WOMEN'S HOOP SET TO HOST STONY BROOK ON FEB. 3

GAME NOTES (PDF)

THE MATCHUP
    Wednesday's matchup between New Hampshire and Stony Brook University marks the 21st meeting all-time between both teams. UNH leads the all-time series 12-8 and has won three of the last five games against the Seawolves. The Wildcats swept the season series last year, however, lost to the Seawolves in their most recent meeting at Pritchard Gymnasium on Jan. 6, 2010.

SCOUTING STONY BROOK (6-15, 4-5 AE):
    Last time out Stony Brook fell to Hartford 60-42 at Pritchard Gymnasium on Jan. 30 ... With the loss the Seawolves fell to 6-15 overall and 4-5 in America East play, while Hartford improved to 18-2 overall and 9-0 in conference action ... Misha Horsey led the team with 12 points and three assists ... Kirsten Jeter chipped in with nine points, six boards and three steals ... SBU finished the game 28.8 percent from the floor, while Hartford posted a .476 shooting clip ... After starting conference play losing three of their first four games, the Seawolves have picked up the pace lately, winning three of their last five ... Stony Brook is 4-7 at home this season, however, the Seawolves have struggled on the road, posting a 2-7 record ... SBU ranks third in the conference in steals with an average of 8.7 per game ... Jeter ranks fifth in the conference in steals with 45 ... Jeter leads the Seawolves in scoring this season with an average of 13.9 points per game, mark that ranks seventh in the conference ... Jeter has been equally successful on the glass, averaging the third-best rebounding mark in the America East, tallying 7.5 boards per game this season ... In their previous meeting with the Wildcats on Jan. 6, the Seawolves registered more assists than turnovers for the first time all season  ... In that contest, SBU had 12 assists, while turning the ball over only nine times.

SCOUTING NEW HAMPSHIRE (7-15, 2-7 AE):
    Last time out the University of New Hampshire women's basketball team fell to Vermont, 78-64, at Patrick Gymnasium on Sunday afternoon ... Jill McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.) was named the America East Player of the Game, tallying career highs in both points (19) and rebounds (10) ... She also notched a pair of blocks in the contest ... McDonald has now tallied a block in 15 of the last 16 games ... She currently ranks second in the conference in blocks with 41 this season, which is good for an average of 2.1 per game ... Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.) registered 17 points and six boards in the contest ... Williams now has 1,163 points and 628 rebounds in her career and is one of just eight Wildcats all-time to tally at least 1,000 points and 600 rebounds in program history ... Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) finished with 12 points and six assists ... Simpson ranks second in the conference in assists, with an average of 5.1 per game this season ... She is the first Wildcat to notch over 1,000 points, 300 assists and 100 steals in program history ... The ‘Cats rank second in the conference in blocked shots with 100 ... Since the start of conference play, the ‘Cats have racked up 42 blocks, a total that ranks first in the conference ... New Hampshire is shooting an impressive .393 clip from the floor this season, a mark that currently ranks second in the conference ... The Wildcats also rank second in defensive field goal percentage in the America East, allowing opponents to shoot just .371 from the floor ... The Wildcats are one of just three teams to have three players averaging in double figure scoring, with Williams leading the way with 12.7 points per game, while Beliveau and McDonald averaging 11.8 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 Boston University, 66-59, on Jan. 28 at Lundholm Gymnasium ... Williams (14), Simpson (12) and Lauren Wells (West Chester, Pa.; 12) all scored in double digits ... Simpson took home America East Player of the Game honors for New Hampshire, finishing with five assists, four rebounds and a block ... Jilliane Friel (Durham, N.H.) registered a career-high nine points in the contest, paired with a block and a steal ... Kelley Flynn (Hopkinton, N.H.) added eight rebounds and six points.

FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING
    Jill McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.) notched her first career double-double, tallying career highs in points (19) and rebounds (10) against Vermont on Jan. 31. McDonald reached her previous career highs in points (18) and rebounds (9) against Louisville on Dec. 22. The junior center is averaging 10.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game this year.

CHARITY WORK
    Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.) laced 6-of-6 free throws against Vermont on Jan. 31, giving her an impressive .929 shooting clip from the charity stripe over the course of the last three games. Williams ranks second in the America East in free throw percentage since the start of conference play, shooting 87.5 percent from the line.

REJECTION NOTICE
    Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) is currently one just three guards to rank in the top-10 in blocks in the America East. So far this season, the senior has notched 21 blocks and has tallied a block in three of the last four games. Simpson recently notched a career-high four blocks against Albany on Jan. 22, a mark she has reached just three times in her career.

FRIELIN' IT
    Jilliane Friel (Durham, N.H.) scored a career-high nine points on 3-for-4 shooting against Boston University on Jan. 28. Included in her offensive outburst, Friel tied her career-high of two 3-point field goals, as she shot a perfect 2-for-2 from beyond the arc. Friel played 13 minutes off the bench for the ‘Cats, rounding out the evening with one rebound, one assist, one steal and one block.

