WOMEN'S HOOP HITS THE ROAD TO TAKE ON UMBC (JAN. 16)
THE MATCHUP
Saturday's matchup between the Retrievers and
Wildcats marks the 13th meeting all-time between both squads. New
Hampshire won four of the first six meetings against UMBC, however,
over the course of the last two seasons, both teams have split the
series, with UNH earning the latest win in a 73-65 decision at
Lundholm Gymnasium on Feb. 8, 2009.
SCOUTING UMBC (8-8, 2-1 AE):
Last time out UMBC (8-8, 2-1 AE) earned a 62-57
victory over America East rival Albany (7-8, 0-2 AE) Wednesday
afternoon at the SEFCU Arena ... Topé Obajolu tied her
career high with 15 points and added nine rebounds, while sophomore
guard Katie Brooks scored a season-high 16 points in the win ...
Erin Brown was the only other Retriever in double figures with 12
points and seven rebounds ... Michelle Kurowski had eight points
... With the win, the Retrievers have now won four of their last
six games ... Prior to that stretch, UMBC had lost four straight
games, with losses to Delaware (Dec. 5) and West Virginia (Dec. 22)
... On the season, the Retrievers rank second in both field goal
percentage (.397) and defensive field goal percentage (.372) in the
America East ... UMBC also ranks second in the conference in free
throw percentage, shooting a .695 clip from the charity stripe ...
On the glass UMBC has been just as solid, ranking first in the
America East in defensive rebounds, with an average of 26.3 per
game ... Kurowski leads the team with an average of 14.8 points and
6.9 rebounds per game this season ... Her point total ranks third
in the conference, while her rebound total places eighth in the
America East ... Carlee Cassidy is averaging 13.6 points per game
... She has tallied the second most 3-point field goals in the
conference with 36, shooting a .310 clip from downtown ... Brooks
has chipped in with 8.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists per
game.
SCOUTING NEW HAMPSHIRE (5-11, 0-4 AE):
Last time out the University of New Hampshire
women's basketball team fell to the University of Maine 65-61 on
Jan. 12 at Lundholm Gymnasium ... Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.)
tallied a season-high 21 points, three rebounds, three assists and
two blocks and was named the America East Player of the Game for
New Hampshire ... Denise Beliveau (Framingham, Mass.) tallied 13
points, 11 rebounds, four assists and two steals in the contest,
notching her second double-double of the season ... Candace
Williams (Norfolk, Mass.) added 12 points, three rebounds, an
assist and a block ... For the Wildcats, it was the fifth time this
season three 'Cats have scored in double figures ... Williams leads
the team with an impressive 6.6 rebounds per game, which currently
ranks ninth in the conference ... She now has 1,080 points and 588
rebounds for her career, totals that rank 11th and ninth,
respectively, all-time in program history ... Jill McDonald
(Middlebury, Vt.) notched four points, three rebounds and two
blocks ... She has now tallied a block in 11 of the last 12 games
... She currently ranks second in the conference in blocks with 36
this season, which is good for an average of 2.3 per game ... She
also has the third-best field goal percentage in the conference
with a .520 shooting clip ... The ‘Cats rank second in the
conference in blocked shots with 75 ...Simpson knocked down a
season-high three 3-pointers in the game, tying her for first
all-time in program history in career 3-point field goals with 179
... The mark comes after a season in which she set the UNH
single-season 3-point field goal record with 62 ... With her
21-point output, Simpson now has 972 career points and is 28 points
away from becoming just the 15th player in UNH history to reach the
1,000-point plateau ... Simpson's three assists gives her 288
assists for her career, a mark which ranks 10th all-time in program
history ... Simpson ranks second in the conference in assists, with
an average of 5.1 per game this season ... Simpson has now scored
in double figures in the last five meetings against the Black Bears
... In that span, the guard has led the 'Cats to a 4-1 record,
while averaging 17.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.4 blocks
and 1.0 steals per game ... New Hampshire is shooting an impressive
.380 clip from the floor this season, a mark that currently ranks
fourth in the conference ... The Wildcats have three players
averaging in double figure scoring, with Williams leading the way
with 12.6 points per game, while Beliveau and McDonald are
averaging 12.1 and 10.0 points per game ... The last time at least
three Wildcats ended the season averaging double-figures in scoring
was the 2007-08 campaign, when Simpson averaged 11.3 points, Ashley
Cerniglia averaged 10.8 points, Williams averaged 10.5 points and
Beliveau averaged 10.0 points per game ... In the game prior, the
Wildcats lost to the University of Hartford, 72-45, on Jan. 9 ...
