a tale of things to come for CCSU, as they
closed out the game with a 17-6 run that built its lead up to 12
and proved to be too much of a burden for New Hampshire to overcome
... Beliveau added six points, seven boards, three assists and two
steals in the loss ... Lauren Wells (West Chester, Pa.) chipped in
with five points, five assists and four rebounds ... In UNH's
previous outing, the Wildcats fell short against St. Peter's
College, 66-47, on Dec. 5 at the Yanitelli Center ... The win
snapped a three-game losing streak for the Peahens, moving them to
2-3 on the season, while the Wildcats fell to 3-4 ... Williams and
Beliveau led the Wildcats with 15 and 12 points, respectively ...
The first five minutes of the action opened with both teams trading
blows, as a basket by Denise Beliveau at 10:55, knotted the action
at 7-7 with 15:55 remaining ... Following the stretch, the two
squads would continue to trade baskets, until UNH pulled ahead with
its largest lead of the game on a basket by Williams at 11:16 set
the score at 17-14 ... The two squads battled back and forth
for the next six minutes of play, in a stretch that featured three
ties and six lead changes ... The Peahens would catch fire late in
the stanza, as a pair of free throws by Jessica Coles at 5:03
sparked a 14-3 run to close out the half, giving the home team a
37-27 advantage at the intermission ... Midway through the second
frame, the Peahens strung off a 14-2 run that lasted nearly seven
minutes, building their largest lead of the contest, with a 55-35
advantage at 10:31 ... Beliveau snapped the scoring stretch,
knocking down three free throws in a one-minute span, to kick off a
9-4 New Hampshire run ... Williams capped off the stretch with a
3-pointer and a jumper on back-to-back possessions, cutting the
Peahens' lead down to 15, setting the score at 59-44 with 4:53
remaining ... For New Hampshire, the run was too little too late,
as St. Peter's would once again pick up the pieces with five
unanswered points, pushing its lead back up to 20, while holding
UNH to just three points in the final four minutes of play to
preserve the win
NOW BOARDING
Kelley Flynn (Hopkinton, N.H.) has pulled in 11
rebounds in 14 minutes of action in the last two games for the
'Cats. In her most recent outing, she ripped down five boards,
scored four points and tallied a block and a steal against Central
Connecticut State on Dec. 10. She was just as effective in the game
prior against St. Peter's, pulling down a season-high six rebounds
against the Peahens. On the season, she is averaging 1.9 points and
2.5 rebounds per game.
SPREADING THE FLOOR
The Wildcats currently have three players
averaging in double-figure scoring, with Denise Beliveau
(Framingham, Mass.) leading the way with 12.4 points per game,
while Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.) and Jill McDonald
(Middlebury, Vt.) are averaging 11.9 and 10.1 points per game. The
last time at least three Wildcats ended the season averaging
double-figures in scoring was the 2007-08 campaign, when Amy
Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) averaged 11.3 points, Ashley Cerniglia
averaged 10.8 points, Williams averaged 10.5 points and Beliveau
averaged 10.0 points per game.
STEALING THE SHOW
Denise Beliveau (Framingham, Mass.) tied her
career-high with five steals against Seton Hall on Dec. 3, marking
the third time she has reached the mark in her UNH career. It was
also the first time a Wildcat compiled five steals in a game since
Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.) did so on Dec. 5, 2008 against
Colgate. For Beliveau, it was the sixth time this season she has
tallied multiple steals in a game. She currently leads the team
with 18 steals and ranks fourth in the conference with an average
of 2.3 steals per game.
SHE'S HEATING UP
Denise Beliveau (Framingham, Mass.) finished
with 14 points, a career-high 14 boards and two blocks to lead the
University of New Hampshire women's basketball team to a 78-65
overtime victory over Harvard University on Nov. 24 at Lundholm
Gymnasium. Beliveau followed that performance by tallying 13
points, seven rebounds and two assists against Quinnipiac on Nov.
29, finishing as one of only two Wildcats in double-figure scoring.
Most recently, she notched six points, pulled down seven boards and
tallied three assists against Central Connecticut State on Dec. 10.
