WOMEN'S HOOPS SET TO HOST SAINT JOSEPH'S (NOV. 13)
SCOUTING NEW HAMPSHIRE (0-0):
The University of New Hampshire
women's basketball team fell to Bentley University, 73-67, in the
2009-10 season-opening exhibition matchup on Sunday afternoon at
Lundholm Gymnasiun ... The Wildcats went on a 7-2 run to close out
the game, but it was not enough, as Bentley held on for the victory
... Lauren Wells (West Chester, Pa.) and Jill McDonald (Middlebury,
Vt.) notched a career-high 18 and 11 points, respectively.... Amy
Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) finished with 10 points, four assists
and four rebounds. Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.) pulled in a
game-high 10 rebounds and notched nine points ... Denise Beliveau
(Framingham, Mass.) chipped in with six points, seven rebounds,
three steals and two assists.
SCOUTING ST. JOSEPH'S (0-0):
The Hawks come in to Friday's match
up against the Wildcats picked to finish ninth in the Atlantic 10
conference this season ... The Hawks return three starters and
eight letterwinners ... They finished last season 13-17 overall and
5-9 in conference play ... Brittany Ford returns as the
team's top scorer, as she averaged 12.2 points per game last year,
in addition to averaging 5.0 rebounds per game and 1.0 block per
game .. Last year, the forward earned an Atlantic-10 All-Conference
Honorable Mention, as well as All-Big 5 Second-Team honors ... Also
returning for St. Joseph's is Mariame Djouara, who averaged 10.3
points per game and 3.3 rebounds per game, while earning a spot on
the Big 5 Second Team last year.
THE MATCHUP:
Prior to Friday's matchup the Wildcats and
Hawks haven't met since the 1985-86 season. For both squads it is
their only meeting in their respective histories, with St. Joseph's
getting the best of New Hampshire during the contest, earning a
73-40 victory at home on Dec. 27, 1985. The Hawks posted a 22-7
record that season, while the Wildcats finished 9-19.
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.
MACMULLAN RETURNS:
University of New Hampshire women's basketball
coach Kristin Cole recently annouced that alumna and former captain
of the women's basketball team, Jackie MacMullan, will sign and
sell copies of her new book "When the Game Was Ours," on Friday,
Nov. 13 at the Paul Sweet Oval in the UNH Field House.
With the release of her book this month,
MacMullan continues her book signing tour as she makes the stop in
Durham just before the women's basketball team plays their
season-opener against St. Joseph's University in Lundholm Gymnasium
at 7 p.m. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., as the signing begins at 6
p.m.
MacMullan is a nationally recognized sports
columnist for the Boston Globe and a frequent correspondent for
ESPN. Her book, which is co-authored by legendary rivals and former
NBA All-Stars Larry Bird of the Boston Celtics and Earvin "Magic"
Johnson of the Los Angeles Lakers, highlights the careers of the
two stars and the inner workings of the National Basketball
Association during the 1980s.
MacMullan has contributed to the Boston Globe
for more than three decades, covering numerous high profile events
including the 1986 World Series, the 1987 Stanley Cup Finals and
the 1988 Olympic Games, as well as numerous Final Four tournaments
and NBA championships.
MacMullan graduated from UNH cum laude and
played four years of basketball, leading the team in scoring as a
sophomore and served as team's captain in her senior year. She was
the recipient of both the Robert Perry Student-Athlete Award and
the Dean Williamson Award, which is given to the student who excels
in scholarship athletics and loyalty to the university.
MacMullan graduated from UNH cum laude and
played four years of basketball, leading the team in scoring as a
sophomore and served as team's captain in her senior year. She was
the recipient of both the Robert Perry Student-Athlete Award and
the Dean Williamson Award, which is given to the student who excels
in scholarship athletics and loyalty to the university.
Books will be available for purchase for $26, a
package that includes a free ticket to the women's basketball game
immediately following the signing. In addition, students and those
purchasing three or more books will receive a 10 percent discount
off their entire purchase.
SEASON OF HIGH HOPES:
Entering her third year at the helm of the
University of New Hampshire women's basketball program, head coach
Kristin Cole begins the 2009-10 season with all the pieces aligned
to make a run at the America East competition. With the return of
every player from last year's team, as well as the addition of high
impact newcomers, the Wildcats look poised to become a true
contender in the conference.
The Wildcats will once again look to the
veteran leadership of senior forward Candace Williams (Norfolk,
Mass.) and senior guard Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) to lead the
team.
Williams is fresh off her best season in white
and blue becoming a staple in the Wildcat lineup starting every
game last season. She made the most of her time on the court
becoming one of just two players in the America East conference to
rank in the top three in both scoring (16.1) and rebounding (8.1).
Her efforts also led to her being selected to the America East
All-Conference Second Team, becoming only the tenth player in
program history to do so.
Simpson also started in all 31 games for the
Wildcats last season, averaging a career-high 11.5 points per game,
a total that ranked second on the team and 12th in the conference.
She also ranked second on the squad in assists and steals with 90
and 29, respectively. Simpson poises the greatest threat beyond the
arc as she drained the best single-season mark for 3-pointers made
in program history with 62 last year. Her most prolific performance
came against Colgate (12/5) when she nailed six 3-pointers to tie a
UNH single-game record.
Perhaps the biggest addition to this year's
squad is the return of Denise Beliveau (Framingham, Mass.), who sat
out last season due to injury. In her first season in 2007-08, she
was the only freshman to play in 28 of 29 games, averaging 10
points and 6.2 rebounds per game, which topped the America East
freshmen class. In fact, her performance was so impressive that she
was named to the America East All-Rookie team and became the third
player in UNH history to win the Rookie of the Year award. However,
she didn't just stand out in scoring, as she also tallied the
second best totals in rebounds and assists with 174 and 55,
respectively.
