WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TAKES ON MAINE ON FEB. 16
THE MATCHUP
Tuesday's meeting between the Black Bears and
Wildcats marks the 66th meeting between both squads. Maine leads
the all-time series (44-21), however, the Wildcats have earned
victories in four of the last six meetings. The Wildcats and Black
Bears split the season series last year, with their most recent
victory coming in a 51-47 decision in last season's America East
opener on Jan. 6, 2009. In their most recent meeting, UNH fell to
Maine, 65-61, at Lundholm Gymnasium on Jan. 12, 2010.
SCOUTING MAINE (7-18, 3-10 AE):
Last time out the University of Maine women's
basketball team fell to Stony Brook University, 59-47, on Feb. 13
at Pritchard Gymnasium ... Katelyn Vanderhoff and Katia Bratishko
both scored in double figures, notching 12 and 10 points,
respectively ... Samantha Wheeler chipped in with nine points ...
Maine committed 12 turnovers in the first 10 minutes, while
managing only five field goal attempts to the Seawolves' 15 during
the stretch ... The Black Bears finished with 25 turnovers,
including 20 in the first half of play ... Maine outrebounded Stony
Brook 38 to 33 ... Wheeler leads the squad with 10.8 points per
game, a mark that currently ranks 15th in the conference ... She
has been equally impressive on the glass, ranking eighth in the
America East in rebounds with an average of 6.8 per game ... Since
the start of conference play she has been scoring with great
marksmanship, posting a .461 shooting clip from the floor ...
Kristin Baker has been distributing the ball effectively for the
Black Bears, averaging 3.5 assists per game.
SCOUTING NEW HAMPSHIRE (8-17, 3-9 AE):
Last time out the University of New Hampshire
women's basketball team fell to the University of Maryland
Baltimore County, 54-40, on Feb. 13 at Lundholm Gymnasium ...
Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.) notched her third double-double
of season tallying 16 points and a season-high 13 rebounds, earning
America East Player of the Game honors for New Hampshire ... She
has scored in double digits in 16 of the last 17 games, including
27 of the last 31 dating back to last year ... Williams now has
1,205 points and 661 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 ... Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.)
added six assists in the contest ... She is the first Wildcat to
notch over 1,000 points, 300 assists and 100 steals in program
history ... She ranks first in the conference in assists, with an
average of 5.1 per game this season ... Jill McDonald (Middlebury,
Vt.) finished the afternoon with 14 points, five rebounds, three
assists and three blocks ... She has now tallied a block in 18 of
the last 19 games ... She currently ranks second in the conference
in blocks with 46 this season, which is good for an average of 2.0
per game ... The ‘Cats rank second in the conference in
blocked shots with 117, a mark that ties the program's
single-season record set by the 2008-09 squad ... Since the start
of conference play, the ‘Cats have racked up 59 blocks, a
total that ranks first in the conference ... New Hampshire is
shooting an impressive .388 clip from the floor this season, a mark
that currently ranks third in the conference ... The Wildcats also
rank third in defensive field goal percentage in the America East,
allowing opponents to shoot just .375 from the floor.
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.
WILDCAT BLOCK PARTY
New Hampshire ranks second in the America East
in blocks this season with 117, tying the program's single-season
block record. The Wildcats broke the record last season, as Jill
McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.) and Chrissy Hall (Northbridge, Mass.)
led the squad with 47 and 22 swats, respectively. Prior to last
season, the record had stood for nearly seven years, as the 2001-02
squad previously set the mark with 101 blocks.
DOUBLE DIGIT DANDY
Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.) notched her
third double-double of the season against UMBC on Feb. 13, tallying
16 points and a season-high 13 rebounds. For Williams, the
impressive mark comes as her 15th career double-double. Last
season, the forward earned a conference-best 10 double-doubles.
RECORD CHASER
Jill McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.) has 46 blocks
this season and is currently on pace to break Denise Higgins'
single-season block record of 53. Last season McDonald tallied the
program's second best single-season block total with 47. She is
currently averaging 2.0 blocks per game, a total that ranks second
in the conference.
SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT
Kelley Flynn (Hopkinton, N.H.) tallied a UNH
single-game record seven blocks against Stony Brook on Feb. 3. The
mark comes as a career-high for Flynn, who is the second Wildcat
this season to notch seven blocks. Jill McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.)
was the first to set the record when she swatted seven shots
against then 23rd-ranked Syracuse on Dec. 30. Flynn ranks third on
the team with 14 blocks this season.