RIGHT ON POINT
    Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) scored the last of eight points on a jumper with 5:47 left in regulation against Binghamton on Jan. 24, becoming the 15th Wildcat in program history to score 1,000 points in a career. For her career, the all-purpose guard has 1,024 points, 318 assists and 117 steals. Simpson's two best offensive outbursts this season came against Maine on Jan. 12 and UMBC on Jan. 16, when she tallied 21 and 15 points, respectively. 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.

ALONE AT THE TOP
    After tallying her 1,000th point against Binghamton on Jan. 24, Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) became the only Wildcat all-time to tally at least 1,000 points, 300 assists and 100 steals at UNH. For her career, the senior has racked up 1,024 points, 318 assists and 117 steals.

THREE'S COMPANY
    Three Wildcats scored in double figures for the eighth time this season against Vermont on Jan. 31, as Jill McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.; 19), Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.; 17) and Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.; 12) all scored in double digits. The last time the 'Cats had three players score in doubles figures came against Boston University on Jan. 28. In that game, Williams led the way with 14 points, while Simpson and Lauren Wells (West Chester, Pa.) each dropped in 12 points apiece.

CONSISTENT 'CAT
    Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.) netted 17 points against Vermont on Jan. 31, making it the 24th time in the last 28 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 28 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.

SWAT TEAM
    The Wildcats currently rank second in the conference in blocks with 100, which is good for an average of 4.5 per game.  Jill McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.) leads the way for the ‘Cats this season, notching 41 blocks, while Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) ranks second on the squad with 21.  

DOING WELLS
    Lauren Wells (West Chester, Pa.) tallied 12 points, one shy of her career high, against Boston University on Jan. 28, marking the fourth time in the last six games she has scored in double figures. On the season, she has also scored 12 points against Albany (Jan. 22), UMBC (Jan. 16), Louisville, (Dec. 22) and St. Joseph's (Nov. 13).

K-FLYING HIGH
    Kelley Flynn (Hopkinton, N.H.) set career highs in both points and rebounds against both Dartmouth (Jan. 19) and Albany (Jan. 22). Against the Great Danes she poured in a career-high 16 points along with eight rebounds and two blocks.  Against the Big Green she set a career-high with 13 rebounds, adding seven points and two blocks. Prior to her stellar outing against the Big Green, Flynn had reached her previous high of eight rebounds just once against Maryland on Dec. 29, 2007. This season only Denise Beliveau (Framingham, Mass.) has pulled in more rebounds in a game than Flynn, as she tallied 14 boards against Harvard on Nov. 24.

MOVING ON UP
    After tallying 14 points against Boston University on Jan. 28, Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.), moved to eighth all-time in program history in scoring. She currently has 1,163 points in her UNH career and needs 271 points to break into the top-5, a total that would tie Wildcat great Orsi Farkas' all-time mark of 1,434 career points.

600-CLUB
    Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.) pulled in nine rebounds against Dartmouth on Jan. 19, giving her 604 rebounds in her career, becoming one of just eight Wildcats all-time to tally at least 1,000 points and 600 rebounds in program history. Williams has tallied at least six boards in five of the last six games and currently leads the team with average of 6.6 rebounds per game.

TORCHING THE NETS
    The Wildcats scored over 80 points for the second time this season when they poured in 87 points against Albany on Jan. 22. For UNH, it was also the second time this season it shot over 50 percent, posting a season-high .579 clip from the floor. UNH scored 80 points against Holy Cross on Dec. 20, marking the largest point total the ‘Cats had posted since they notched 85 points against UMBC on Jan. 10, 2009. New Hampshire shot an impressive 54.4 percent from the floor against the Crusaders, marking the first time it shot over 50 percent from the floor since Dec. 12, 2007 against Iona (50.0; 30-60).

RAINING 3'S
    New Hampshire drilled eight 3-pointers against Binghamton on Jan. 24, marking the fifth 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.

PARTY OF FIVE
    For the second time this season five Wildcats finished in double-figure scoring, as Denise Beliveau (Framingham, Mass.) and Kelley Flynn (Hopkinton, N.H.) led the way, netting 17 and 16 points, respectively, against Albany on Jan. 22.  Jill McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.) (14), Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.) (12) and Lauren Wells (West Chester, Pa.) (12) rounded out UNH's double-digit scorers. The last time the 'Cats had five players in double figures came in an 80-72 decision against Holy Cross College on Dec. 22. In that game, Beliveau led all scorers with 20 points and was followed by McDonald (18 points, six rebounds), Williams (15 points, nine rebounds), Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.; 10 points, 11 assists) and Racheal Fowler (Glassboro, N.J.; 10 points).

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 26 3-pointers and currently has 187 3-point field goals in her career. Last year, she notched 62 3-pointers, which was the best single-season mark in program history.

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.

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 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.

PASSING THE GREATS
    Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) tallied six assists against Vermont on Jan. 31, giving her 318 assists for her career, a mark that ranks ninth all-time in program history. This season she has compiled 112 assists, breaking 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.

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 112. 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 312 assists, ranking her ninth all-time in program history. Simpson has been solid across the board for the ‘Cats this year, averaging 6.8 points, 5.1 assists, 3.4 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 1.0 blocks per game.