Anchoring the ‘Cats in the middle is
senior Racheal Fowler (Glassboro, N.J.). Fowler, started in all 31
games last season, finishing with 5.9 points per game and 5.5
rebounds per game, leading the team in field goal percentage (.513;
79-154).
Fellow senior Chrissy Hall (Northbridge, Mass.)
will also be called upon as she looks to build on a relatively
productive 2008-09 season in which she played in all 31 games and
started in 13. Her defensive prowess became truly evident last
season as she ranked second on the team in blocks with 22, while
also adding 22 steals. In addition, she averaged 3.6 points per
game and 3.2 rebounds per game.
The Wildcats fill out the frontcourt with a
plethora of experience and talent that is sure to provide solid
depth and production throughout the 2009-10 campaign. Juniors Jill
McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.), Kate Early (Corning, N.Y.) and
sophomore Kelley Flynn (Hopinkton, N.H.), provide a solid veteran
presence and are sure to make an immediate impact this season.
McDonald should prove to be a solid piece to
the puzzle this season as she provides size and a solid defensive
presence in the middle. After playing in all 31 games, including
one start, McDonald emerged as a defensive stopper for the
‘Cats as she racked up a team-high 47 blocks. Her average of
1.5 blocks per game not only was a team high but ranked fourth in
America East. She also notched 3.5 points per game and 3.3 rebounds
per game.
Early played in all 31 games, including 14
starts for the ‘Cats last season. She ranked second on the
team in field goal percentage (.493; 34-69), giving New Hampshire a
solid overall lift with an average of 2.7 points per game. More
importantly, she collected the third most rebounds and steals on
the team with 130 and 23, respectively.
Rounding out the frontcourt for the Wildcats is
Flynn who joins the Wildcats after playing in 21 collegiate games
with the Richmond Spiders. Flynn is sure to make an impact with the
‘Cats under the basket as her 6-5 frame will give the
Wildcats a presence in the middle. The McDonald's All-American
nominee led Hopkinton High School to the State Semifinals and State
Championships. She ranked as a top-10 player in Varsity New England
Magazine for two straight years and was rated the 48th-best center
in the country by the All-Star Girls Report Recruiting Service.
The backcourt will feature a dynamic duo of
young talented point guards as returning starter Abigail LaRosa
(Hampton, N.H.) and Kelsey Hogan (Nashua, N.H.) should provide
stability within the rotation.
LaRosa played and started in all 31 games for
the Wildcats last season posting an average of 6.4 points per game,
while averaging a team best 3.0 assists per game and 3.2 rebounds
per game. The sophomore didn't fall short defensively either, as
she led the team in steals with 35 and chipped in with six
blocks.
As for Hogan, her season was cut short last
year due to injury, but in the limited time she saw the court she
provided a great offensive spark for the Wildcats. Starting in the
three games in which she played, Hogan averaged 8.0 points per game
along with 3.3 rebounds per game and 3.0 assists per game. The
freshman's best game came against Bryant (11/14) when she notched a
career-high 20 points and eight rebounds against the Bulldogs.
Sophomore Lauren Wells (West Chester, Pa.) adds
depth for the ‘Cats as she looks to build on a promising
freshman campaign. Playing in 29 games for New Hampshire last
season she posted 5.1 points per game and 1.9 rebounds per game.
Her potential was best exhibited when she poured in a season high
13 points to go along with two assists, a block and a steal against
Vermont (2/1).
Freshmen Diamon Beckford (Philadelphia, Pa.),
Jilliane Friel (Durham, N.H.), Jackie Lyons (Reading, Mass.) and
Cari Reed (Oswego, N.Y) will all compete for playing time.
Beckford, who played at Upper Darby High
School, became the fourth player in the school's history to surpass
the 1,000-point marker, in her junior year. In her senior season
she won league MVP and surpassed the 1,000 mark in career rebounds.
The three-time All-Delco first-team member was a third-team
All-Southeastern Pennsylvania selection her junior year, as
well.
Friel, who comes from a long line of New
Hampshire basketball tradition, is the daughter of the late Gerry
Friel, the winningest coach in the history of the UNH men's
basketball program. The three-time Foster's Daily Democrat
Basketball Dream Team member won the league Player of the Year
award and surpassed the 1,000-point mark in her senior season. As a
junior she led the Bobcats to the state quarterfinals and was named
a second-team all-state basketball selection. In 2006, she led the
Bobcats to an undefeated record (22-0) on their way to winning the
Class I state championship.
Lyons compiled over 1,000 points during her
career at Reading High School, including a total of 436 points
during her senior season. During that season she was named North
Section Player of the Year and helped lead the Rockets to a
Middlesex League Championship. In 2007, she was the conference's
leading scorer with an average of 18.1 points per game. During that
season she was selected to the Middlesex All-League team and named
the Woburn Times Chronicle Player of the Year.
Reed, who scored over 1,000 while playing at
Oswego High School, was a three-time selection to both the
All-League first-team and the All-CNY (Central New York) team. She
was selected as the conference Player of the Year in 2008 and 2009
and was also a member of the all-state ninth-team.
With a solid group of core players, increased
depth and a load of young talent, the Wildcats have set themselves
up not only for a successful campaign in 2009-10 but to become a
top talent in the America East for many years to come.