Beliveau has scored in double-figures in five of the last six games
and has compiled at least six rebounds in the last five games. On
the season, the sophomore forward is averaging 12.4 points, 7.4
rebounds, 2.3 steals and 1.3 assists per game. In addition, her 5.8
defensive rebounds per game, rank second in the America East
Conference.
3-POINT PARADE
Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) knocked down a
3-pointer in Thursday's game against Central Connecticut State,
giving her 170 3-point field goals for her career. The impressive
total ranks second all-time in program history, nine field goals
shy of Heidi Plencner's all-time mark of 179. This season, Simpson
has drilled nine trifectas, averaging 5.1 points per game. Last
year, she notched 62 3-pointers, which was the best single-season
mark in program history.
BLOCK PARTY
Jill McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.) tallied two
blocks against CCSU on Thursday, giving her the fifth-best block
total in the conference with 11 to kick off the season. In the game
prior against St. Peter's, she swatted a season-high three shots,
giving her a block in each of the last four games. The quick start
is nothing new for the junior, as she is picking up right where she
left off last season, when she tallied the second best
single-season block total in program history with 47. For her
career, she ranks sixth all-time in blocks with 67.
RIGHT ON POINT
Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) scored seven
points last time out against Central Connecticut State, giving her
41 on the young the season. She now has 915 points for her career,
which ranks 15th all-time in program history. Her two best
offensive outbursts came against No. 21 Maryland and Harvard, when
she tallied a season-high 11 and eight points, respectively. The
point guard came up in the clutch for the Wildcats against Harvard
as she drained the first of two free throws to send the game into
overtime tied at 58-58. Simpson led the charge in the overtime
period as the Wildcats outscored the Crimson 20-7 to earn the 78-65
victory. Last season she notched a career-high 357 points,
averaging 11.5 points per game. In the season prior, she finished
with 315 points, with an average of 11.3 points per game.
ELITE-11
After tallying 7 points and pulling down four
rebounds against Central Connecticut State on Dec. 10, Candace
Williams (Norfolk, Mass.) set herself up to join some elite
company. With 974 points and 535 rebounds in her UNH career,
Williams is on pace to become just the eleventh Wildcat to score
over 1,000 points and compile 500 rebounds in program history. The
last 'Cat to achieve the feat was Danielle Clark in 2007, who
scored 1,331 points and tallied 579 rebounds during the course of
her career. Kris Kinney tops the list, finishing her UNH career
with 2,231 points and 897 rebounds after a four-year stint with the
'Cats from 1985-89.
CENTURY CLUB
Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) tallied one
steal against Central Connecticut State on Dec. 10, giving her 104
steals for her Wildcat career. The impressive total ranks 23rd
all-time in program history. The last Wildcat to break into the
100-steal club was Whitney Edwards, who played for the 'Cats from
2003-07 and compiled 229 for her career, which ranks second
all-time in program history. On the season, Simpson ranks second on
team with 11 steals, averaging 1.1 per game.
DEFENSIVE SPECIALISTS
So far this season the Wildcats have been
playing stellar defense against some impressive company. They have
held opponents to a conference-best .326 shooting percentage from
the floor this year, while shooting an impressive .364 clip
themselves. The fresh start comes against an A-10 (St.
Joseph's, UMass), an ACC (Maryland) and a Big East (Seton Hall)
program, following a season in which opponents shot .404 from the
field against the ‘Cats. Against Quinnipiac on Nov. 29, New
Hampshire held the Bobcats to just 29.5 percent shooting. In the
game prior versus Harvard, the Wildcats kicked off the game playing
stingy defense against the Crimson, holding them scoreless for the
first 5:16 of the action and not allowing a field goal until the
8:44 mark. In UNH's 58-57 win over UMass on Nov. 20, the Wildcats
compiled a season-high 13 steals and forced a season-best 27
turnovers. In UNH's matchup against No. 21 Maryland on Nov. 16, the
‘Cats pestered the Terps into shooting just .278 from the
field, holding their offense to just 63 points, which was
Maryland's second lowest point total in the last 29 games dating
back to last season. The only team to hold the Terps to an even
lower point total was Louisville, who defeated Maryland 77-60 in
the NCAA Elite Eight on March 30, 2009. Against St. Joe's, the
‘Cats were just as impressive, holding the Hawks to just .277
shooting and a total of 56 points.
