WOMEN'S HOOP HITS THE ROAD TO FACE HARTFORD ON FEB. 6
THE MATCHUP
Saturday's matchup is the 50th meeting between
the Wildcats and the Hawks. New Hampshire is looking to snap a
14-game draught against Hartford, the longest stretch without a win
against any Wildcat opponent. The last New Hampshire victory
against the Hawks came during the 2002-03 season when the Wildcats
swept the series. In that season, the Wildcats earned a 56-53 road
victory before grabbing a 60-50 home win. The Wildcats earned
victories in seven of the first eight meetings with the Hawks.
SCOUTING HARTFORD (19-3,
10-0 AE):
Last time out Hartford defeated UMBC, 85-45, on
Tuesday at Chase Arena ... Diana Delva led the team with 17 points
... Rounding out Hartford's double-digit scorers was Daphne Elliott
(15), Erica Beverly (13) and Ruthanne Doherty (10) ... Jenna
Peterson earned America East Player of the Game honors for the
Hawks, posting eight points, eight boards and two assists in the
contest ... Hartford notched a school record 27 assists in the
contest ... Jackie Smith led the team with a career-high eight
assists ... Hartford ranks second in the conference in assists,
averaging 12.8 per game ... The Hawks shot 53.2 percent for the
game (33-of-62), including a season high of 57.6 percent in the
first half (19-of-33) ... The Hawks first half point total of 48
was the highest of the season ... Defensively, the Hawks held UMBC
to 35.4 percent shooting from the field (17-of-48), while forcing
15 turnovers ... The Retrievers shooting struggles included a 29.4
field goal percentage from beyond the arc (5-of-17) ... Hartford
leads the America East in defensive field goal percentage, holding
opponents to a .356 shooting clip ... Offensively, the Hawks have
been just as efficient, shooting the second best field goal
percentage in the conference with a .399 clip ... Hartford leads
the America East in rebounding, pulling in an average of 39.5
boards per game ... The Hawks also hold top honors in blocked shots
per game, with an average of 4.9 per contest ... Delva ranks fourth
in the conference in scoring with an average of 14.2 points per
game ... She has also tallied the most rebounds in the America
East, with 174 on the season.
SCOUTING NEW HAMPSHIRE
(8-15, 3-7 AE):
Last time out the University of New Hampshire
women's basketball team earned a 78-64 victory over Stony Brook
University at Lundholm Gymnasium on Wednesday ... Chrissy Hall
(Northbridge, Mass.) was named the America East Player of the Game
for New Hampshire, tallying a career-high 18 points, a season-high
seven rebounds and a career-high four assists ... Candace Williams
(Norfolk, Mass.) and Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) rounded out
UNH's double-digit scorers, notching 16 and 15 points, respectively
... For New Hampshire, it was the fifth straight game three
or more Wildcats have scored in double figures ... Williams
finished with a season-high 12 rebounds and three assists, en route
to her second double-double of the season ... Simpson rounded out
the evening with seven assists and four boards ... Flynn tied a UNH
single-game record with seven blocks in the contest, while also
notching seven points ... Williams now has 1,179 points and 640
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
... Simpson is the first Wildcat to notch over 1,000 points, 300
assists and 100 steals in program history ... She ranks second in
the conference in assists, with an average of 5.2 per game this
season ... Jill McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.) notched a block in the
game and has now tallied a block in 16 of the last 17 games ... She
currently ranks second in the conference in blocks with 42 this
season, which is good for an average of 2.0 per game ... The
‘Cats rank second in the conference in blocked shots with 110
... Since the start of conference play, the ‘Cats have racked
up 52 blocks, a total that ranks first in the conference ... New
Hampshire is shooting an impressive .399 clip from the floor this
season, a mark that currently ranks third in the conference ... The
Wildcats rank second in defensive field goal percentage in the
America East, allowing opponents to shoot just .372 from the floor.
SETTING THE RECORD
STRAIGHT
Kelley Flynn (Hopkinton, N.H.) tallied a UNH
single-game record seven blocks against Stony Brook on Feb. 3. The
mark comes as a career-high for Flynn, who is the second Wildcat
this season to notch seven blocks. Jill McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.)
was the first to set the record as she swatted seven shots against
then 23rd-ranked Syracuse Orange on Dec. 30. Flynn ranks third on
the team with 14 blocks this season.
