WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TO FACE INTRASTATE RIVAL DARTMOUTH (JAN. 19)

GAME NOTES (PDF)

THE MATCHUP
    New Hampshire will travel to Dartmouth marking the 31st meeting between these intrastate rivals, in a series that dates back to the 1978-79 season. The teams each earned a victory in the first two battles, before the Wildcats won five straight contests. Though the Wildcats lead this all time series, 16-14, the Big Green are closing in on this intrastate rivalry, as Dartmouth has won the last four head-to-heads. The most recent Wildcat win came in a 75-73 overtime victory in the 2004-05 season opener (Nov. 19, 2004).

SCOUTING DARTMOUTH  (5-9, 1-0 IVY):
    Last time out Dartmouth earned a 45-44 victory over Harvard in the Ivy League opener on Jan. 16 ... Margaret Smith hit two free throws with 5.1 seconds to play to push the Big Green past the Crimson ... Sasha Dosenko led the way with 10 points, seven rebounds and two blocks ... Faziah Steen tallied 11 points, three steals and three assists ... Brittney Smith finished with 12 rebounds, six points, three assists and three blocks ... For Dartmouth, the win was the team's second in the last three games ... The Big Green kicked off the year 1-4, with their lone win coming in a 57-47 decision against Bryant in Hanover ... Dartmouth faced off against No. 25 Syracuse (Dec. 13) and No. 27 Dayton (Dec. 30), as well as three other programs receiving national votes (Temple, Hartford, Vermont) in non-conference action, however, posted an 0-5 record against such opponents ... Dartmouth ranks second in the Ivy League in blocked shots this season with 59 ... Smith leads the Big Green with 11.1 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.1 blocks, 1.9 assists and 1.8 steals per game this season ... Smith's point total ranks 10th in the Ivy League, while her rebound total ranks second ... Cassie Cooper has chipped in with 8.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game ... Steen has added 7.8 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.

SCOUTING NEW HAMPSHIRE (6-11, 1-4 AE):
    Last time out the University of New Hampshire women's basketball team earned a 77-67 victory over the University of Maryland Baltimore County on Saturday afternoon at the RAC Arena ... Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) and Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.) led four Wildcats in double figure scoring, each netting 15 points apiece ... Denise Beliveau (Framingham, Mass.) and Lauren Wells (West Chester, Pa.) rounded out UNH's double digit scorers, notching 14 and 12 points, respectively ... For UNH, it was the first time four Wildcats registered in double figures since its last meeting with the Retrievers on Feb. 8, 2009 ... In that game, Williams (19), Abigail LaRosa (Hampton, N.H.) (17), Wells (12) and Simpson (11) all reached double digit scoring ... Simpson took home America East Player of the Game honors for New Hampshire, finishing the afternoon with five rebounds, four assists, two blocks and two steals ... Simpson knocked down a 3-pointer in the contest, giving her a program record 180 3-point field goals for her career ... Simpson ranks third in the conference in assists, with an average of 5.1 per game this season ... In addition to Beliveau's 14 points, she also ripped down nine rebounds and tallied a pair of assists ... Williams finished with seven rebounds and a season-high three assists ... Williams leads the team with an impressive 6.6 rebounds per game, which currently ranks ninth in the conference ... She now has 1,095 points and 595 rebounds for her career, totals that both rank ninth all-time in program history ... Jill McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.) 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 78 ... New Hampshire is shooting an impressive .385 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 12.7 points per game, while Beliveau and McDonald are averaging 12.2 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 fell to the University of Maine 65-61 on Jan. 12 at Lundholm Gymnasium ... Simpson 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 ... 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 ... For the Wildcats, it was the fifth time this season three 'Cats have scored in double figures ... 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 .

TOP OF THE WORLD
    Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) knocked down a 3-pointer on Jan. 16 against UMBC, giving her a program record 180 3-point field goals for her career. The impressive total passes Heidi Plencner's all-time mark of 179 trifectas, a record she set in 2002. This season, Simpson has drilled 19 3-pointers, averaging 6.6 points per game. Last year, she notched 62 3-pointers, which was the best single-season mark in program history.

MOVING ON UP
    After tallying 15 points against UMBC on Jan. 16, Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.), moved to ninth all-time in program history in scoring with 1,095 points in her UNH career. The forward needs 339 points to break into the top-5, a total that would tie Wildcat great Orsi Farkas' all-time mark of 1,434 career points.