MAKING IT RAIN
New Hampshire shot a season-high 53.3 percent
(8-for-15) from beyond the arc and 55.3 percent (26-for-47) from
the floor against Stony Brook on Feb. 3. For UNH, it was the third
time this season it shot over 50 percent from the field and just
the first time it notched a 3-point field goal percentage over 50
percent.
DECK THE HALLS
Chrissy Hall (Northbridge, Mass.) notched a
career-high 18 points, lacing 6-of-7 shots from the field,
including a career-high four 3-pointers against Stony Brook on Feb.
3. In addition her impressive scoring output, Hall also tallied a
season-high seven rebounds and a career-high four assists.
FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING
Jill McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.) notched her
first career double-double, tallying career highs in points (19)
and rebounds (10) against Vermont on Jan. 31. McDonald reached her
previous career highs in points (18) and rebounds (9) against
Louisville on Dec. 22.
CHARITY WORK
Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.) laced 5-of-6
free throws against UMBC on Feb. 13, giving her an impressive .885
shooting clip from the charity stripe since the start of conference
play. Williams ranks first in the America East in free throw
percentage since the start of conference play and is shooting 80.9
percent from the line this season.
REJECTION NOTICE
Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) is currently one
of just two guards to rank in the top-10 in blocks in the America
East since the start of conference play. So far this season, the
senior has notched a career-high 22 blocks and is currently
averaging 1.0 block per game since the start of conference play.
Simpson recently notched a career-high four blocks against Albany
on Jan. 22, a mark she has reached just three times in her
career.
MAKE ROOM AT THE TOP
Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.) pulled in 12
boards against Stony Brook on Feb. 3, moving her to eighth all-time
in career rebounds. The senior leads the team with 7.1 rebounds per
game, a total that currently ranks fifth in the conference. For her
career she has compiled 661 boards.
OFFENSIVE AWAKENING
Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) has scored in
double figures in three of the last five games, including her most
recent double digit scoring effort against Stony Brook when she
poured in 15 points on Feb. 3. On the season she has scored in
double figures seven times, with her two best offensive outings
coming against UMBC (Jan. 16) and Maine (Jan. 12.). Against the
Retrievers, Simpson notched a team-high 15 points, five rebounds,
four assists, two steals and two blocks. In the game prior against
the Black Bears, 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.
THREE'S COMPANY
Three Wildcats scored in double figures for the
ninth time this season against Stony Brook on Feb. 3, as Chrissy
Hall (Northbridge, Mass.; 18), Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.;
16) and Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.; 15) all scored in double
digits. The last time the 'Cats had three players score in doubles
figures came against Vermont on Jan. 31. In that game, Jill
McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.) led the way with 19 points, while
Williams and Simpson each dropped in 17 and 12 points,
respectively.
FRIELIN' IT
Jilliane Friel (Durham, N.H.) scored a
career-high nine points on 3-for-4 shooting against Boston
University on Jan. 28. Included in her offensive outburst, Friel
tied her career-high of two 3-point field goals, as she shot a
perfect 2-for-2 from beyond the arc. Friel played 13 minutes off
the bench for the ‘Cats, rounding out the evening with one
rebound, one assist, one steal and one block.
RIGHT ON POINT
Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) scored the last
of eight points on a jumper with 5:47 left in regulation against
Binghamton on Jan. 24, becoming the 15th Wildcat in program history
to score 1,000 points in a career. For her career, the all-purpose
guard has 1,044 points, 334 assists and 119 steals. Last season she
notched a career-high 357 points, averaging 11.5 points per game.
In the season prior, she finished with 315 points, with an average
of 11.3 points per game.
ALONE AT THE TOP
After tallying her 1,000th point against
Binghamton on Jan. 24, Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) became the
only Wildcat all-time to tally at least 1,000 points, 300 assists
and 100 steals at UNH. For her career, the senior has racked up
1,044 points, 334 assists and 119 steals.
CONSISTENT 'CAT
Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.) netted 16
points against UMBC on Feb. 13, making it the 27th time in the last
31 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 31 game span, she has tallied 22 points on
two occasions, the latest coming in a 66-62 win over Albany at the
SEFCU Arena on Feb. 28, 2009. Her other 22-point outburst came
against defending conference champion Vermont on Feb. 22, 2009.
Last year she posted double-figures in all 23 games to start the
season, including back-to-back 25-plus point games. She had a
career-high 27-point performance at Boston University (Jan. 17,
2009) and then posted 26 at Stony Brook (Jan. 21, 2009). In
1998-99, Orsi Farkas posted double figures in all 31 games for the
Wildcats.
