WOMEN'S HOOP CONTINUES ROAD TRIP AGAINST ALBANY (JAN. 22)
THE MATCHUP
New Hampshire will travel to Albany marking the
31st meeting between the two squads. The Wildcats swept the season
series last year, with their most recent victory coming in a 66-62
decision on Feb. 28, 2009. However, before last season, the Great
Danes had won three of the previous four meetings, including a
sweep in the 2007-08 series.
SCOUTING ALBANY (7-10, 0-4 AE):
Last time out Albany fell to Stony Brook 46-37
on Jan. 19 at Pritchard Gymnasium ... Julie Forster led the way for
the Great Danes, dropping in 14 points and tallying 12 rebounds and
a career-high four blocks on her way to being named America East
Player of the Game ... Ebone Henry added eight points, five
rebounds and two steals ... Stony Brook outshot Albany .340
to .226 in the contest ... For the Great Danes, it was their fourth
straight loss, sixth in the last seven games ... Albany kicked off
the season winning three of its first five games ... The Great
Danes have struggled on the road this season, posting a 2-8 record
away from Albany, but have been strong at the SEFCU arena with a
5-2 record ... The Great Danes have proven to be a strong defensive
squad, giving up the third fewest points in the America East
Conference with an average of 61.4 per game ... They also rank
first in the conference in steals with 180 this season ... Charity
Iromuanya leads the team in steals and is currently tied for the
league lead in steals per game with an average of 2.8 ... Forster
has chipped in with the fourth best block total in the conference
with 23 ... She has also been a menace on the glass, pulling in the
third best rebound total in the conference with an average of 7.4
per game ... Iromuanya leads the team in scoring with an average of
9.8 points per game.
SCOUTING NEW HAMPSHIRE (6-12, 1-4 AE):
Last time out the University of New Hampshire
women's basketball team was edged by Dartmouth 49-48 on Jan. 19 at
the Leede Arena ... Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.) tallied 13
points, nine rebounds and a steal on her way to being named the
America East Player of the Game for New Hampshire ... She now has
604 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 ... Kelley Flynn (Hopkinton, N.H.) added a career-high
seven points and 13 rebounds in the contest ... Denise Beliveau
(Framingham, Mass.) chipped in with eight points, five boards and
three steals ... Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) finished the night
with five points and seven assists ... She now has 992 points in
her career and is on pace to become the first Wildcat to notch over
1,000 points, 250 assists and 100 steals in program history ...
Simpson ranks third in the conference in assists, with an average
of 5.2 per game this season ... Jill McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.) has
now tallied a block in 11 of the last 12 games ... She currently
ranks second in the conference in blocks with 36 this season, which
is good for an average of 2.3 per game ... She also has the
third-best field goal percentage in the conference with a .520
shooting clip ... The ‘Cats rank second in the conference in
blocked shots with 80 ... New Hampshire is shooting an impressive
.381 clip from the floor this season, a mark that currently ranks
fourth in the conference ... The Wildcats have three players
averaging in double figure scoring, with Williams leading the way
with 12.7 points per game, while Beliveau and McDonald are
averaging 12.0 and 10.0 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 ... In the game prior, the
Wildcats earned a 77-67 victory over the University of Maryland
Baltimore County on Jan. 16 at the RAC Arena ... Simpson and
Williams led four Wildcats in double figure scoring, each netting
15 points apiece ... Beliveau and Lauren Wells (West Chester, Pa.)
rounded out UNH's double digit scorers, notching 14 and 12 points,
respectively ... For UNH, it was the first time four Wildcats
registered in double figures since its 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 ... Simpson took home America East
Player of the Game honors for New Hampshire, finishing the
afternoon with five rebounds, four assists, two blocks and two
steals ... Simpson knocked down a 3-pointer in the contest, giving
her a program record 180 3-point field goals for her career.
