WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TAKES ON CANISIUS COLLEGE ON DEC. 28
THE MATCHUP
Monday's matchup between New Hampshire and
Canisius College will mark the third meeting all-time between both
teams, with the last matchup coming on Dec. 20, 2008. In that game,
the Golden Griffs got the best of the Wildcats, earning an 64-37
victory at Lundholm Gymnasium. However, in the first meeting
between both teams on Jan. 6, 1994, UNH earned a 74-61 victory in
Durham.
SCOUTING CANISIUS COLLEGE (5-5):
Canisius College is coming
off a 63-32 loss to Marquette on Dec. 21 at the Al Maguire Center
... The loss drops the Griffs to 5-5 on the season, while the
Golden Eagles improved to 8-4 ... For the Griffs, the loss comes as
their third straight loss ... After starting the year off
with two straight losses, the Griffs won five straight games,
including two wins against Binghamton and Albany, both members of
the America East Conference ... Canisius extended its NCAA record
of consecutive games with a 3-pointer to 464 games on a 3-pointer
by Micayla Drysdale just one minute into the action ... Marquette
has won all six matchups against Canisius in its history ... The
32-point output by Canisius tied a program record for fewest points
in a game, which last happened on Fe. 9, 1978 against Niagara ...
Brittane Russell has eight points, nine rebounds, four assists and
two steals in the game ... The nine rebounds in the contest give
Russell 504 for her career, making her the first player in program
history with 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 300 assists and 200 steals
in her career ... Cansius took the early 3-2 lead, but didn't score
for nearly a 13-minute stretch, as Marquette notched 23 unanswered
points to go up 25-3 ... The Griffs responded posting a 15-2 run to
close out the half ... Marquette started out the second half much
the way they did in the first frame, posting a 12-2 run pushing its
lead to 39-20 ... Canisius would make one last push with a
7-2 run to cut the score to 41-27, but that would be as close
as the Griffs could get the rest of the way, as Marquette held on
to the lead to preserve the victory ... Russell leads the Griffs
with 12.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 3.4 steals per game
this season ... Drysdale has knocked down a team-best 18 3-pointers
this season, shooting a .391 clip from beyond the arc.
SCOUTING NEW HAMPSHIRE (4-6):
Last time out the University of New Hampshire
women's basketball team fell to the University of Louisville 76-67
on Dec. 22 at Lundholm Gymnasium ... UNH outscored Louisville 36-29
in the first frame, outshooting the Cardinals .405 to .367 in the
stanza ... Louisville picked up the pace in the second half,
shooting a .593 clip from the floor, including a .500 mark from
beyond the arc on its way to outscoring the 'Cats 47-31 in the
frame ... Three Wildcats scored in double-figures for the fourth
time this season in the contest ... Candace Williams (Norfolk,
Mass.) scored 18 points and pulled down five rebounds in the game,
becoming just the eleventh Wildcat to score over 1,000 points and
compile 500 rebounds in program history. For her career she has
compiled 1,007 points and 548 rebounds ... For Williams, it
was the 13th time in the last 16 games dating back to last year she
has scored in double-figures ... Jill McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.)
tallied career-highs in points (18), rebounds (9) and blocks (5)
... She has tallied a block in each of the last six games ...
Lauren Wells (West Chester, (Pa.) tallied 12 points, one shy of her
career high, for the second time this season ... Amy Simpson
(Waterford, Conn.) notched a 3-pointer field goal against the
Cardinals, giving her 173 3-point field goals for her career, which
is just six away from UNH's all-time career mark of 179 ... Simpson
scored 5 points in the contest, giving her 56 on the young the
season. She now has 930 points for her career, which ranks 15th
all-time in program history ... The Wildcats currently have three
players averaging in double figure scoring, with Williams leading
the way with 12.8 points per game, while Beliveau and McDonald are
averaging 12.6 and 11.7 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 ... Simpson tallied
eight assists for the second time this season in the game, giving
her the second-best assist total in the conference with 57 through
the first 10 games this year ... In UNH's previous outing, the
University of New Hampshire women's basketball team earned a 80-72
victory against Holy Cross on Dec. 20 at Lundholm Gymnasium ...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 ... UNH outscored Holy Cross 47 to 35 in the second
stanza, posting an impressive .615 percent shooting clip from the
floor during the frame ... Simpson recorded 10 points, a
career-high 11 assists, along with two blocks and two steals ...
Including Simpson, five Wildcats finished in double-figure scoring
... Denise Beliveau (Framingham, Mass.) led all scorers with
20 points and was followed by McDonald (18 points, six rebounds),
Williams (15 points, nine rebounds) and Racheal Fowler (Glassboro,
N.J.; 10 points) ... In addition to Beliveau's 20 points, she also
tallied three steals in the contest, making it the seventh time
this season she has compiled multiple steals in a game.
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.
