WOMEN'S HOOP WRAPS UP REGULAR SEASON AGAINST BU (FEB. 28)
THE MATCHUP
Boston University holds a slight lead
(32-29) in this long series, which dates back to the 1977-78
season. The last Wildcat win against the Terriers came at home on
Feb. 24, 2007, which resulted in a 74-66 victory. Boston University
has won five of the last six meetings, including a sweep of the
season series last year.
SCOUTING BOSTON U. (14-13, 10-5 AE):
Last time out Boston University fell to the
University of Maryland Baltimore County, 58-57, on Wednesday night
at the RAC Arena ... Chantell Alford led the Terriers offensively
with 14 points, while sophomore Caroline Stewart recorded a
double-double with 10 points and a career-high 14 rebounds
... Also reaching double figures was freshman Caitlynn Moran
and sophomore Alex Young with 11 and 10 points, respectively ...
Stewart earned BU's America East Player of the Game honors for her
presence on the boards as she collected a career-best 14 rebounds -
reaching double-digits in that category for the seventh time this
season ... It was her second double-double of the season ... BU
shot 36.2 percent for the game and 39.1 percent from behind the arc
... Rookie Chantell Alford currently averages a team-high 15.3 ppg
and is 14th in the nation among all freshmen ... Alford is also 40
points away from breaking the BU freshman scoring record, set by
Katie Terhune during the 2000-2001 season ... Classmate Caitlynn
Moran has also had a productive season, averaging 12.7 ppg and
dishing out a team-high 120 assists ... Sophomore Alex Young is
second on the team with 13.7 ppg, while classmate Caroline Stewart
has become a strong presence on the boards, averaging 6.9 rpg and
bringing down double-digit rebounds in five of the last seven games
... As a team, BU is shooting .373 from the field and .333 from
behind the arc, which ranks third in the conference ... The
Terriers boast one of the league's most prolific offenses with 65.0
ppg - second only to Vermont in the league statistics ... The
Terriers have already locked up the third seed in the 2010 America
East Women's Basketball Championship and will play on Friday, March
7 at approximately 2:15 p.m.
SCOUTING NEW HAMPSHIRE (8-20, 3-11 AE):
Last time out the University of New Hampshire
women's basketball team fell to Binghamton University, 78-61, on
Feb. 25 at Lundholm Gymnasium ... Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.)
dropped in a team-high 18 points and six rebounds earning America
East Player of the Game honors for New Hampshire ... Denise
Beliveau (Framingham, Mass.) added 11 points, six boards, two
assists and a steal in the loss for New Hampshire ... Jill McDonald
(Middlebury, Vt.) chipped in with 10 points, eight rebounds and two
blocks, tying Denise Higgins' single-season block record of 53 ...
Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) tied a career-high with 11 assists,
while also registering five points and three boards ... McDonald
has now scored in double figures in each of the last four games and
has tallied a block in 21 of the last 22 games ... Williams has
scored in double digits in 18 of the last 20 games, including 29 of
the last 34 dating back to last year ... Williams now has 1,243
points and 679 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 first in the conference in assists, with an average
of 5.4 per game this season ... McDonald currently ranks second in
the conference in blocks with 53 this season, which is good for an
average of 2.0 per game ... The ‘Cats rank second in the
conference in blocked shots with 128, the best single-season mark
in program history ... Since the start of conference play, the
‘Cats have racked up 70 blocks, a total that ranks first in
the conference ... New Hampshire is shooting an impressive .390
clip from the floor this season, a mark that currently ranks third
in the conference ... The Wildcats also rank fourth in defensive
field goal percentage in the America East, allowing opponents to
shoot just .380 from the floor.
THREE'S COMPANY
Three Wildcats scored in double figures for the
10th time this season against Binghamton on Feb. 25, as Candace
Williams (Norfolk, Mass.; 18), Denise Beliveau (Framingham, Mass.;
11) and Jill McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.; 10) all scored in double
digits. The last time the 'Cats had three players score in doubles
figures came against Stony Brook on Feb. 3. In that game, Chrissy
Hall (Northbridge, Mass.) led the way with 18 points, while
Williams and Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) each dropped in 16 and
15 points, respectively.
RAINING 3'S
New Hampshire drilled a season-high 10
3-pointers against Binghamton on Feb. 25, marking the seventh time
this season the ‘Cats have knocked down at least eight
trifectas. UNH's also knocked down 10 treys from deep against then
23rd-ranked Syracuse on Dec. 30. 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.
FOUR OF A KIND
Jill McDonald (Middbury, Vt.; 16), Denise
Beliveau (Framingham, Mass.; 15), Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.;
11) and Cari Reed (Oswego, N.Y.; 11) all scored in double figures
against Albany on Feb. 21, marking the second time this season four
‘Cats reached double digit scoring. The last time the
Wildcats reached the mark came on Jan. 16 against UMBC when Amy
Simpson (Waterford, Conn.; 15), Williams (15), Beliveau (14) and
Lauren Wells (West Chester, Pa.; 12) all scored in double
figures.
MCDOUBLE-DOUBLE
Jill McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.) notched her
second career double-double, tallying 16 points and a career-high
10 rebounds against Albany on Feb. 21. She earned her first career
double-double against Vermont on Jan. 31, finishing with a
career-high 19 points and 10 rebounds.
FOUR IN A ROW
Jill McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.) has scored in
double figures in each of the last four games, including five of
the last seven. Against Albany on Feb. 21, McDonald notched her
second career double-double with 16 points and a career-high 10
rebounds. During the four-game span, she is averaging 13.8 points,
6.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per contest.