SWAT TEAM
The Wildcats currently rank second in the
conference in blocks with 117, which is good for an average of 4.7
per game. Jill McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.) leads the way for
the ‘Cats this season, notching 46 blocks, while Amy Simpson
(Waterford, Conn.) ranks second on the squad with 22.
K-FLYING HIGH
Kelley Flynn (Hopkinton, N.H.) set career highs
in points and rebounds against both Dartmouth (Jan. 19) and Albany
(Jan. 22). Against the Great Danes she poured in a career-high 16
points along with eight rebounds and two blocks. Against the
Big Green she set a career-high with 13 rebounds, adding seven
points and two blocks. Prior to her stellar outing against the Big
Green, Flynn had reached her previous high of eight rebounds just
once against Maryland on Dec. 29, 2007. This season only Denise
Beliveau (Framingham, Mass.) has pulled in more rebounds in a game
than Flynn, as she tallied 14 boards against Harvard on Nov.
24.
MOVING ON UP
After tallying 14 points against Boston
University on Jan. 28, Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.), moved to
eighth all-time in program history in scoring. She currently has
1,205 points in her UNH career and needs 240 points to break into
the top-5, a total that would tie Wildcat great Orsi Farkas'
all-time mark of 1,434 career points.
600-CLUB
Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.) pulled in nine
rebounds against Dartmouth on Jan. 19, becoming just the eighth
Wildcat all-time to tally at least 1,000 points and 600 rebounds in
program history. Williams has notched at least eight boards in the
last three games and currently leads the team with average of 7.1
rebounds per game.
RAINING 3'S
New Hampshire drilled eight 3-pointers against
Stony Brook on Feb. 3, marking the sixth 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.
PARTY OF FIVE
For the second time this season five Wildcats
finished in double-figure scoring, as Denise Beliveau (Framingham,
Mass.) and Kelley Flynn (Hopkinton, N.H.) led the way, netting 17
and 16 points, respectively, against Albany on Jan. 22. Jill
McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.) (14), Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.)
(12) and Lauren Wells (West Chester, Pa.) (12) rounded out UNH's
double-digit scorers. The last time the 'Cats had five players in
double figures came in an 80-72 decision against Holy Cross College
on Dec. 22. In that game, Beliveau led all scorers with 20 points
and was followed by McDonald (18 points, six rebounds), Williams
(15 points, nine rebounds), Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.; 10
points, 11 assists) and Racheal Fowler (Glassboro, N.J.; 10
points).
TOP OF THE WORLD
Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) knocked down a
3-pointer on Jan. 16 against UMBC, giving her a program record 180
3-point field goals for her career. The impressive total passes
Heidi Plencner's all-time mark of 179 trifectas, a record she set
in 2002. This season, Simpson has drilled 29 3-pointers and
currently has 190 3-point field goals in her career. Last year, she
notched 62 3-pointers, which was the best single-season mark in
program history.
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.
PASSING THE GREATS
Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) tallied six
assists against UMBC on Feb. 13, giving her 334 assists for her
career, a mark that ranks sixth all-time in program history. This
season she has compiled 128 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.
DOING THE DISHES
Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) has stepped up in
her new role as point guard this season, notching the best assist
total in the conference with 128. 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 328
assists, ranking her sixth all-time in program history. Simpson has
been solid across the board for the ‘Cats this year,
averaging 6.8 points, 5.1 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.1 steals per
game.
DOUBLE-DOUBLE TROUBLE
Denise Beliveau (Framingham, Mass.) notched her
second double-double of the season on Jan. 12 against Maine with 13
points and 11 rebounds. She notched her first double-double of the
season on Nov. 24 against Harvard with 14 points and 14 rebounds.
For the forward, it was her fourth career double-double as she also
notched double digit efforts against Northeastern (22 pts, 10 rbs)
on Dec. 15, 2007 and Binghamton (18 pts, 11 rbs) on Jan. 19,
2008.
3-POINT SPECIALIST
Lauren Wells (West Chester, Pa.) has tallied 28
3-point field goals this season, while shooting the eighth-best
field goal percentage (.341) 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 6.1 points, 1.5
rebounds and 1.3 assists per game this season.
TICKLE THE TWINE
New Hampshire is shooting an impressive .388
clip from the floor this season, a mark that currently ranks third
in the conference. UNH's stellar marksmanship from the field comes
after a season in which the ‘Cats shot 35.7 percent from the
floor. Since the start of conference play, UNH has been just as
stellar sinking 40.3 percent (257-of-637) of its shots.