TRIPLE THREAT
Three Wildcats scored in double-figures for the
fourth time this season against Louisville on Dec. 22. Candace
Williams (Norfolk, Mass.) and Jill McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.) each
tallied 18 points, while Lauren Wells (West Chester, Pa.) added 12
points. The last time three Wildcats scored in double-figures was
in UNH's 78-65 overtime victory over Harvard on Nov. 24. In that
contest, Williams (18), McDonald (17) and Denise Beliveau (14)
helped achieve the feat. The trio was at it once again versus UMass
as Williams (17), Beliveau (15), and McDonald (10) all scored in
double-digits. UNH first accomplished the plateau this season
against St. Joseph's, as Beliveau led the way with 21 points, while
Williams and Wells tallied 15 and 12 points, respectively, leading
the 'Cats to a 64-56 victory at Lundholm Gymnasium.
CAREER NIGHT
Jill McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.) tallied
career-highs in points (18), rebounds (9) and blocks (5) against
Louisville on Dec. 22. McDonald reached the 18-point mark in the
game prior against Holy Cross, when she helped lead the 'Cats to an
80-72 victory. The success is nothing new for the junior center, as
she is off to a stellar start this season, posting 16.0 points, 7.0
rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game in the last three outings.
DOING WELLS
Lauren Wells (West Chester, (Pa.) tallied 12
points, one shy of her career high, against the University of
Louisville on Dec. 22. In addition, she also compiled a career-high
four steals in the contest. For Wells, it was the second time this
season she has score 12 points, as she also reached the mark in a
64-56 win against St. Joseph's on Nov. 13.
TORCHING THE NETS
The Wildcats scored 80 points against Holy Cross
on Dec. 20, marking the largest point total posted by New Hampshire
since it notched 85 points against UMBC on Jan. 10, 2009. The
80-point output not only comes as a season-high in scoring, but it
also marks the first time UNH has shot over 50 percent (54.4;
31-57) from the floor since the ‘Cats did so against Iona on
Dec. 12, 2007, when they finished with a .500 percent (30-60)
shooting clip.
5-HEADED MONSTER
Five Wildcats finished in double-figure scoring
in an 80-72 decision against Holy Cross College on Dec. 22. Denise
Beliveau (Framingham, Mass.) led all scorers with 20 points and was
followed by Jill McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.; 18 points, six
rebounds), Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.; 15 points, nine
rebounds), Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.; 10 points, 11 assists)
and Racheal Fowler (Glassboro, N.J.; 10 points). The last time five
Wildcats scored in double-figures was against Colgate on Dec. 5,
2008, when Simpson (24), Abigial LaRosa (Hampton, N.H.) (19),
Williams (13), Chrissy Hall (Northbridge, Mass.) (13) and Fowler
(10) all scored in double-figures.
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 1,007 points and 548 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.
SPREADING THE FLOOR
The Wildcats currently have three players
averaging in double-figure scoring, with Candace Williams (Norfolk,
Mass.) leading the way with 12.8 points per game, while Denise
Beliveau (Framingham, Mass.) and Jill McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.)
are averaging 12.6 and 11.7 points per game. The last time at least
three Wildcats ended the season averaging double-figures in scoring
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.
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 seven times for the Wildcats. She currently leads the team
with 22 steals and ranks third in the conference with an average of
2.2 steals per game.
3-POINT PARADE
Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) knocked down a
3-pointer on Dec. 22 against Louisville, giving her 173 3-point
field goals for her career. The impressive total ranks second
all-time in program history, six field goals shy of Heidi
Plencner's all-time mark of 179. This season, Simpson has drilled
12 trifectas, averaging 5.6 points per game. Last year, she notched
62 3-pointers, which was the best single-season mark in program
history.
BLOCK PARTY
Jill McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.) notched a
career-high five blocks versus Louisville on Dec. 22, giving her a
block in each of the last six games. The last Wildcat to tally five
blocks in a game was Ray Williams, who reached the mark against
Yale on Nov. 19, 2005. On the season she has 17 blocks, giving her
the fourth-best block total in the conference, with an average of
1.7 per game. The quick start is nothing new for the junior, as she
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 sixth all-time in blocks
with 68.
RIGHT ON POINT
Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) scored five
points last time out against Louisville, giving her 56 on the young
the season. She now has 930 points for her career, which ranks 15th
all-time in program history. Her two best offensive outbursts came
against No. 21 Maryland and Holy Cross, when she tallied a
season-high 11 and 10 points, respectively. The point guard came up
in the clutch for the Wildcats against Harvard as she drained the
first of two free throws to send the game into overtime tied at
58-58. Simpson led the charge in the overtime period as the
Wildcats outscored the Crimson 20-7 to earn the 78-65 victory. 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.
CENTURY CLUB
Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) tallied two
steals against Louisville on Dec. 22, giving her 108 steals for her
Wildcat career. The impressive total ranks 23rd 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 15 steals,
averaging 1.5 per game.
DEFENSIVE SPECIALISTS
So far this season the Wildcats have been
playing stellar defense against some impressive company. They have
held opponents to a conference-best .349 shooting percentage from
the floor this year, while shooting an impressive .389 clip
themselves. The fresh start comes against an A-10 (St. Joseph's,
UMass), an ACC (Maryland) and two Big East (Seton Hall, Louisville)
programs, following a season in which opponents shot .404 from the
field against the ‘Cats. 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.
