GAME
NOTES (PDF)
THE MATCHUP
Tuesday's matchup marks the 33rd meeting between
New Hampshire and Harvard. The Wildcats hold a 26-7 record in the
series, winning 15 of the first 16 contests against the Crimson.
UNH's first matchup against Harvard came on Feb. 14, 1978, which
resulted in a 61-46 UNH win. Harvard earned its first win
against the Wildcats on Feb. 10, 1986 and has been victorious in
six out of the past seven meetings. The Wildcats are 9-2 at home
against Harvard all-time, however, their last win at Lundholm
Gymnasium versus the Crimson came in a 70-58 decision on Dec. 29,
1999.
SCOUTING HARVARD (2-1):
Last time out, sophomore Brogan Berry scored a
season-high 20 points, but it was not enough to propel the Crimson
to victory as they fell to Sacred Heart 92-77 Saturday night at the
Pitt Center ... Christine Matera scored a season-high 12 points,
all in the first half, while Caitlin Rowland and Emma Markley added
11 and 10 points, respectively ... Harvard opened up the action
with a 10-3 run as Berry capped off the stretch with a trey to give
the Crimson a double-digit lead four minutes into the game ...
Despite the quick start, the Pioneers would fire back, draining
three-straight shots from beyond the arc to pull within just one
point, with the score 15-14 at 14:08 ... At the intermission the
score was tied at 43 apiece ... Sacred Heart pulled away with
a 10-0 run to start the second half and would build its lead to a
60-47 margin with 15:39 remaining ... The Pioneers continued their
hot shooting late in the period, as they led by as many as 17 en
route to the victory ... On the season, Victoria Lippert leads the
Crimson with 15.7 points per game ... Emma Markley has also chipped
in with 13.7 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.
SCOUTING NEW HAMPSHIRE (2-1):
Last time out the University of New Hampshire
women's basketball team earned its second win of the year against
an Atlantic-10 team with a 58-57 victory over UMass on Friday night
at Lundholm Gymnasium ... Three Wildcats scored in double-figures,
with Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.) leading the way with 17
points, while Denise Beliveau (Framingham, Mass.) and Jill McDonald
(Middlebury, Vt.) tallied 15 and 10 points, respectively ... The
'Cats compiled a season-high 13 steals in the contest, on their way
to forcing a season best 27 turnovers ... UNH shot 44 percent
(11-25) in the second half, outscoring the Minutewomen 32-22 in the
stanza ... In UNH's previous outing, the Wildcats fell to No. 21
Maryland, 63-43, on Nov. 16 at the Comcast Center ... Amy Simpson
(Waterford, Conn.) scored 11 points and tallied seven assists in
the contest ... The Terrapins set the tone early in the contest as
they started off the game with a 20-9 run ... The Wildcats
scratched their way right back into the action as they answered
Maryland's run with an 11-3 scoring stretch, cutting the home
team's lead down to just three points, with the score set at 23-20
at 4:21 ... Maryland closed out the half with a 26-20 advantage ...
Maryland took control in the second stanza, leading by as many as
22 points and finishing out the night with a 7-2 run to secure the
win ... Lauren Wells (West Chester, Pa.) finished with nine points,
three assists and two boards ... Diamon Beckford (Philadelpia, Pa.)
notched seven points, seven rebounds and one block.
DEFENSIVE SPECIALISTS
So far this season the Wildcats have been
playing stellar defense against some impressive company. They have
held opponents to a .299 shooting percentage from the floor this
year, while shooting an impressive .352 clip themselves. The fresh
start comes against two A-10 (St. Joseph's, UMass) and one ACC
(Maryland) program, following a season in which opponents shot .404
from the field against the ‘Cats. In Friday's win over UMass,
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.
DIAMON IN THE ROUGH
Diamon Beckford (Philadelphia, Pa.) notched six
points, five boards and two steals against UMass on Friday night.
The solid production has been nothing new this season for the
freshman sensation, as she tallied seven points, seven boards and
one block against No. 21 Maryland on Nov. 16. In that contest she
helped the Wildcats respond to a 20-9 Terrapin run that started the
game, as she knocked down a jumper at 7:44 to set off an 11-3
scoring stretch, which cut the home team's lead down to just three
points, with the score set at 23-20 at 4:21. Including the jumper,
she totaled five points on the run. This season Beckford has posted
5.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game.
EVERYTHING BUT THE KITCHEN SINK
Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) tallied a
season-high seven assists against No. 21 Maryland on Nov. 16. For
the 2-guard turned point guard, Simpson has stepped up in her new
role, notching 15 assists through the first three games this
season. However, setting up her teammates is nothing new for
multi-tooled guard, as she has has averaged 5.5 assists per game in
her last six games dating back to last year. In that span she set a
career-high in assists with 11 against Binghamton on March 4, 2009.