MAKING IT RAIN
New Hampshire shot a season-high 53.3 percent
(8-for-15) from beyond the arc and 55.3 percent (26-for-47) from
the floor against Stony Brook on Feb. 3. For UNH, it was the third
time this season it shot over 50 percent from the field and just
the first time it notched a 3-point field goal percentage over 50
percent.
DECK THE HALLS
Chrissy Hall (Northbridge, Mass.) notched a
career-high 18 points, lacing 6-of-7 shots from the field,
including a career-high four 3-pointers against Stony Brook on Feb.
3. In addition her impressive scoring output, Hall also tallied a
season-high seven rebounds and a career-high four assists.
DOUBLE DIGIT
DANDY
Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.) notched her
second double-double of the season against Stony Brook on Feb. 3,
tallying 16 points and a season-high 12 rebounds. For Williams, the
impressive mark comes as her 15th career double-double. Last
season, the forward earned a conference-best 10 double-doubles. Her
first double-double this season came against Canisius College on
Dec. 28, when the senior scored 12 points and pulled down 11
rebounds.
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 9.9 points,
4.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game this year.
CHARITY WORK
Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.) laced 2-of-2
free throws against Stony Brook on Feb. 3, giving her an impressive
.938 shooting clip from the charity stripe over the course of the
last four games. Williams ranks second in the America East in free
throw percentage since the start of conference play, shooting 88.1
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 a career-high 22
blocks and has tallied a block in four of the last five 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.
OFFENSIVE
AWAKENING
Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) has scored in
double figures in each of the last three games, including her most
recent outing when she poured in 15 points against Stony Brook on
Feb. 3. On the season she has scored in double figures seven times,
with her two best offensive outings coming against UMBC (Jan. 16)
and Maine (Jan. 12.). Against the Retrievers, Simpson notched a
team-high 15 points, five rebounds, four assists, two steals and
two blocks. In the game prior against the Black Bears, 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.
THREE'S
COMPANY
Three Wildcats scored in double figures for the
ninth time this season against Stony Brook on Feb. 3, as Chrissy
Hall (Northbridge, Mass.; 18), Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.;
16) and Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.; 15) all scored in double
digits. The last time the 'Cats had three players score in doubles
figures came against Vermont on Jan. 31. In that game, Jill
McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.) led the way with 19 points, while
Williams and Simpson each dropped in 17 and 12 points,
respectively.
MAKE ROOM AT THE
TOP
Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.) pulled in 12
boards against Stony Brook on Feb. 3, moving her to eighth all-time
in career rebounds. The senior leads the team with 6.8 rebounds per
game, a total that currently ranks seventh in the conference. For
her career she has compiled 640 boards.
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 1,039 points, 325 assists and 117 steals. 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
1,039 points, 325 assists and 117 steals.
CONSISTENT
'CAT
Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.) netted 16
points against Stony Brook on Feb. 3, making it the 25th time in
the last 29 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 29 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 110, which is good for an average of 4.8
per game. Jill McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.) leads the way for
the ‘Cats this season, notching 42 blocks, while Amy Simpson
(Waterford, Conn.) ranks second on the squad with 22.
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
1,179 points in her UNH career and needs 266 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 six of the last seven
games and currently leads the team with average of 6.8 rebounds per
game.
RAINING 3'S
New Hampshire drilled eight 3-pointers against
Stony Brook on Feb. 3, marking the sixth 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 28 3-pointers and
currently has 189 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.
PASSING THE
GREATS
Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) tallied seven
assists against Stony Brook on Feb. 3, giving her 325 assists for
her career, a mark that ranks eighth all-time in program history.
This season she has compiled 119 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 119. 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 325 assists, ranking her eighth
all-time in program history. Simpson has been solid across the
board for the ‘Cats this year, averaging 7.2 points, 5.2
assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.1 steals 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.
3-POINT
SPECIALIST
Lauren Wells (West Chester, Pa.) has tallied a
team-high 28 3-point field goals this season, while shooting the
fourth-best field goal percentage (.364) 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 .399
clip from the floor this season, a mark that currently ranks third
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 42 this season, which is good for an
average of 2.0 per game. Since the start of conference play,
McDonald is averaging 1.9 blocks per game, a mark that ranks third
in the America East. The center has notched a block in 16 of the
last 17 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 98.
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).
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
(.372) in the conference from the floor this year, while shooting
an impressive .399 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 1,179 points and 640 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.
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.