DOING THE DISHES
Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) has stepped up
in her new role as point guard this season, notching the third-best
assist total in the conference with 38 through the first eight
games this year. Against Seton Hall on Dec. 3, she dished out her
second best total of the season, tallying seven assists. Against
Harvard on Nov. 24, she tallied a season-high eight assists. On the
season, she is averaging 4.8 assists per game. For her career,
Simpson has tallied 244 assists, ranking her 12th all-time in
program history. To break into the top-10 all-time, Simpson needs
just 45 assists, which at her current pace should be attained in 10
games. Simpson has been stellar across the board for the 'Cats this
year, averaging 5.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.4
steals per game. In her most recent action against Central
Connecticut State, she finished with seven points, two assists, one
steal and one block.
DIAMON IN THE ROUGH
Diamon Beckford (Philadelphia, Pa.) scored a
career-high eight points and pulled down five rebounds against
Harvard on Nov. 24. The solid production has been nothing new this
season for the freshman sensation, as she notched three points, six
rebounds and two steals against St. Peter's College on Saturday.
Against UMass on Nov. 20, she tallied six points, five boards and
two steals. In the game prior, she notched seven points, seven
boards and one block against No. 21 Maryland on Nov. 16. In that
contest she helped the Wildcats respond to a 20-9 Terrapin run that
started the game, as she knocked down a jumper at 7:44 to set off
an 11-3 scoring stretch, which cut the home team's lead down to
just three points, with the score set at 23-20 at 4:21. Including
the jumper, she totaled five points on the run. This season
Beckford has posted 4.5 points and 4.0 rebounds per game.
CONSISTENT 'CAT
Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.) netted 15
points against St. Peter's College on Dec. 5, making it the
eleventh time in the last 14 games dating back to last year she has
scored in double-figures. Her most stellar outings this season have
came when she posted a season-high 18 points in back-to-back
efforts against Quinnipiac (Nov. 29) and Harvard (Nov. 24). During
the 14 game span, she has tallied 22 points on two occasions, the
latest coming in a 66-62 win over Albany at the SEFCU Arena on Feb.
28, 2009. Her other 22-point outburst came against defending
conference champion Vermont on Feb. 22, 2009. Last year she posted
double-figures in all 23 games to start the season, including
back-to-back 25-plus point games. She had a career-high 27-point
performance at Boston University (Jan. 17, 2009), then posted 26 at
Stony Brook (Jan. 21, 2009). In 1998-99, Orsi Farkas posted double
figures in all 31 games for the Wildcats.
IN THE CLUTCH
With UNH's 78-65 overtime victory over Harvard
University on Nov. 24, the Wildcats have now won their last six
decisions in overtime dating back to March 1, 2003, when UNH
defeated Stony Brook 70-67 in the extra frame. Tuesday's win marks
the largest margin of victory in overtime in program history. It is
also UNH's first win against Harvard since Dec. 29, 1999, when the
Wildcats defeated the Crimson 70-58 at Lundholm Gymnasium.
DOUBLE-DOUBLE TROUBLE
Denise Beliveau (Framingham, Mass.) notched her
first double-double of the season on Nov. 24 against Harvard with
14 points and 14 rebounds. For the forward, it was her third career
double-double as she also notched double digit efforts against
Northeastern (22 pts, 10 rbs) on Dec. 15, 2007 and Binghamton (18
pts, 11 rbs) on Jan. 19, 2008. Including Tuesday's game against
Harvard, Beliveau has scored in double figures in three games this
season, as she tallied 21 points against St. Joseph's and 15 points
against UMass.