TRIPLE TROUBLE
The Wildcats currently have three players
averaging in double figure scoring, with Candace Williams (Norfolk,
Mass.) leading the way with 13.0 points per game, while Denise
Beliveau (Framingham, Mass.) and Jill McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.)
are averaging 11.3 and 10.2 points per game, respectively.
Currently, the 'Cats are one of just three 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 in double
digits 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.
SIMPSON VISION
Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) tallied 11
assists against Binghamton on Feb. 25, giving her 356 assists for
her career, a mark that ranks fourth all-time in program history.
This season she has compiled 150 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.
PASSING THE GREATS
Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) tallied 11
assists against Binghamton on Feb. 25, giving her 356 assists for
her career, a mark that ranks fourth all-time in program history.
This season she has compiled 150 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.
WILDCAT BLOCK PARTY
New Hampshire ranks second in the America East
in blocks this season with 128, breaking the program's
single-season block record. The Wildcats broke the record last
season with 117 swats, as Jill McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.) and
Chrissy Hall (Northbridge, Mass.) led the squad with 47 and 22
swats, respectively. Prior to last season, the record had stood for
nearly seven years, as the 2001-02 squad previously set the mark
with 101 blocks.
DOUBLE DIGIT DANDY
Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.) notched her
third double-double of the season against UMBC on Feb. 13, tallying
16 points and a season-high 13 rebounds. For Williams, the
impressive mark comes as her 15th career double-double. Last
season, the forward earned a conference-best 10 double-doubles.
RECORD CHASER
Jill McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.) recently
reached a career-high in blocks with 53 this season, tying Denise
Higgins' single-season block record. Last season McDonald tallied
47 blocks, averaging 1.5 per game. This season she is averaging 2.0
blocks per game, a total that ranks second in the conference.
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 when she swatted seven shots
against then 23rd-ranked Syracuse 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.
CHARITY WORK
Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.) laced 2-of-5
free throws against Binghamton on Feb. 25, giving her an impressive
.839 shooting clip from the charity stripe since the start of
conference play. Williams ranks fifth in the America East in free
throw percentage on the season, posting a .792 clip from the
line.
REJECTION NOTICE
Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) is currently one
of just two guards to rank in the top-10 in blocks in the America
East since the start of conference play. So far this season, the
senior has notched a career-high 24 blocks and is currently
averaging 0.9 blocks per game since the start of conference play.
Simpson recently notched a career-high four blocks against Albany
on Jan. 22, a mark she has reached just three times in her
career.
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 6.9 rebounds per
game, a total that currently ranks seventh in the conference. For
her career she has compiled 679 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 1,059 points, 356 assists, 123 steals and 63 blocks. 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
1,059 points, 356 assists, 123 steals and 63 blocks.
SWAT TEAM
The Wildcats currently rank second in the
conference in blocks with 128, which is good for an average of 4.6
per game. Jill McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.) leads the way for
the ‘Cats this season, notching 53 blocks, while Amy Simpson
(Waterford, Conn.) ranks second on the squad with 24.
CONSISTENT 'CAT
Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.) netted 18
points against Binghamton on Feb. 25, making it the 28th time in
the last 34 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 34 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) and then posted 26 at Stony Brook (Jan.
21, 2009). In 1998-99, Orsi Farkas posted double figures in all 31
games for the Wildcats.
K-FLYING HIGH
Kelley Flynn (Hopkinton, N.H.) set career highs
in 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
1,243 points in her UNH career and needs 202 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, becoming just the
eighth Wildcat all-time to tally at least 1,000 points and 600
rebounds in program history. Williams has notched at least eight
boards in four of the last six games and currently leads the team
with average of 6.9 rebounds per game.
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 31 3-pointers and
currently has 193 3-point field goals in her career. Last year, she
notched 62 3-pointers, which was the best single-season mark in
program history.
TICKLE THE TWINE
New Hampshire is shooting an impressive .390
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. Since the start of conference play, UNH has been just as
stellar sinking 40.4 percent (388-of-811) of its shots. 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.
DOING THE DISHES
Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) has stepped up
in her new role as point guard this season, notching the best
assist total in the conference with 150. Against Maine on Feb. 16,
she tallied her second best assist total of the season, dishing out
eight assists for the third time this year. Simpson had her best
assist output this season against Binghamton on Feb. 25, when she
tied a career-high with 11 assists. The last time she reached the
11-assist mark came against Holy Cross on Dec. 20, 2009. For her
career, Simpson has tallied 356 assists, ranking her fourth
all-time in program history. Simpson has been solid across the
board for the ‘Cats this year, averaging 6.6 points, 5.4
assists, 3.2 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.
RE-WRITING THE HISTORY BOOKS
Jill McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.) ranks second in
the conference in blocks with 53 this season, which is good for an
average of 2.0 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 21 of the
last 22 games. Her most impressive outing came against then
23rd-ranked Syracuse 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 109.
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 12 times for the Wildcats. She currently leads the team with
40 steals, with an average of 1.7 steals per game.
CENTURY CLUB
Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) tallied a steal
against Binghamton on Feb. 25, giving her 123 steals for her
Wildcat career. The impressive total ranks 17th 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 the second-most steals in program history with 229. On the
season, Simpson ranks second on team with 31 steals, averaging 1.1
per game.
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.
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 1,225 points and 673 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 six of their last
seven decisions in overtime dating back to March 1, 2003, when UNH
defeated Stony Brook 70-67 in the extra frame. New Hampshire's win
over the Crimson 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.
DEFENSIVE SPECIALISTS
The Wildcats have been playing stellar
defense against some impressive company this season. They have held
opponents to the fourth-best defensive shooting percentage (.380)
in the conference, while shooting an impressive .390 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. New
Hampshire held then 23rd ranked Syracuse to its second lowest
offensive output to that point, 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 then 21st ranked 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.
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.