Williams and Beliveau scored 13 and 10 points, respectively, in the
contest ... Simpson added eight points, three assists and two
steals for UNH ... McDonald chipped in with four points and
three rebounds ... Against Stony Brook on Jan. 6, the ‘Cats
dropped a 69-57 decision to the Seawolves ... Williams scored a
team-high 17 points, while also tallying seven rebounds and a
block, earning America East Player of the Game honors for New
Hampshire ... Lauren Wells (West Chester, Pa.) finished the night
with eight points, five rebounds and a steal ... McDonald added
nine points, five blocks and three boards.
3-POINT PARADE
Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) knocked down a
season-high three 3-pointers on Jan. 12 against Maine, tying her
for first all-time in program history in career 3-point field goals
with 179. The impressive total is tied with Heidi Plencner's
all-time mark, which she set in 2002. This season, Simpson has
drilled 18 trifectas, averaging 6.1 points per game. Last year, she
notched 62 3-pointers, which was the best single-season mark in
program history.
RIGHT ON POINT
Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) scored a
season-high 21 points last time out against Maine, giving her 98 on
the season. She now has 972 points for her career, which ranks 15th
all-time in program history. Aside from her stellar outing against
the Black Bears, Simpson's two best offensive outbursts came
against No. 21 Maryland and Holy Cross, when she tallied 11 and 10
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.
THE AWAKENING
Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) torched the nets
for a season-high 21 points against Maine on Jan. 12, a mark that
stands as the most points the senior has scored since netting 21
against Stony Brook on Jan. 21, 2009. In addition to scoring 21
points against the Black Bears, Simpson also tallied three
rebounds, three assists and two blocks. In her last three games,
Simpson is averaging 11.7 points, 3.0 assists and 2.3 rebounds per
game.
PASSING THE GREATS
Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) tallied three
assists against Maine on Jan. 12, giving her 288 assists for her
career, a mark that ranks 10th all-time in program history. This
season she has compiled 82 assists and is currently on pace to
break her single-season career-high of 90 assists, which she set
last season. Prior to the 2008-09 campaign, Simpson tallied 77
assists during the 2007-08 season and 39 assists in 2006-07.
BEAR KILLER
With Amy Simpson's (Waterford, Conn.) 21-point
outburst against Maine on Jan. 12, she has now scored in double
figures in the last five meetings against the Black Bears. In that
span, the guard has led the 'Cats to a 4-1 record, while averaging
17.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.0 steals
per game.
THREE'S COMPANY
Three Wildcats scored in double-figures for the
fifth time this season against Maine on Jan. 12. Amy Simpson
(Waterford, Conn.) led the way with 21 points, while Denise
Beliveau (Framingham, Mass.) and Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.)
tallied 13 and 12 points, respectively. The last time three 'Cats
reached the mark was against Louisville on Dec. 22. In that
contest, Williams and Jill McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.) each tallied
18 points, while Lauren Wells (West Chester, Pa.) added 12 points.
Prior to that, Williams (18), McDonald (17) and Beliveau (14)
helped achieve the feat in UNH's 78-65 overtime victory over
Harvard on Nov. 24. 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 Wells tallied 15 and 12 points, respectively, leading
the 'Cats to a 64-56 victory at Lundholm Gymnasium.