TRIPLE THREAT
In UNH's 78-65 overtime victory over Harvard on
Nov. 24, three Wildcats scored in double-figures for the third time
in a four game stretch. Most recently Candace Williams (18), Jill
McDonald (17), Denise Beliveau (14) helped achieve the feat. The
trio was at it once again versus UMass as Williams (17), Beliveau
(15), and McDonald (10) all scored in double-digits. UNH first
accomplished the plateau this season against St. Joseph's, as
Beliveau led the way with 21 points, while Williams and Lauren
Wells tallied 15 and 12 points, respectively, leading the 'Cats to
a 64-56 victory at Lundholm Gymnasium.
CAREER STRETCH
Jill McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.) poured in a
career-high 17 points for the second time this season against Seton
Hall on Dec. 3. Her previous 17-point output came against Harvard
University on Nov. 24, when she lead the University of New
Hampshire women's basketball team to a 78-65 overtime victory at
Lundholm Gymnasium. In addition to her 17 points, McDonald finished
the night with seven boards and a career-high three assists.
Against UMass on Nov. 20, McDonald knocked down a pair of free
throws with just 0:12 remaining to propel the University of New
Hampshire women's basketball team to a 58-57 victory over the
University of Massachusetts on Nov. 20 at Lundholm Gymnasium. For
her efforts, the center was named the America East Player of the
Game, notching 10 points, nine rebounds, two blocks and two steals
in the contest. In the last six games, McDonald is averaging 11.8
points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. She has also tallied
block in each of the last five games. On the season, she
ranks second in the conference in field goal percentage with a .515
shooting clip.
A-10 SPECIAL
UNH's 58-57 win over UMass on Nov. 20 marked
the first time the Wildcats knocked off two Atlantic-10 teams in
the same season since the 1989-90 campaign. The 'Cats earned their
first victory over an Atlantic-10 opponent this season on Nov. 13,
when they defeated St. Joseph's University 64-56 at Lundholm
Gymnasium. During the 1989-90 season, the Wildcats defeated Rhode
Island 67-56 on Nov. 28 and earned a 66-60 win against UMass on
Dec. 9 to complete the A-10 sweep in non-conference play.
KC MASTERPIECE
The Wildcats improved to 3-1 on the season with
their 78-65 win over Harvard on Nov. 24, marking their best start
since the 2005-06 campaign, when the ‘Cats won three straight
games, starting the year 3-1. The win is also New Hampshire's third
at home this season, which is its best start at Lundholm Gymnasium
since the 1993-94 campaign, when the ‘Cats won their first
six home games on their way to finishing the season 17-11. Last
season, the 'Cats won two games in non-conference, however,
finished the season with a 6-10 record in conference play, rounding
out the year with a 8-23 record.
PICTURE PERFECT
In addition to her 21 points and nine rebounds
in UNH's 64-56 win over St. Joseph's University on Nov. 13, Denise
Beliveau (Framingham, Mass.) tied her career high in free throws
made, knocking down 10-of-10 shots from the charity stripe.
Included in that total are four tallies which came in the last two
minutes of play to seal the victory for the 'Cats. It was the first
time a Wildcat shot 100 percent from the foul line since Danielle
Clark (12-12) did so on Nov. 26, 2006 against Iona. The last time
Beliveau knocked down 10 free throws in a game came against
Northeastern on Dec. 15, 2007. She finished that night with 22
points, 10 rebounds, three assists and two steals.
LAST TIME OUT
Jill McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.) scored 12
points and pulled in six rebounds, but it was not enough, as the
University of New Hampshire women's basketball team fell to Central
Connecticut State University, 60-48, Thursday night at Lundholm
Gymnasium.
With the win, the Blue Devils snap a two game
losing streak and improve to 3-5 and 0-1 in Northeast Conference
play. As for the Wildcats, they fall to 3-5 on the young
season.
The two squads tipped off the action trading
baskets, until UNH strung off a 6-0 run, sparked by a McDonald
jumper at 11:57 that gave the Wildcats the early 11-10 lead. New
Hampshire capped off the stretch with a pair of jumpers by Candace
Williams (Norfolk, Mass.) and McDonald, pushing its lead to five,
with the score 15-10 at 10:15.