FOUR OF A KIND
    Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) and Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.) led four Wildcats in double figure scoring, each netting 15 points apiece in UNH's 77-67 win over UMBC on Jan. 16. Denise Beliveau (Framingham, Mass.) and Lauren Wells (West Chester, Pa.) rounded out UNH's double digit scorers, notching 14 and 12 points, respectively. For the Wildcats, it was the first time four 'Cats registered in double figures since their last meeting with the Retrievers on Feb. 8, 2009. In that game, Williams (19), Abigail LaRosa (Hampton, N.H.) (17), Wells (12) and Simpson (11) all reached double digit scoring.

RIGHT ON POINT
    Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) scored a team-high 15 points last time out against UMBC, giving her 113 on the season. She now has 987 points for her career, which ranks 15th all-time in program history. In the game prior, Simpson dropped in a season-high 21 points against Maine on Jan. 12. Aside from her stellar outing against the Black Bears, Simpson's two best offensive outbursts came against then 21st-ranked 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.

OFFENSIVE AWAKENING
    Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) dropped in a team-high 15 points, five rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks against UMBC on Jan. 16, marking the second straight game she has scored in double digits. In the game prior against Maine on Jan. 12, she torched the nets for a season-high 21 points, which was 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 14.7 points, 3.3 assists, 2.7 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.3 blocks per game.  

PASSING THE GREATS
    Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) tallied four assists against UMBC on Jan. 16, giving her 292 assists for her career, a mark that ranks 10th all-time in program history. This season she has compiled 86 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.

RAINING 3'S
    New Hampshire drilled eight 3-pointers against UMBC on Jan. 16, marking the fourth time this season the ‘Cats have knocked down at least eight trifectas. UNH's most impressive outing came against then 23rd-ranked Syracuse on Dec. 30, when the Wildcats drained a season-high 10 3-pointers. 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. 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.

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 86. 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 292 assists, ranking her 10th all-time in program history. Simpson has been solid across the board for the ‘Cats this year, averaging 6.6 points, 5.1 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game.

DOING WELLS
    Lauren Wells (West Chester, (Pa.) tallied 12 points, one shy of her career high, against UMBC on Jan. 16. For Wells, it was the third time this season she has scored 12 points, as she also reached the mark against the University of Louisville on Dec. 22. and in a 64-56 win against St. Joseph's on Nov. 13.

CONSISTENT 'CAT
    Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.) netted 15 points against UMBC on Jan. 16, making it the 19th time in the last 23 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 23 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.

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.

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 595 boards.

CHARITY DRIVE
    Since the start of conference play the Wildcats rank third in the America East in free throw percentage with a .703 clip from the free throw line. On the season, UNH ranks seventh in the conference in free throw percentage, posting a .672 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.  

JUST THE TWO OF US
    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 78, which is good for an average of 4.6 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 15.  

SPREADING THE FLOOR
    The Wildcats currently have three players averaging in double figure scoring, with Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.) leading the way with 12.7 points per game, while Denise Beliveau (Framingham, Mass.) and Jill McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.) are averaging 12.2 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.

3-POINT SPECIALIST
    Lauren Wells (West Chester, Pa.) has tallied 19 3-point field goals this season, while shooting the seventh-best field goal percentage (.358) 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 .385 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.

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.

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.

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 .361 shooting percentage from the floor this year, while shooting an impressive .385 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 29 steals, with an average of 1.7 steals per game.