DOING THE DISHES
Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) has stepped up in
her new role as point guard this season, notching the second-best
assist total in the conference with 82. Against Louisville on Dec.
22, she tallied her second best assist total of the season, dishing
out eight assists for the second time this year. In the game prior,
she tied a career-high with 11 assists against Holy Cross College
on Dec. 20. The last time she reached the 11-assist mark came
against UMBC on Feb. 2, 2008. For her career, Simpson has tallied
288 assists, ranking her 10th all-time in program history. Simpson
has been solid across the board for the ‘Cats this year,
averaging 6.1 points, 5.1 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals per
game.
CONSISTENT 'CAT
Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.) netted 12
points against Maine on Jan. 12, making it the 18th time in the
last 22 games dating back to last year she has scored in
double-figures. Against Louisville on Dec. 22, she notched a
season-high 18 points for the third time this year. Her two other
18-point outings came in back-to-back efforts against Quinnipiac
(Nov. 29) and Harvard (Nov. 24). During the 22 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.
DOUBLE-DOUBLE TROUBLE
Denise Beliveau (Framingham, Mass.) notched her
second double-double of the season on Jan. 12 against Maine with 13
points and 11 rebounds. She 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 fourth 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.
Prior to Beliveau's impressive outing, Candace Williams (Norfolk,
Mass.) notched her first double-double of the season against
Canisius College on Dec. 28 with 12 points and 11 rebounds. For
Williams, the impressive mark comes as her 14th career
double-double. Last season, the forward earned a conference-best 10
double-doubles. Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) also notched a
double-double this season, tallying 10 points and a career-high 11
assists against Holy Cross on Dec. 20.
MAKE ROOM AT THE TOP
Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.) pulled in two
boards against Stony Brook on Jan. 6, moving her to ninth all-time
in career rebounds. The senior leads the team with 6.6 rebounds per
game, a total that currently ranks ninth in the conference.
Williams has compiled at least seven rebounds in five of the last
eight games, including an outing against Canisius College on Dec.
28, when she tallied a season-high 11 rebounds. For her career she
has compiled 588 boards.
CHARITY DRIVE
Since the start of conference play the Wildcats
rank second in the America East in free throw percentage with a
.684 clip from the free throw line. On the season, UNH ranks
seventh in the conference in free throw percentage, posting a .665
clip from the line. Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.) leads the
Wildcats with a 76.6 shooting percentage from the charity stripe,
including a .818 clip in conference action.
TWO OF A KIND
Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) is one of just
two Wildcats all-time to tally at least 900 points, 250 assists and
100 steals in a career at UNH. For her career, the senior has
racked up 972 points, 288 assists and 113 steals. The only other
'Cat to reach such milestones is Martha Morrison, who played for
UNH from 1978-82, finishing her career with 914 points, 368 assists
and 167 steals.
WILDCAT BLOCK PARTY
The Wildcats currently rank second in the
conference in blocks with 75, which is good for an average of 4.7
per game. Jill McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.) leads the way for the
‘Cats this season, notching 36 blocks, while Amy Simpson
(Waterford, Conn.) ranks second on the squad with 13.
SPREADING THE FLOOR
The Wildcats currently have three players
averaging in double figure scoring, with Candace Williams (Norfolk,
Mass.) leading the way with 12.6 points per game, while Denise
Beliveau (Framingham, Mass.)and Jill McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.) are
averaging 12.1 and 10.0 points per game. Currently, the 'Cats are
one of just four teams in the conference to have three or more
players averaging in double-figures. 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.