SETTING NEW HIGHS
Kelley Flynn (Hopkinton, N.H.) set career-highs
in both rebounds (13) and points (seven) in 16 minutes of action
against Dartmouth on Jan. 19. Prior to her stellar outing against
the Big Green, Flynn had reached her previous high of five points
four times in her career and reached 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.
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 seven boards in six of the last eight games
and currently leads the team with average of 6.7 rebounds per
game.
NOW BOARDING
New Hampshire has outrebounded its opponents in
each of the last two games, holding an 80 to 63 advantage on the
glass. In their most recent action, the ‘Cats controlled the
glass against intrastate rival Dartmouth on Jan. 19, pulling in 41
boards to Dartmouth's 38. In the game prior against UMBC, the
Wildcats were even more impressive, holding a 39 to 25 advantage on
the boards.
RIGHT ON POINT
Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) scored five
points last time out against Dartmouth, giving her 118 on the
season. She now has 992 points for her career, which ranks 15th
all-time in program history. Simpson's two best offensive outbursts
came against Maine on Jan. 12 and UMBC on Jan. 16, when she tallied
21 and 15 points, respectively. 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.
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 20 3-pointers, averaging
6.6 points per game. Last year, she notched 62 3-pointers, which
was the best single-season mark in program history.
MOVING ON UP
After tallying 15 points against UMBC on Jan.
16, Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.), moved to ninth all-time in
program history in scoring. She currently has 1,108 points in her
UNH career and needs 326 points to break into the top-5, a total
that would tie Wildcat great Orsi Farkas' all-time mark of 1,434
career points.
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.
OFFENSIVE AWAKENING
Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) dropped in a
team-high 15 points, five rebounds, four assists, two steals and
two blocks against UMBC on Jan. 16, marking the second straight
game she has scored in double digits. In the game prior against
Maine on Jan. 12, 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. In her last three games,
Simpson is averaging 13.7 points, 4.7 assists, 3.3 rebounds, 1.7
blocks and 1.0 steal per game.
PASSING THE GREATS
Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) tallied seven
assists against Dartmouth on Jan. 19, giving her 299 assists for
her career, a mark that ranks 10th all-time in program history.
This season she has compiled 93 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.
RAINING 3'S
New Hampshire drilled eight 3-pointers against
UMBC on Jan. 16, marking the fourth 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.
DOING THE DISHES
Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) has stepped up in
her new role as point guard this season, notching the third-best
assist total in the conference with 93. 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
292 assists, ranking her 10th all-time in program history. Simpson
has been solid across the board for the ‘Cats this year,
averaging 6.6 points, 5.2 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals per
game.
DOING WELLS
Lauren Wells (West Chester, (Pa.) tallied 12
points, one shy of her career high, against UMBC on Jan. 16. For
Wells, it was the third time this season she has scored 12 points,
as she also reached the mark against the University of Louisville
on Dec. 22. and in a 64-56 win against St. Joseph's on Nov. 13.
CONSISTENT 'CAT
Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.) netted 13
points against Dartmouth on Jan. 19, making it the 20th time in the
last 24 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 24 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.
THREE'S COMPANY
Three Wildcats scored in double-figures for the
fifth time this season against Maine on Jan. 12. Amy Simpson
(Waterford, Conn.) led the way with 21 points, while Denise
Beliveau (Framingham, Mass.) and Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.)
tallied 13 and 12 points, respectively. The last time three 'Cats
reached the mark was against Louisville on Dec. 22. In that
contest, Williams and Jill McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.) each tallied
18 points, while Lauren Wells (West Chester, Pa.) added 12 points.
Prior to that, Williams (18), McDonald (17) and Beliveau (14)
helped achieve the feat in UNH's 78-65 overtime victory over
Harvard on Nov. 24. 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.
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.
Prior to Beliveau's impressive outing, Candace Williams (Norfolk,
Mass.) notched her first double-double of the season against
Canisius College on Dec. 28 with 12 points and 11 rebounds. For
Williams, the impressive mark comes as her 14th career
double-double. Last season, the forward earned a conference-best 10
double-doubles. Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) also notched a
double-double this season, tallying 10 points and a career-high 11
assists against Holy Cross on Dec. 20.