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 57 through the first 10 games
this year. In her most recent action 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 263
assists, ranking her 12th all-time in program history. To break
into the top-10 all-time, Simpson needs just 26 assists, which at
her current pace should be attained in five games. Simpson has been
stellar across the board for the 'Cats this year, averaging 5.6
points, 5.7 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game.
DIAMON IN THE ROUGH
Diamon Beckford (Philadelphia, Pa.) scored a
career-high eight points and pulled down five rebounds against
Harvard on Nov. 24. The solid production has been nothing new this
season for the freshman sensation, as she notched five points and
three boards against Louisville on Dec. 22. Against UMass on Nov.
20, she tallied six points, five boards and two steals. In the game
prior, she notched 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 4.1 points and
3.5 rebounds per game.
CONSISTENT 'CAT
Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.) netted 18
points against Louisville on Dec. 22, making it the 13th time in
the last 16 games dating back to last year she has scored in
double-figures. Most recently, she notched a season-high 18 points
for the third time this season against Louisville on Dec. 22. Her
two other 18-point outings came in back-to-back efforts against
Quinnipiac (Nov. 29) and Harvard (Nov. 24). During the 16 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.
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.
DOUBLE-DOUBLE TROUBLE
Denise Beliveau (Framingham, Mass.) 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 third 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. Including Tuesday's game against
Harvard, Beliveau has scored in double figures in three games this
season, as she tallied 21 points against St. Joseph's and 15 points
against UMass.
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.) tied a
career-high scoring 18 points and pulling in a team-high nine
rebounds, but it was not enough, as the University of Louisville
defeated the University of New Hampshire women's basketball team,
76-67, Tuesday night at Lundholm Gymnasium.
With the win the Cardinals snap a two-game
losing streak, improving to 7-5 on the season. As for the Wildcats,
they fall to 4-6 on the year.
McDonald was named America East Player of the
Game for UNH, as she also added a career-high five blocks and two
assists on the night.
The first four minutes of the action was a
back-and-forth battle between both teams, which featured one lead
change and three ties, until Denise Beliveau (Framingham, Mass.)
snapped the knotted score with a layup to put the Wildcats up 8-6
at 16:19.
The basket by Beliveau triggered a 15-8 run by
the ‘Cats, as Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) quickly followed
the score setting up McDonald for a layup in the post. On UNH's
next possession, Simpson was at it again, as she delivered a pass
to Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.) that led to another quick
layup by the ‘Cats pushing the score to 12-8 in favor of the
home team, with 13:46 remaining in the first half.
New Hampshire would build its lead further over
the course of the next 2:07, as a 3-pointer by Diamon Beckford
(Philadelphia, Pa.) and a layup by Simpson increased UNH's lead to
eight, with the score 18-10 at 11:39.
Louisville would strike back cutting the deficit
back down to four, as Keshia Hines and Nikki Hines scored
back-to-back baskets, setting the score at 18-14 with 10:48
remaining.
However, UNH would catch fire once again late in
the stanza as a Kelley Flynn (Hopkinton, N.H.) layup ignited a 15-8
run by the ‘Cats that pushed their lead to its largest margin
of the half, with score 36-25 at 1:02.
Following the New Hampshire run, Ashley Rainey
knocked down a pair of free throws and Monique Reid drilled a
jumper with just two seconds remaining in the half, cutting the
score to 36-29 at the intermission.
The Wildcats picked up right where they left off
in the second stanza jumping out with seven unanswered points, led
by a pair of layups by Williams and a 3-pointer by Lauren Wells
(West Chester, Pa.).
Becky Burke ended the stretch knocking down a
trifecta, but New Hampshire kept pace as McDonald buried a pair of
free throws and scored on a layup on back-to-back trips up the
floor to give UNH its largest lead of the game setting the score at
47-33 with 16:56 remaining.
Louisville began to pick up the pieces on the
ensuing possession, as Monique Reid knocked down a pair of free
throws that led to six unanswered points, cutting the lead down to
eight at 15:31.
Williams knocked down a jumper to break up the
run at 15:04, but it was not enough to shut down the Cardinals as
they pushed on with a 17-8 run, capped off with a 3-pointer from
Burke, cutting UNH's lead down to five, with score set at 59-54
with 9:11 remaining.
For the next 3:11 the two squads traded baskets,
until Louisville posted a 13-2 run to close out the action, holding
New Hampshire scoreless for the remaining 2:28 of the game.
Williams finished the night with 18 points, four
rebounds, two steals and an assist. With her 18-point output, she
now has 1,007 points for her career, becoming just the 14th Wildcat
in program history to reach the 1,000-point plateau. Wells chipped
in with 12 points and four steals.
As for the Cardinals, Reid led the way with 16
points and six boards. Burke added 14 points, four rebounds and
four assists.
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.