RE-WRITING THE HISTORY BOOKS
Jill McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.) ranks second in
the conference in blocks with 36 this season, which is good for an
average of 2.3 per game. She has been on an especially hot pace
since the start of conference play, with an average of 2.8 blocks
per game, a mark that ranks first in the America East. The center
has tallied at least four blocks in four of the last seven games
and has notched a block in 11 of the last 12 games. Her most
impressive outing came against then 23rd-ranked Syracuse Orange on
Dec. 30, when she set the UNH single-game record for blocks with
seven. Against Stony Brook on Jan. 6 she notched five blocks,
marking the third time this season she has swatted at least five
shots. The first time she reached the 5-block plateau came against
Louisville on Dec. 22, which also marked the first time a Wildcat
tallied at least five blocks in a game since Ray Williams reached
the mark against Yale on Nov. 19, 2005. 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 fourth
all-time in blocks with 92.
RAINING 3'S
New Hampshire drilled eight 3-pointers against
Hartford on Jan. 9, marking just the third time this season the
‘Cats have knocked down at least eight trifectas. The last
time UNH reached the plateau came against then 23rd-ranked Syracuse
when the Wildcats drained a season-high 10 3-pointers on Dec. 30.
For the Wildcats, it was the first time they drilled at least 10
3-pointers since draining 14 trifectas against Colgate on Dec. 5,
2008. Denise Beliveau (Framingham, Mass.) led the way knocking down
a season-high four trifectas, while Candace Williams (Norfolk,
Mass.) and Cari Reed (Oswego, N.Y.) each hit two apiece and Lauren
Wells (West Chester, Pa.) and Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) each
added a trey to the mix.
3-POINT SPECIALIST
Lauren Wells (West Chester, Pa.) has tallied 17
3-point field goals this season, while shooting the seventh-best
field goal percentage (.362) in the conference from beyond the arc.
The success from downtown is a pleasant surprise for the guard, who
knocked down just seven treys from 3-point range last season paired
with a .194 shooting percentage. Wells is averaging 5.1 points, 1.6
rebounds and 1.1 assists per game this season.
TICKLE THE TWINE
New Hampshire is shooting an impressive .380
clip from the floor this season, a mark that currently ranks fourth
in the conference. UNH's stellar marksmanship from the field comes
after a season in which the ‘Cats shot 35.7 percent from the
floor. The last time the Wildcats finished the season with a
shooting clip above .380 was during the 2006-07 campaign, when they
finished the year with a 38.3 shooting percentage.
AGAINST ALL ODDS
With UNH's 42-40 victory over Canisius College
on Dec. 28, the Wildcats snapped a seven-game America East
Conference losing streak against the Golden Griffins. Earlier this
season, Canisius earned a pair of wins against America East
opponents, with victories over Binghamton (49-46) and Albany
(52-41). For New Hampshire, the win comes as the program's second
in its last three meetings against Canisius College.
KC MASTERPIECE
After rounding out non-conference play against
Syracuse on Dec. 30, UNH head coach Kristin Cole is off to her best
start during her tenure at New Hampshire, leading the 'Cats to a
5-7 record in non-conference play to kick off the season. The
impressive total comes as the most non-conference wins the Wildcats
have earned since also tallying five wins during the 2006-07
campaign.
TORCHING THE NETS
The Wildcats scored 80 points against Holy Cross
on Dec. 20, marking the largest point total posted by New Hampshire
since it notched 85 points against UMBC on Jan. 10, 2009. The
80-point output not only comes as a season-high in scoring, but it
also marks the first time UNH has shot over 50 percent (54.4;
31-57) from the floor since the ‘Cats did so against Iona on
Dec. 12, 2007, when they finished with a .500 percent (30-60)
shooting clip.
CAREER NIGHT
Jill McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.) tallied
career-highs in points (18) and rebounds (9) against Louisville on
Dec. 22. McDonald reached the 18-point mark in the game prior
against Holy Cross, when she helped lead the 'Cats to an 80-72
victory. The success is nothing new for the junior center, as she
is off to a stellar start this season, posting 10.0 points, 4.6
rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game this year.
DOING WELLS
Lauren Wells (West Chester, (Pa.) tallied 12
points, one shy of her career high, against the University of
Louisville on Dec. 22. In addition, she also compiled a career-high
four steals in the contest. For Wells, it was the second time this
season she has scored 12 points, as she also reached the mark in a
64-56 win against St. Joseph's on Nov. 13.