Simpson has been stellar across the board for the 'Cats this year,
averaging 4.3 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game.
CONSISTENT 'CAT
Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.) netted a
season-high 17 points against UMass on Friday night. For the
senior, it was the eighth time in the last nine games she has
scored in double-figures. In her previous double-digit effort, she
poured in 15 points in UNH's 64-56 win over St. Joseph's University
on Nov. 13 at Lundholm Gymnasium. During the nine 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.
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.
TRIPLE TROUBLE
In Saturday's win over UMass, three Wildcats
scored in double-figures for the second time in three games. Most
recently Candace Williams (17), Denise Beliveau (15) and Jill
McDonald (10) helped achieve the feat. In UNH's 64-56 victory over
St. Joseph's on Nov. 13, Beliveau led the way with 21 points, while
Williams and Lauren Wells tallied 15 and 12 points, respectively.
The last time three Wildcats scored in double-figures twice in a
three game span, came in games against Albany (1/24/09) and
Binghamton (1/28/09). Against Albany, Amy Simpson led the 'Cats
with 18 points, while Williams and Kate Early tallied 17 and 12
points, respectively. The next time out versus Binghamton, Williams
led the team with 19 points, while Simpson tallied 17 points and
Abigail LaRosa notched 11 points.
CAREER NIGHT
Jill McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.) knocked down a
pair of free throws with just 0:12 remaining to propel the
University of New Hampshire women's basketball team to a 58-57
victory over the University of Massachusetts Friday night at
Lundholm Gymnasium. For her efforts, the center was named the
America East Player of the Game, notching 10 points, nine rebounds,
two blocks and two steals in the contest. On the season, McDonald
is averaging 6.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.0 block per game.
A-10 SPECIAL
UNH's 58-57 win over UMass on Friday 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.
ELITE-10
After pouring in 17 points and ripping down
seven rebounds in Friday's 58-57 win over UMass, Candace Williams
(Norfolk, Mass.) set herself up to join some elite company. With
911 points and 500 rebounds in her UNH career, Williams is on pace
to become just the tenth Wildcat to score over 1,000 points and
compile 500 rebounds in program history. The last 'Cat to achieve
the feat was Aubrey Danen in 2003, who scored 1,087 and tallied 666
rebounds during the course of her career. 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.
LAST TIME OUT
After being down by as many as 18 points, Denise
Beliveau (Framingham, Mass.) poured in 11 second half points and
Jill McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.) knocked down a pair of late free
throws to propel the University of New Hampshire women's basketball
team to a 58-57 victory over the University of Massachusetts Friday
night at Lundholm Gymnasium.
With the win, the Wildcats improive to 2-1 on
the young season, while the Minutewomen lose their second straight
game, falling to 1-2. For New Hampshire, the victory comes as its
second against an Atlantic-10 opponent this season and is its first
win against UMass since Dec. 4, 2005.
After a first period in which the Minutewomen
shot 50 percent (11-22) from the field, including 57.1 percent from
three-point land, UMass entered the second stanza with a 35-26
lead. Megan Zullo lead the way for UMass in the first half as she
knocked down four 3-pointers for 12 points.
UMass would continue its sharp shooting ways at
the start of the second half posting an 11-2 run to kick off the
action. Cerie Mosgrove gave the Minutewomen life as she nailed a
pair of trifectas on back-to-back possessions during the stretch,
building UMass' lead up to 18, with the score 46-28 at 17:39.
Despite facing their largest deficit of the
evening, the Wildcats would claw back into the action with a 21-2
run. Diamon Beckford (Philadelphia, Pa.) set the ‘Cats off,
laying the ball in at 17:21 and tallying six points on the
stretch.
Danella would end the run with two free throws
to regain the lead, with the score 50-49 at 4:55 in favor of the
visitors. The two squads would trade baskets with one another for
next four minutes of play, in a stretch that featured three ties
and three lead changes.
With score knotted at 56-56, Kristina Danella
nailed the second of two free throws to put the Minutewomen up
57-56 with just 0:39 remaining. On the ensuing possession, Beckford
missed on a layup attempt, but McDonald was able to track down the
loose ball and was quickly fouled by Nicole Jones.
With a chance to give UNH just its third lead of
the game, McDonald stepped to line and sank both free throws to
give the Wildcats the 58-57 edge. The Minutewomen would have one
last attempt to regain the lead for good on their next trip down
floor, but Nicole James missed a jump hook as the buzzer sounded,
sealing the victory for New Hampshire.
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.
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.
