WOMEN'S HOOP HOSTS BINGHAMTON ON SENIOR NIGHT (FEB. 25)
THE MATCHUP
New Hampshire's meeting against Binghamton
University on Thursday night marks the 19th meeting between the two
squads. The Bearcats have swept the season series in each of the
last two years and hold a 13-5 lead in the all-time series. Prior
to Binghamton's recent five-game winning streak, UNH had won three
of the previous five meetings, all of which came in Lundholm
Gymnasium.
SCOUTING BINGHAMTON (10-18, 6-9 AE):
Last time out Binghamton University earned a
72-62 win over Maine on Feb. 20 at the Events Center ... The win
comes as the team's first in the last four games ... Erica Carter
knocked down six 3-pointers and scored a game-high 22 points,
earning America East Player of the Game honors ... With her
impressive outing, Carter became Binghamton's all-time leader in
3-point field goals with 218 for her career ... Andrea Holmes
chipped in with 14 points, four boards and three assists in the win
... Jackie Ward and Sinead O'Reilly also scored in double figures,
with 12 and 11 points, respectively ... Binghamton ranks fourth in
the conference in both scoring offense and defensive scoring with
60.9 and 63.9 points per game, respectively ... The Bearcats rank
first in the 3-point field goal percentage with a .359 clip
(196-546) from downtown ... Carter ranks first in made 3-pointers
and 3-point field goal percentage in the conference, shooting 47.2
percent from beyond the arc on 94-of-199 shooting ... Carter
also ranks seventh in the America East in scoring, with an average
of 13.1 points per game ... Andrea Holmes has also provided great
offensive fire power for the Bearcats, ranking second on the team
in scoring with 12.5 points per game ... She has also been
productive in setting up the offense, dishing out 4.9 assists per
game ... Viive Rebane has added solid production in the lineup,
posting 8.3 points and 7.0 rebounds per game.
SCOUTING NEW HAMPSHIRE (8-18, 3-10 AE):
Last time out the University of New Hampshire
women's basketball team fell to the University at Albany, 64-62, in
overtime on Feb. 21 at Lundholm Gymnasium ... Jill McDonald
(Middlebury, Vt.) led four Wildcats in double figures, pouring in
16 points and tallying a career-high 10 rebounds, earning America
East Player of the Game honors for New Hampshire ... She also
notched four blocks, two steals and two assists on the afternoon
... She has now scored in double figures in each of the last three
games and has tallied a block in 20 of the last 21 games ... Denise
Beliveau (Framingham, Mass.) added 15 points, nine boards, three
assists and a steal in the loss ... Cari Reed (Oswego, N.Y.)
and Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.) rounded out UNH's
double-digit scorers, notching 11 points apiece ... Williams has
scored in double digits in 17 of the last 19 games, including 28 of
the last 33 dating back to last year ... Williams now has 1,225
points and 671 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 four
rebounds, three points and three 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 ... McDonald
currently ranks second in the conference in blocks with 51 this
season, which is good for an average of 2.0 per game ... The
‘Cats rank second in the conference in blocked shots with
126, the best single-season mark in program history ... Since the
start of conference play, the ‘Cats have racked up 68 blocks,
a total that ranks first in the conference ... New Hampshire is
shooting an impressive .389 clip from the floor this season, a mark
that currently ranks third in the conference ... The Wildcats also
rank fourth in defensive field goal percentage in the America East,
allowing opponents to shoot just .375 from the floor.
FOUR OF A KIND
Jill McDonald (Middbury, Vt.; 16), Denise
Beliveau (Framingham, Mass.; 15), Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.;
11) and Cari Reed (Oswego, N.Y.; 11) all scored in double figures
against Albany on Feb. 21, marking the second time this season four
‘Cats reached double digit scoring. The last time the
Wildcats reached the mark came on Jan. 16 against UMBC when Amy
Simpson (Waterford, Conn.; 15), Williams (15), Beliveau (14) and
Lauren Wells (West Chester, Pa.; 12) all scored in double
figures.