5-HEADED MONSTER
Five Wildcats finished in double-figure scoring
in an 80-72 decision against Holy Cross College on Dec. 22. Denise
Beliveau (Framingham, Mass.) led all scorers with 20 points and was
followed by Jill McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.; 18 points, six
rebounds), Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.; 15 points, nine
rebounds), Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.; 10 points, 11 assists)
and Racheal Fowler (Glassboro, N.J.; 10 points). The last time five
Wildcats scored in double-figures was against Colgate on Dec. 5,
2008, when Simpson (24), Abigial LaRosa (Hampton, N.H.) (19),
Williams (13), Chrissy Hall (Northbridge, Mass.) (13) and Fowler
(10) all scored in double-figures.
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 .356 shooting percentage from
the floor this year, while shooting an impressive .380 clip
themselves. The fresh start comes against an A-10 (St. Joseph's,
UMass), an ACC (Maryland) and three Big East (Seton Hall,
Louisville, Syracuse) programs, following a season in which
opponents shot .404 from the field against the ‘Cats. Most
recently against No. 23 Syracuse, the ‘Cats held the Orange
to their second lowest offensive output this season, allowing just
58 points and forcing them to shoot just 31.5 percent from the
floor. Against Canisius College on Dec. 28, the Wildcats held the
Golden Griffins to .267 shooting and just 40 points, marks that are
both team-highs. 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.
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. On the season, Beliveau has tallied multiple steals in a
game nine times for the Wildcats. She currently leads the team with
28 steals, with an average of 1.8 steals per game.
CENTURY CLUB
Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) tallied a steal
against Maine on Jan. 12, giving her 113 steals for her Wildcat
career. The impressive total ranks 21st 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 20 steals,
averaging 1.3 per game.
WELCOME TO THE CLUB
After tallying 18 points and pulling down five
rebounds against Louisville on Dec. 22, Candace Williams (Norfolk,
Mass.) became just the eleventh Wildcat to score over 1,000 points
and compile 500 rebounds in program history. For her career she has
compiled 1,080 points and 588 rebounds. The last 'Cat to
achieve the feat was Danielle Clark in 2007, who finished her UNH
career with 1,331 points and 579 rebounds. 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.
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.
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.
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
Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) poured in a
season-high 21 points, but it wasn't enough, as the University of
New Hampshire women's basketball team fell to the University of
Maine, 65-61, Tuesday night at Lundholm Gymnasium.
With the win, the Black Bears improve to 5-11 on
the season and 1-3 in America East play. As for the Wildcats, they
fall to 5-11 on the year and 0-4 in conference action.
Simpson, who in addition to scoring 21 points,
tallied three rebounds, three assists and two blocks, was named the
America East Player of the Game for New Hampshire. For Maine,
Corinne Wellington took home Player of the Game honors, notching a
team-high 18 points, two rebounds, a block and an assist.
Maine kicked off the contest with the game's
first two buckets, as Corinne Wellington buried a layup and a
jumper to put the Black Bears up 4-0 at 18:14.
UNH would strike back with seven unanswered
points in the next two minutes of action, as Simpson jump started
the ‘Cats knocking down a 3-pointer, helping the home team
capture a 7-4 lead with 15:52 to play in the first frame.
Wellington answered back with a layup, to cut
the score to 7-6, in favor of UNH, but it wasn't enough to silence
the ‘Cats, as they posted a 16-2 run over the course of the
next 5:26, jumping ahead with their largest lead on the night, with
the score 24-8 at 9:10.
The Black Bears came back strong following UNH's
offensive outburst, stringing together an 11-3 run, with a flurry
of scoring throughout the lineup, to slice the score to 27-19 in
favor of the home team with 3:53 remaining in the first half.
Simpson would help the ‘Cats get back on
track as she drilled a jump shot at 3:30, scoring all eight points
on an 8-4 UNH run to close out the stanza, as New Hampshire held a
35-23 advantage at the intermission.