Despite the lead, CCSU would fire back with a
6-0 run of its own, holding a 16-15 advantage over the ‘Cats.
Emily Rose hit the go-ahead bucket for CCSU on a jumper at the
9-minute mark, giving the Blue Devils their first lead in nearly
three minutes.
Kelley Flynn (Hopinkton, N.H.) answered the
call for the Wildcats, as she layed the ball in to end the run with
8:10 remaining. Diamon Beckford (Philadelphia, Pa.) added insult to
injury moments later, as she drilled a 3-pointer to extend UNH's
lead to four, pushing the score to 20-16 with 6:28 remaining.
The Blue Devils were once again quick to
respond, as Alexzandria Dowdy rebuttaled with a 3-pointer of her
own on the ensuing possession, sparking a 6-1 run, giving CCSU a
24-22 lead with 3:08 remaining.
Lauren Wells (West Chester, Pa.) responded by
knocking down a trifecta next trip down the floor, reclaiming the
lead, as the ‘Cats pushed ahead 25-24 with 2:51
remaining.
Denise Beliveau (Framingham, Mass) added to the
mix moments later as she scored three points the old-fashioned-way,
taking back the four-point lead with 1:47 remaining.
Despite the flurry of scoring, CCSU was quick
to the draw, as Justina Udenze knocked down the first of two free
throws and Gabrielle Oglesby nailed a jumper on back-to-back
possessions, cutting UNH's lead down to one, with the score
28-27.
McDonald would quickly answer with jumper on
the next trip down the floor, giving UNH a three-point advantage.
Oglesby knocked down a pair of free throws on the ensuing
possession, cutting the lead back down to one with 0:32 remaining.
However, Beliveau drained a 3-pointer at the buzzer to put the
‘Cats up 33-29 at the intermission.
The Blue Devils kicked off the second stanza
with back-to-back 3-pointers on ensuing possessions, giving the
visitors the 35-33 advantage with 18:46 remaining. Amy Simpson
(Waterford, Conn.) responded to the run with a midrange jumper,
knotting up the action at 35-35 apiece.
Despite the basket, CCSU kept up the pace in
the moments that followed, posting an 8-1 run, earning its largest
lead to that point, with a 43-36 advantage at 15:28.
New Hampshire picked up the pieces following
the stretch, stringing off a 6-0 run, capped off with a layup by
Williams at 11:43, setting the score at 43-42, in favor of the
visitors.
However, the late push by the ‘Cats was
not enough to overcome the Blue Devils, as CCSU closed out the
action with a 17-6 run that built its lead up to 12 and proved to
be too much of a burden for New Hampshire to overcome.
McDonald earned America East Player of the Game
honors for UNH, as she finished with 12 points, six rebounds, two
assists and two blocks. Beliveau added six points, seven boards,
three assists and two steals. Wells chipped in with five points,
five assists and four rebounds.
Udenze led the Blue Devils with 15 rebounds and
12 rebounds. Oglesby added 10 points and six boards.
WILDCATS PICKED FOURTH IN PRESEASON POLL
The University of New Hampshire women's
basketball team received 38 points to place fourth in the America
East preseason poll that was released this afternoon by the
conference.
The Wildcats finished last season in fifth
place in the conference with an 8-23 record, including a 6-10 mark
against America East opponents, after being picked seventh in last
year's preseason poll. New Hampshire's 38-point total tied with
Boston University, who is coming off an undefeated conference
regular season and its first appearance in the postseason WNIT.
UMBC finished followed closely behind UNH and BU, with 35 points in
the sixth place spot.
Vermont, last year's conference champion, is
predicted to once again capture the title, receiving five first
place votes and tallying 61 points. Hartford is selected to finish
second with 60 points, garnering four first place votes in the
poll. Binghamton is predicted to finish third, with 45 points.
Stony Brook University is slated to finish
seventh (23 points), while the University of Maine (13) and the
University at Albany (11 points) round out the final three spots in
the poll.