CENTURY CLUB
    Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) tallied two steals against UMBC on Jan. 16, giving her 115 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 22 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.) and Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.) led four Wildcats in double figure scoring, each netting 15 points apiece to propel the University of New Hampshire women's basketball team to a 77-67 victory over the University of Maryland Baltimore County on Saturday afternoon at the RAC Arena.    
    The Wildcats, who were led by Assistant Coach Tara Smith, improve to 6-11 overall and 1-4 in America East play, while the Retrievers fall to 8-9 overall and 2-2 in conference action.
    Denise Beliveau (Framingham, Mass.) and Lauren Wells (West Chester, Pa.) rounded out UNH's double digit scorers, notching 14 and 12 points, respectively. For UNH, it was the first time four Wildcats registered in double figures since its last meeting with the Retrievers on Feb. 8, 2009. In that game, Williams (19), Abigail LaRosa (Hampton, N.H.) (17), Wells (12) and Simpson (11) all reached double-digit scoring.
    In addition to netting a team-high 15 points, Simpson took home America East Player of the Game honors for New Hampshire, finishing the afternoon with five rebounds, four assists, two blocks and two steals. For UMBC, Tope Obajolu was named Player of the Game, registering 18 points, six boards, four blocks and two steals.
    Simpson knocked down a 3-pointer in the contest, giving her a program record 180 3-point field goals for her career. The impressive total passes Heidi Plencner's all-time mark of 179 trifectas, a record she set in 2002. Simpson now has 987 points in her career and is just 13 points away from becoming the 15th Wildcat to reach the 1,000-point plateau. She is one of just two Wildcats all-time to tally at least 900 points, 250 assists and 100 steals in a career at UNH.
    The first stanza kicked off with Carlee Cassidy finding Meghan Colabella open under the basket for a layup to draw first blood in the contest. UNH came back with a 3-pointer by Beliveau and a jumper by Williams to give the visitors the 5-2 lead at 18:35.
    The Retrievers responded with an 11-2 run, as Tope Obajolu got things started burying a layup at 14:36, setting off a scoring stretch that lasted just over a minute. Simpson chipped in with New Hampshire's lone basket during the scoring drought as she dropped in a layup at 13:47.
    UNH rebutalled UMBC's run scoring five unanswered points, as Kelley Flynn (Hopkinton, N.H.) sank a free throw and Wells and Simpson each drilled a jumper to cut the home team's lead down to one, setting the score at 16-15 with 11:17 remaining in the frame.
    Obajolu helped UMBC keep pace as she buried a layup to answer back, kicking off a string of five unanswered points by the Retrievers, pushing the score to 20-16 at 10:35.
    New Hampshire would strike back with a 23-6 run to close out the stanza, as Wells got it started burying a trifecta to cut UMBC's lead down to one point. Simpson would add a jumper moments later, as the ‘Cats moved ahead 21-20 with 9:07 remaining in the first half.
    About a minute later, Katie Brooks buried a layup, reclaiming the lead for the home team, setting the score to 22-21. However, the quick basket by the Retrievers wasn't enough to slow the pace of the ‘Cats, as they strung off 12 unanswered points, pushing ahead 33-22 at 4:38.
    Obajolu broke up the scoring streak with a pair of layups, but New Hampshire kept up its hot shooting to close out the frame, as Simpson and Williams each knocked down a 3-pointer to give UNH its largest lead of the afternoon, holding a 39-26 advantage at the intermission.
    The Wildcats and Retrievers traded baskets for the early portion of the second stanza, until UMBC picked up the pace, stringing together a 9-2 run, sparked by the second of two free throws by Michelle Kurowski at 12:48, cutting UNH's lead down to six, with the score 57-51 with 10:14 to play.
    Diamon Beckford (Philadelphia, Pa.) broke up the run with a jumper to push UNH's lead back up to eight. However, the Retrievers wouldn't go down without a fight, as Katie Brooks netted a free throw, kicking off a 9-3 run, that was capped off with a 3-pointer by Kurowski, cutting the deficit to just four points, with the score 63-59.
    Chrissy Hall (Northbridge, Mass.) helped give the ‘Cats a lift, scoring back-to-back baskets, knocking down a jumper and a 3-pointer from the corner to push UNH's lead to 68-59 with 3:57 remaining.
    After the change of possession, Brooks would be quick to answer the call for the Retrievers, sinking a trifecta to put UMBC within six points, but it wasn't enough to ignite the home team, as they scored just five points in the last 3:40 of play.
    New Hampshire was able to seal the win with a 6-2 run to close out the action, as Beliveau and Simpson combined to go perfect from the charity stripe (6-for-6) in the closing moments of the action.
    In addition to Beliveau's 14 points, she also ripped down nine rebounds and tallied a pair of assists. Williams finished with seven rebounds and a season-high three assists. Flynn chipped in with a career-high five points and five boards.
    For UMBC, Kurowski led the way with 22 points, four rebounds and three assists. Cassidy added 15 points, five assists and two steals.

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.