Simpson continued her hot shooting at the start
of the second half as she buried a trifecta to draw first blood in
the stanza, pushing the ‘Cats to a 35-23 lead at 19:49.
Maine would strike back with 13 unanswered
points following Simpson's basket, as Samantha Wheeler finished the
stretch off with a layup, cutting the lead down to two points, with
the score 38-36 with 16:19 remaining.
Jill McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.) ended the run
with a layup of her own the ensuing possession, putting the
‘Cats back up by four. However, Kristin Baker knocked down a
3-pointer the next trip up the floor cutting the score to 40-39 in
favor of the home team.
Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.) and Denise
Beliveau (Framingham, Mass.) helped add to the effort, chipping in
with a jumper apiece to give UNH a 44-39 lead with 12:54 to
play.
The Black Bears came back with eight unanswered
points, claiming the lead for the first time in over 18 minutes of
play, holding a 47-44 advantage at 10:12.
Diamon Beckford (Philadelphia, Pa.) would snap
UNH's scoreless streak with a jumper at 9:19, but Wellington would
quickly answer back with a basket of her own to give the visitors a
50-46 lead.
On the ensuing possession, Chrissy Hall
(Northbridge, Mass.) gave the ‘Cats a lift, knocking down a
3-pointer to cut Maine's lead down to just one point with 7:06 to
play.
From there, both squads would exchange baskets
for more than five minutes, until a pair of free throws by Jasmine
Rush, pushed Maine's lead to five, with the score set at 62-57 with
47 seconds remaining.
Following the possession change, Lauren Wells
(West Chester, Pa.) took the ball the length of the court and
knocked down a midrange jumper to cut the score to 62-57 with 37
seconds to play.
However, Amanda Tewksbury ended any chance of a
comeback by the ‘Cats, as she went 3-for-4 from the charity
stripe in the closing moments of the contest to secure the win for
Maine.
Beliveau tallied 13 points, 11 rebounds, four
assists and two steals in the contest, notching her second
double-double of the season. Williams added 12 points, three
rebounds, an assist and a block.
Simpson knocked down a season-high three
3-pointers in the game, tying her for first all-time in program
history in career 3-point field goals with 179. The mark comes
after a season in which she set the UNH single-season 3-point field
goal record with 62.
With her 21-point output, Simpson now has 972
career points and is just 28 points away from becoming just the
15th player in UNH history to reach the 1,000-point plateau.
As for Maine, Tewksbury added 16 points, three
rebounds and two assists. Baker and Wheeler each chipped in with 10
points apiece.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) a senior guard on
the University of New Hampshire women's basketball team, was
honored as Player of the Week by the America East Conference on
Dec. 21.
Simpson recorded 10 points and a career-high 11
assists to propel the Wildcats to an 80-72 victory Sunday afternoon
against Holy Cross at Lundholm Gymnasium. Simpson also recorded two
steals, two blocks, two rebounds and was one of five Wildcats in
double digit scoring in the contest.
After trailing 37-33 at the half, Simpson
ignited the ‘Cats with 15:37 remaining, sparking a 10-0 run
by setting up Jill McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.) with a layup and
scoring a basket of her own on ensuing possessions in a span of
2:37 to take a 49-39 lead. She then helped UNH build its largest
lead of the game with a steal and a long outlet pass to Racheal
Fowler (Glassboro, N.J.) for a layup, capped off with a 3-pointer
by Simpson on the next possession to push the score to 71-56 in
favor of the home team.
Scoring all of her 10 points in the second
frame, Simpson helped the Wildcats outscore the Crusaders 47 to 35
in the stanza, as the team posted an impressive .615 percent
shooting clip from the floor. Not to mention, the 80-point output
by the ‘Cats is the largest point total posted by New
Hampshire since it notched 85 points against UMBC on Jan. 10,
2009.
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.