WILDCATS PICKED FOURTH IN PRESEASON POLL
The University of New Hampshire women's
basketball team received 38 points to place fourth in the America
East preseason poll that was released this afternoon by the
conference.
The Wildcats finished last season in fifth
place in the conference with an 8-23 record, including a 6-10 mark
against America East opponents, after being picked seventh in last
year's preseason poll. New Hampshire's 38-point total tied with
Boston University, who is coming off an undefeated conference
regular season and its first appearance in the postseason WNIT.
UMBC finished followed closely behind UNH and BU, with 35 points in
the sixth place spot.
Vermont, last year's conference champion, is
predicted to once again capture the title, receiving five first
place votes and tallying 61 points. Hartford is selected to finish
second with 60 points, garnering four first place votes in the
poll. Binghamton is predicted to finish third, with 45 points.
Stony Brook University is slated to finish
seventh (23 points), while the University of Maine (13) and the
University at Albany (11 points) round out the final three spots in
the poll.
SEASON OF HIGH HOPES
Entering her third year at the helm of the
University of New Hampshire women's basketball program, head coach
Kristin Cole begins the 2009-10 season with all the pieces aligned
to make a run at the America East competition. With the return of
every player from last year's team, as well as the addition of high
impact newcomers, the Wildcats look poised to become a true
contender in the conference.
The Wildcats will once again look to the
veteran leadership of senior forward Candace Williams (Norfolk,
Mass.) and senior guard Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) to lead the
team.
Williams is fresh off her best season in white
and blue becoming a staple in the Wildcat lineup starting every
game last season. She made the most of her time on the court
becoming one of just two players in the America East conference to
rank in the top three in both scoring (16.1) and rebounding (8.1).
Her efforts also led to her being selected to the America East
All-Conference Second Team, becoming only the tenth player in
program history to do so.
Simpson also started in all 31 games for the
Wildcats last season, averaging a career-high 11.5 points per game,
a total that ranked second on the team and 12th in the conference.
She also ranked second on the squad in assists and steals with 90
and 29, respectively. Simpson poises the greatest threat beyond the
arc as she drained the best single-season mark for 3-pointers made
in program history with 62 last year. Her most prolific performance
came against Colgate (12/5) when she nailed six 3-pointers to tie a
UNH single-game record.
Perhaps the biggest addition to this year's
squad is the return of Denise Beliveau (Framingham, Mass.), who sat
out last season due to injury. In her first season in 2007-08, she
was the only freshman to play in 28 of 29 games, averaging 10
points and 6.2 rebounds per game, which topped the America East
freshmen class. In fact, her performance was so impressive that she
was named to the America East All-Rookie team and became the third
player in UNH history to win the Rookie of the Year award. However,
she didn't just stand out in scoring, as she also tallied the
second best totals in rebounds and assists with 174 and 55,
respectively.
Anchoring the ‘Cats in the middle is
senior Racheal Fowler (Glassboro, N.J.). Fowler, started in all 31
games last season, finishing with 5.9 points per game and 5.5
rebounds per game, leading the team in field goal percentage (.513;
79-154).
Fellow senior Chrissy Hall (Northbridge, Mass.)
will also be called upon as she looks to build on a relatively
productive 2008-09 season in which she played in all 31 games and
started in 13. Her defensive prowess became truly evident last
season as she ranked second on the team in blocks with 22, while
also adding 22 steals. In addition, she averaged 3.6 points per
game and 3.2 rebounds per game.
The Wildcats fill out the frontcourt with a
plethora of experience and talent that is sure to provide solid
depth and production throughout the 2009-10 campaign. Juniors Jill
McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.), Kate Early (Corning, N.Y.) and
sophomore Kelley Flynn (Hopinkton, N.H.), provide a solid veteran
presence and are sure to make an immediate impact this season.
McDonald should prove to be a solid piece to
the puzzle this season as she provides size and a solid defensive
presence in the middle. After playing in all 31 games, including
one start, McDonald emerged as a defensive stopper for the
‘Cats as she racked up a team-high 47 blocks. Her average of
1.5 blocks per game not only was a team high but ranked fourth in
America East. She also notched 3.5 points per game and 3.3 rebounds
per game.