MAKE ROOM AT THE TOP
Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.) pulled in two
boards against Stony Brook on Jan. 6, moving her to ninth all-time
in career rebounds. The senior leads the team with 6.7 rebounds per
game, a total that currently ranks ninth in the conference.
Williams has compiled at least seven rebounds in five of the last
eight games, including an outing against Canisius College on Dec.
28, when she tallied a season-high 11 rebounds. For her career she
has compiled 604 boards.
CHARITY DRIVE
Since the start of conference play the Wildcats
rank fourth in the America East in free throw percentage with a
.704 clip from the free throw line. On the season, UNH ranks
seventh in the conference in free throw percentage, posting a .673
clip from the line. Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.) leads the
Wildcats with a 76.3 shooting percentage from the charity stripe,
including a .818 clip in conference action.
JUST THE TWO OF US
Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) is one of just
two Wildcats all-time to tally at least 900 points, 250 assists and
100 steals in a career at UNH. For her career, the senior has
racked up 992 points, 299 assists and 116 steals. The only other
‘Cat to reach such milestones is Martha Morrison, who played
for UNH from 1978-82, finishing her career with 914 points, 368
assists and 167 steals.
WILDCAT BLOCK PARTY
The Wildcats currently rank second in the
conference in blocks with 80, which is good for an average of 4.4
per game. Jill McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.) leads the way for the
‘Cats this season, notching 36 blocks, while Amy Simpson
(Waterford, Conn.) ranks second on the squad with 15.
SPREADING THE FLOOR
The Wildcats currently have three players
averaging in double figure scoring, with Candace Williams (Norfolk,
Mass.) leading the way with 12.7 points per game, while Denise
Beliveau (Framingham, Mass.) and Jill McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.)
are averaging 12.0 and 10.0 points per game. Currently, the 'Cats
are one of just four 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 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.
RE-WRITING THE HISTORY BOOKS
Jill McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.) ranks second in
the conference in blocks with 36 this season, which is good for an
average of 2.3 per game. She has been on an especially hot pace
since the start of conference play, with an average of 2.8 blocks
per game, a mark that ranks first in the America East. The center
has tallied at least four blocks in four of the last seven games
and has notched a block in 11 of the last 12 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. 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 fourth
all-time in blocks with 92.
3-POINT SPECIALIST
Lauren Wells (West Chester, Pa.) has tallied 20
3-point field goals this season, while shooting the seventh-best
field goal percentage (.357) 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 5.1 points, 1.6
rebounds and 1.1 assists per game this season.
TICKLE THE TWINE
New Hampshire is shooting an impressive .381
clip from the floor this season, a mark that currently ranks fourth
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 .380 was during the 2006-07 campaign, when they
finished the year with a 38.3 shooting percentage.
BEAR KILLER
With Amy Simpson's (Waterford, Conn.) 21-point
outburst against Maine on Jan. 12, she has now scored in double
figures in the last five meetings against the Black Bears. In that
span, the guard has led the ‘Cats to a 4-1 record, while
averaging 17.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.4 blocks and
1.0 steals per game.
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.
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.
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.
CAREER NIGHT
Jill McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.) tallied
career-highs in points (18) and rebounds (9) 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 10.0 points, 4.6
rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game this year.
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.
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 .358 shooting percentage from
the floor this year, while shooting an impressive .381 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.
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 10 times for the Wildcats. She currently leads the team with
32 steals, with an average of 1.8 steals per game.
CENTURY CLUB
Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) tallied a steal
against Dartmouth on Jan. 19, giving her 116 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 23
steals, averaging 1.3 per game.
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 1,080 points and 588 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.
LAST TIME OUT
Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.) dropped in a
team-high 13 points, but the University of New Hampshire women's
basketball team fell to Dartmouth College in dramatic fashion,
49-48, Tuesday night at the Leede Arena.