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.
RE-WRITING THE HISTORY BOOKS
Jill McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.) ranks second in
the conference in blocks with 46 this season, which is good for an
average of 2.0 per game. Since the start of conference play,
McDonald is averaging 1.9 blocks per game, a mark that ranks third
in the America East. The center has notched a block in 18 of the
last 19 games. Her most impressive outing came against then
23rd-ranked Syracuse on Dec. 30, when she set the UNH single-game
record for blocks with seven. Against Stony Brook on Jan. 6 she
notched five blocks, marking the third time this season she has
swatted at least five shots. The first time she reached the 5-block
plateau came against Louisville on Dec. 22, which also marked the
first time a Wildcat tallied at least five blocks in a game since
Ray Williams reached the mark against Yale on Nov. 19, 2005.
McDonald is picking up right where she left off last season, when
she tallied the second best single-season block total in program
history with 47. For her career, she ranks fourth all-time in
blocks with 102.
TORCHING THE NETS
The Wildcats scored over 80 points for the
second time this season when they poured in 87 points against
Albany on Jan. 22. For UNH, it was also the second time this season
it shot over 50 percent, posting a season-high .579 clip from the
floor. UNH scored 80 points against Holy Cross on Dec. 20, marking
the largest point total the ‘Cats had posted since they
notched 85 points against UMBC on Jan. 10, 2009. New Hampshire shot
an impressive 54.4 percent from the floor against the Crusaders,
marking the first time it shot over 50 percent from the floor since
Dec. 12, 2007 against Iona (50.0; 30-60).
KC MASTERPIECE
After rounding out non-conference play against
Dartmouth on Jan. 19, UNH head coach Kristin Cole is off to her
best start during her tenure at New Hampshire, leading the 'Cats to
a 5-8 record in non-conference play to kick off the season. The
impressive total comes as the most non-conference wins the Wildcats
have earned since also tallying five wins during the 2006-07
campaign.
STEALING THE SHOW
Denise Beliveau (Framingham, Mass.) tied her
career-high with five steals against Seton Hall on Dec. 3, marking
the third time she has reached the mark in her UNH career. It was
also the first time a Wildcat compiled five steals in a game since
Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.) did so on Dec. 5, 2008 against
Colgate. On the season, Beliveau has tallied multiple steals in a
game 11 times for the Wildcats. She currently leads the team with
35 steals, with an average of 1.7 steals per game.
CENTURY CLUB
Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) tallied two
steals against UMBC on Feb. 13, giving her 119 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 the second-most steals in program history with 229. On the
season, Simpson ranks second on team with 27 steals, averaging 1.1
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 1,205 points and 661 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. New Hampshire's win
over the Crimson marks the largest margin of victory in overtime in
program history. It is also UNH's first win against Harvard since
Dec. 29, 1999, when the Wildcats defeated the Crimson 70-58 at
Lundholm Gymnasium.
DEFENSIVE SPECIALISTS
The Wildcats have been playing stellar
defense against some impressive company this season. They have held
opponents to the third-best defensive shooting percentage (.375) in
the conference from the floor, while shooting an impressive .388
clip themselves. The fresh start comes against an A-10 (St.
Joseph's, UMass), an ACC (Maryland) and three Big East (Seton Hall,
Louisville, Syracuse) programs, following a season in which
opponents shot .404 from the field against the ‘Cats. New
Hampshire held then 23rd ranked Syracuse to its second lowest
offensive output to that point, allowing just 58 points and forcing
them to shoot just 31.5 percent from the floor. Against Canisius
College on Dec. 28, the Wildcats held the Golden Griffins to .267
shooting and just 40 points, marks that are both team-highs.
Against Quinnipiac on Nov. 29, New Hampshire held the Bobcats to
just 29.5 percent shooting. In the game prior versus Harvard, the
Wildcats kicked off the game playing stingy defense against the
Crimson, holding them scoreless for the first 5:16 of the action
and not allowing a field goal until the 8:44 mark. In UNH's 58-57
win over UMass on Nov. 20, the Wildcats compiled a season-high 13
steals and forced a season-best 27 turnovers. In UNH's matchup
against then 21st ranked Maryland on Nov. 16, the ‘Cats
pestered the Terps into shooting just .278 from the field, holding
their offense to just 63 points, which was Maryland's second lowest
point total in the last 29 games dating back to last season. The
only team to hold the Terps to an even lower point total was
Louisville, who defeated Maryland 77-60 in the NCAA Elite Eight on
March 30, 2009.
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.
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.