Early played in all 31 games, including 14
starts for the ‘Cats last season. She ranked second on the
team in field goal percentage (.493; 34-69), giving New Hampshire a
solid overall lift with an average of 2.7 points per game. More
importantly, she collected the third most rebounds and steals on
the team with 130 and 23, respectively.
Rounding out the frontcourt for the Wildcats is
Flynn who joins the Wildcats after playing in 21 collegiate games
with the Richmond Spiders. Flynn is sure to make an impact with the
‘Cats under the basket as her 6-5 frame will give the
Wildcats a presence in the middle. The McDonald's All-American
nominee led Hopkinton High School to the State Semifinals and State
Championships. She ranked as a top-10 player in Varsity New England
Magazine for two straight years and was rated the 48th-best center
in the country by the All-Star Girls Report Recruiting Service.
The backcourt will feature a dynamic duo of
young talented point guards as returning starter Abigail LaRosa
(Hampton, N.H.) and Kelsey Hogan (Nashua, N.H.) should provide
stability within the rotation.
LaRosa played and started in all 31 games for
the Wildcats last season posting an average of 6.4 points per game,
while averaging a team best 3.0 assists per game and 3.2 rebounds
per game. The sophomore didn't fall short defensively either, as
she led the team in steals with 35 and chipped in with six
blocks.
As for Hogan, her season was cut short last
year due to injury, but in the limited time she saw the court she
provided a great offensive spark for the Wildcats. Starting in the
three games in which she played, Hogan averaged 8.0 points per game
along with 3.3 rebounds per game and 3.0 assists per game. The
freshman's best game came against Bryant (11/14) when she notched a
career-high 20 points and eight rebounds against the Bulldogs.
Sophomore Lauren Wells (West Chester, Pa.) adds
depth for the ‘Cats as she looks to build on a promising
freshman campaign. Playing in 29 games for New Hampshire last
season she posted 5.1 points per game and 1.9 rebounds per game.
Her potential was best exhibited when she poured in a season high
13 points to go along with two assists, a block and a steal against
Vermont (2/1).
Freshmen Diamon Beckford (Philadelphia, Pa.),
Jilliane Friel (Durham, N.H.), Jackie Lyons (Reading, Mass.) and
Cari Reed (Oswego, N.Y) will all compete for playing time.
Beckford, who played at Upper Darby High
School, became the fourth player in the school's history to surpass
the 1,000-point marker, in her junior year. In her senior season
she won league MVP and surpassed the 1,000 mark in career rebounds.
The three-time All-Delco first-team member was a third-team
All-Southeastern Pennsylvania selection her junior year, as
well.
Friel, who comes from a long line of New
Hampshire basketball tradition, is the daughter of the late Gerry
Friel, the winningest coach in the history of the UNH men's
basketball program. The three-time Foster's Daily Democrat
Basketball Dream Team member won the league Player of the Year
award and surpassed the 1,000-point mark in her senior season. As a
junior she led the Bobcats to the state quarterfinals and was named
a second-team all-state basketball selection. In 2006, she led the
Bobcats to an undefeated record (22-0) on their way to winning the
Class I state championship.
Lyons compiled over 1,000 points during her
career at Reading High School, including a total of 436 points
during her senior season. During that season she was named North
Section Player of the Year and helped lead the Rockets to a
Middlesex League Championship. In 2007, she was the conference's
leading scorer with an average of 18.1 points per game. During that
season she was selected to the Middlesex All-League team and named
the Woburn Times Chronicle Player of the Year.
Reed, who scored over 1,000 while playing at
Oswego High School, was a three-time selection to both the
All-League first-team and the All-CNY (Central New York) team. She
was selected as the conference Player of the Year in 2008 and 2009
and was also a member of the all-state ninth-team.
With a solid group of core players, increased
depth and a load of young talent, the Wildcats have set themselves
up not only for a successful campaign in 2009-10 but to become a
top talent in the America East for many years to
come.