With the win the Big Green improve to 6-9 overall and 1-0 in Ivy
League play, while the Wildcats move to 6-12 overall and 1-4 in
America East action.
With the score 49-48 in favor of Dartmouth in
the closing moments of regulation, Denise Beliveau (Framingham,
Mass.) had a chance to put the Big Green away, as she took the ball
from the top of the key into the paint but rimmed out a layup that
landed out of bounds off the hands of a Dartmouth defender.
UNH retained possession with 11 seconds
remaining and got the ball to Beliveau at the elbow, but was
stripped by Meghan McFee, who was quickly fouled by Beliveau with
seven seconds on the clock. McFee missed the one-and-one free throw
attempt as Racheal Fowler (Glassboro, N.J.) ripped down the board
off the miss and got it up to Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) who
attempted to heave the ball up at half court for one last shot, but
couldn't get it off in time, as the Big Green held onto the win.
Dartmouth kicked off the game with an 8-0 run,
as Sasha Dosenko capped off the stretch with a layup at the
16-minute mark.
Beliveau snapped the run with an up-and-under
layup in the paint, sparking a 15-0 UNH run that lasted nearly five
minutes. The stretch featured a trio of 3-pointers, two which came
on back-to-back possessions by Lauren Wells (West Chester, Pa.) and
Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) to knot the score even at 8-8 with
14:09 remaining in the frame.
From there Williams would pick up the pace for
UNH netting the next nine points for the ‘Cats, including
five of which came unanswered by Dartmouth. Brittney Smith broke up
Williams' hot pace as she dropped in three points the
old-fashioned-way at 11:09.
The Big Green would catch fire midway through
the stanza as an 11-4 run sparked by a Margaret Smith jumper
reclaimed the lead for the home team, pushing ahead 22-21 with 5:24
remaining in the frame. Michelle Meyer and McFee both hit
3-pointers to cap off the run, giving the home its first lead in
nearly 10 minutes.
Diamon Beckford (Philadelphia, Pa.) hit a pair
of free throws following the stretch, but it wasn't enough to slow
the pace of the Big Green, who came back with six unanswered
points, as Louise Vanden Bosch knocked down a 3-pointer to give the
home team a five point lead with the score 28-23 at 3:22.
UNH came back strong as Simpson nailed a jumper
to end the scoring drought, helping guide the ‘Cats to a 9-4
run to close out the half, evening the score at 32-32 at the
intermission.
Dartmouth started the second half scoring the
first two baskets of the stanza, as Dosenko buried a jumper and
Betsy Williams added a 3-pointer to push the home team to a 37-32
lead with 17:41 to play.
Kelley Flynn (Hopkinton, N.H.) and Beliveau
helped New Hampshire get back on track, combining to bury three
free throws, cutting the deficit down to just two points with the
score 37-35.
For UNH, the success at the charity stripe
ignited a 9-4 run, as the ‘Cats followed the made free throws
scoring six points in the paint, to even the score at 41-41 with
9:31 remaining.
Moments later, Betsy Williams would disrupt
UNH's offensive stride, dropping in pair of free throws, to give
the Big Green a 43-41 lead. Following the made free throws, the two
squads would trade baskets with one another until Smith buried the
first of two free throws to give Dartmouth the 47-46 lead, as the
home team closed out the game with five unanswered points to secure
the victory.
In addition to scoring 13 points, Williams
tallied nine rebounds and a steal on her way to being named the
America East Player of the Game for New Hampshire. She now has 604
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.
Flynn added a career-high seven points and 13
rebounds in the contest. Beliveau chipped in with eight points,
five boards and three steals.
Simpson finished the night with five points and
seven assists. She now has 992 points in her career and is on pace
to become the first Wildcat to notch over 1,000 points, 250 assists
and 100 steals in program history.
Smith led the way for the Big Green, notching a
game-high 16 rebounds and 14 points, along with three blocks and
two assists. Betsy Williams finished with nine points and eight
boards.
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.