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 eighth in the conference. Williams has compiled at least six rebounds in five of the last six games. Her most impressive outing came against Canisius College on Dec. 28, when she tallied a season-high 11 rebounds. For her career she has compiled 628 boards.

3-POINT SPECIALIST
    Lauren Wells (West Chester, Pa.) has tallied a team-high 26 3-point field goals this season, while shooting the fourth-best field goal percentage (.356) 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 6.3 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game this season.

TICKLE THE TWINE
    New Hampshire is shooting an impressive .393 clip from the floor this season, a mark that currently ranks second 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 .390 was during the 2005-06 campaign, when they finished the year with a 39.1 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.

RE-WRITING THE HISTORY BOOKS
    Jill McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.) ranks second in the conference in blocks with 41 this season, which is good for an average of 2.1 per game. Since the start of conference play, McDonald is averaging 2.0 blocks per game, a mark that ranks second in the America East. The center has notched a block in 15 of the last 16 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. McDonald 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 97.

KC MASTERPIECE
    After rounding out non-conference play against Dartmouth on Jan. 19, UNH head coach Kristin Cole is off to her best start during her tenure at New Hampshire, leading the 'Cats to a 5-8 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.

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 11 times for the Wildcats. She currently leads the team with 35 steals, with an average of 1.8 steals per game.

CENTURY CLUB
    Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) tallied a steal against Vermont on Jan. 31, giving her 117 steals for her Wildcat career. The impressive total ranks 20th 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 25 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 the second best defensive shooting percentage (.371) in the conference from the floor this year, while shooting an impressive .393 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.

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 1,146 points and 622 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
    Jill McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.) tallied career highs in both points (19) and rebounds (10), but the University of New Hampshire women's basketball team fell to the University of Vermont, 78-64, at Patrick Gymnasium on Sunday afternoon.
    The win improves the Catamounts to 17-5 overall and 7-2 in America East play, while the Wildcats drop to 7-15 overall and 2-7 in conference action.
    In addition to setting career highs in points and rebounds, McDonald took home America East Player of the Game honors for New Hampshire, finishing with two blocks and an assist. For Vermont, May Kotsopoulos was named Player of the Game, registering 26 points, three boards and two assists.
    New Hampshire drew first blood in the contest, as Cari Reed (Oswego, N.Y.) got things started burying a layup at 19:37, kicking off a 16-9 run that lasted just under 10 minutes. The Wildcats finished off the run with a 7-2 scoring stretch, as Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.) dropped in a pair of layups and McDonald sank a layup and free throw, pushing the visitors ahead by seven.
    After the change of possession, Courtnay Pilypaitis responded laying the ball in on the other end, cutting UNH's lead to five, sparking a 9-1 run by the home team, giving UVM its first lead of the contest, holding an 18-17 advantage with 6:50 remaining in the first stanza.
    Pilypaitis finished off the stretch lacing a jumper, but UNH would respond on the ensuing possession, as Williams nailed a pair of free throws, reclaiming the lead with a 19-18 advantage at 6:29.
    Moments later, Kotsopoulos added a 3-pointer and a jumper to give the home team their largest lead to that point, setting the score at 23-19 with 3:17 remaining in the first frame. New Hampshire would quickly answer back, as Lauren Wells (West Chester, Pa.) drilled a trifecta and Williams buried a layup on back-to-back possessions to give the visitors the 24-23 lead.
    The Catamounts retaliated with five unanswered points of their own, as Kotsopoulos netted a 3-pointer and Tonya Young sank a jumper to push UVM's lead to four at 1:42. UNH finished the stanza off on a strong note, as McDonald banked in a layup and Williams buried a 3-pointer with six seconds remaining to set the score at 30-29, in favor of the home team at the intermission.
    New Hampshire was first to strike again in the second frame, as McDonald nailed the first of two free throw attempts, knotting the score even at 30-30. UVM came back with seven unanswered points, as Kotsopoulos tallied every basket on the run, pushing the Catamounts to a 37-30 lead at 16:30.
    The two squads would trade baskets with one another for just over three minutes, until the Wildcats started to catch fire, stringing together a 7-4 run capped off with a Chrissy Hall (Northbridge, Mass.) 3-pointer that cut Vermont's lead down to five, with the score 46-41.
    However, hopes of catching the Catamounts were short lived, as the home team pieced together a 23-8 run that lasted 5:20, giving UVM its largest lead of the afternoon, holding a 69-49 advantage with 6:21 to play.
    The Wildcats would rebuttal sinking seven unanswered points, as Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) iced the run with a 3-pointer, dropping Vermont's lead down to 13 points, but that was as close to the lead as they would come, with the Catamounts holding on for the rest of regulation.
    Williams finished with 17 points, six rebounds and two steals. Simpson chipped in with 12 points, six assists and two steals. Wells added eight points, two boards and two assists.
    Pilypaitis registered 18 points, 10 rebounds and four assists. Young finished with 14 points, seven boards and two blocks.

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.