MCDOUBLE-DOUBLE
Jill McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.) notched her
second career double-double, tallying 16 points and a career-high
10 rebounds against Albany on Feb. 21. She earned her first career
double-double against Vermont on Jan. 31, finishing with a
career-high 19 points and 10 rebounds.
THREE TIMES THE CHARM
Jill McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.) has scored in
double figures in each of the last three games, including four of
the last six. In her most recent outing, McDonald notched her
second career double-double with 16 points and a career-high 10
rebounds. During the three-game span, she is averaging 15.0 points,
6.0 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per contest.
TRIPLE TROUBLE
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 11.3 and 10.2 points per game, respectively.
Currently, the 'Cats are one of just three 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 in double
digits 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.
SIMPSON VISION
Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) has tallied at
least six assists in four of the last six games. Her most
impressive outing came on Feb. 16 when she posted eight assists
against Maine, the most she has tallied since posting the same
number against Louisville on Dec. 22. On the season, Simpson leads
the America East with 5.1 assists per game.
PASSING THE GREATS
Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) tallied three
assists against Albany on Feb. 21, giving her 345 assists for her
career, a mark that ranks fourth all-time in program history. This
season she has compiled 139 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.
WILDCAT BLOCK PARTY
New Hampshire ranks second in the America East
in blocks this season with 126, breaking the program's
single-season block record. The Wildcats broke the record last
season with 117 swats, 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.) recently
reached a career-high in blocks with 51 this season and is
currently on pace to break Denise Higgins' single-season block
record of 53. Last season McDonald tallied 47 blocks, averaging 1.5
per game. This season she is 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.
CHARITY WORK
Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.) laced 3-of-5
free throws against Albany on Feb. 21, giving her an impressive
.839 shooting clip from the charity stripe since the start of
conference play. Williams ranks fifth in the America East in free
throw percentage on the season, posting a .792 clip from the
line.
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 24 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 7.0 rebounds per
game, a total that currently ranks seventh in the conference. For
her career she has compiled 673 boards.
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 1,054 points, 345 assists, 122 steals and 63 blocks. 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
1,054 points, 345 assists, 122 steals and 63 blocks
SWAT TEAM
The Wildcats currently rank second in the
conference in blocks with 126, which is good for an average of 4.7
per game. Jill McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.) leads the way for
the ‘Cats this season, notching 51 blocks, while Amy Simpson
(Waterford, Conn.) ranks second on the squad with 24.
CONSISTENT 'CAT
Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.) netted 16
points against UMBC on Feb. 13, making it the 27th time in the last
33 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 33 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.
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
1,225 points in her UNH career and needs 220 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 four of the last five games and currently leads the team
with average of 7.0 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 31 3-pointers and
currently has 192 3-point field goals in her career. Last year, she
notched 62 3-pointers, which was the best single-season mark in
program history.
TICKLE THE TWINE
New Hampshire is shooting an impressive .389
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 (303-of-751) of its shots.
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 139. Against Maine on Feb. 16,
she tallied her second best assist total of the season, dishing out
eight assists for the third time this year. Simpson had her best
assist output this season against Holy Cross on Dec. 20, when she
tied a career-high with 11 assists. The last time she reached the
11-assist mark came against UMBC on Feb. 2, 2008. For her career,
Simpson has tallied 345 assists, ranking her fourth all-time in
program history. Simpson has been solid across the board for the
‘Cats this year, averaging 6.7 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.
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 51 this season, which is good for an
average of 2.0 per game. Since the start of conference play,
McDonald is averaging 2.0 blocks per game, a mark that ranks second
in the America East. The center has notched a block in 20 of the
last 21 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 107.
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 12 times for the Wildcats. She currently leads the team with
39 steals, with an average of 1.7 steals per game.
CENTURY CLUB
Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn.) tallied a steal
against Albany on Feb. 21, giving her 122 steals for her Wildcat
career. The impressive total ranks 17th 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 30 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 1,225 points and 673 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 six of their last
seven 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 fourth-best defensive shooting percentage (.375)
in the conference, while shooting an impressive .389 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.
