University of New Hampshire Athletics
University of New Hampshire
Stony Brook University
Wildcats Travel to Stony Brook for Sunday Contest (2 P.M.)
1/20/2018 1:17:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Sunday, January 21, 2018
New Hampshire (13-5, 4-1 AE) at
Stony Brook (10-8, 2-3 AE); 2:00 p.m.
Island FCU Arena • Stony Brook, N.Y.
WATCH - ESPN3 | LIVE STATS | GAME NOTES
STORYLINES
- The Wildcats improved to 4-1 in America East and 13-5 overall with Wednesday's 52-49 win at Vermont.
- Wildcats are 7-0 at home. They were 14-2 at home last year.
- UNH allows 55.3 points a game, best in the league and 13th in the country.
- The Wildcats have matched their season-high of three straight wins.
- UNH posted a program-best record of 26-6 in 2016-17.
- The Wildcats won their first outright America East regular season championship with a 15-1 league record last season.
- Coach Maureen Magarity was named America East Coach of the Year.
- Tickets for UNH home games are available at www.unhwildcats.com, by calling 603-862-4000 or at the Whittemore Center box office.
THE STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
Senior Kat Fogarty scored a season-high 21 points and added eight rebounds to lead the Wildcats to yet another comeback win, 52-49, at Vermont on Thursday night. The Wildcats trailed 37-34 entering the fourth quarter and 42-34 with eight minutes to play before roaring back. Fogarty had seven points in the fourth quarter and her last basket gave UNH a 50-49 lead with 9.3 seconds to play. Senior Brittni Lai pulled down a final rebound and made a couple of foul shots to seal the win.
UNH has trailed entering the fourth quarter in three of its four America East wins. In the fourth league win, the Wildcats trailed UMass Lowell at the half.
The Wildcats improved to 13-5 overall and 4-1 in America East.
UNH leads America East in scoring defense, allowing 55.3 points a game. The Wildcats average 61.8 points a game, which is seventh-best in the league in scoring offense.
Four Wildcats average in double figures in scoring, led by senior Carlie Pogue at 14.5 points per game. Senior Olivia Healy is at 12.9 points. Fogarty averages 11.6 points a game and Lai is at 10.9. Fogarty leads in rebounds at 6.5 a game, followed by Healy and Pogue at 5.9 and Aliza Simpson is at 4.7.
After Sunday's game at Stony Brook, the Wildcats return home for a pair of games. They play Maine on Wednesday at 7 p.m. and then Binghamton comes to Lundholm Gymnasium on Saturday, Jan. 27 at 1 p.m. for UNH's Alumni Day and Spread Respect Game.
The Wildcats went 26-6 overall last season and were 15-1 in the America East Conference to grab their first outright regular season league title. They return a veteran group – led by Carlie Pogue, the reigning America East Player of the Year, and three other players who won league postseason honors.
The returning players combined to score 55.7 points of the 61.3 points UNH scored per game last year. Pogue averaged 16.6 points and 7.9 rebounds a game to lead the team in both categories and pull down the program's first Player of the Year honors in nearly three decades.
UNH was picked to finish sixth in last year's America East preseason coaches' poll. Coach Maureen Magarity's squad was picked to finish first in the preseason poll this year.
Pogue was also a first-team All-Conference pick last year. Kat Fogarty averaged 10.4 points and 5.8 rebounds and was named second-team All-Conference. Brittni Lai and Olivia Healy both were named to the All-Conference third team. Lai averaged 11.1 points and 3.3 assists a game and Healy scored 8.7 points and pulled down 5.7 rebounds.
The 2016-17 Wildcats set a program record for wins (the previous mark was 23 in 1982-83) and with their regular season league title earned a spot in the WNIT.
SCOUTING STONY BROOK
Junior guard Jerell Matthews made four of her seven three-point attempts and scored a career high 28 points to lead the Seawolves to a 67-59 win at Binghamton on Wednesday night. Stony Brook won its second straight America East game and improved to 10-8 overall and 2-3 in the league.
The Seawolves are the best three-point shooting team in the league. They lead in three-point shooting percentage at 32.5 percent. They have made 124 three-pointers for the season, which is fourth-best in the conference. UNH in contrast is last in the league with 54 three-pointers. The Seawolves are fifth in the league in scoring at 64 points a game and third in scoring defense at 58.8 points.
Stony Brook junior guard Shania Johnson leads the league and has made more three-pointers – 62 – then the Wildcats have as a team. Matthews has 41 threes. Johnson leads the Seawolves and is fifth in the league in scoring at 15.3 points a game and Johnson is sixth in the league at 14.6 points. Junior forward Cheyenne Clark is third in the league with 9.1 rebounds a game.
Caroline McCombs is in her fourth season as head coach at Stony Brook. The Seawolves were 12-18 overall and 5-11 in the league last season.
UNH swept the season series against Stony Brook last year. The Wildcats rode a fourth quarter rally to a 49-46 win in the league opener for both teams in Durham on Jan. 4. UNH won the rematch at Stony Brook, 56-45, on Feb. 1.
GOOD SEATS ARE AVAILABLE: Individual and group tickets for UNH women's basketball games are available at www.unhwildcats.com, by calling 603-862-4000 or at the Whittemore Center box office.
LUCKY LUNDHOLM: The Wildcats are 7-0 at home in Lundholm Gymnasium this season. They were 14-2 in their Lundholm games last season.
THE COACH: Maureen Magarity is in her eighth season as head coach of the Wildcats. She directed the program to a 26-6 record and its first outright America East regular season championship in 2016-17. The team won as many as 20 games for only the third time in its history and first since the 1983-84 season. The program's previous record for wins was 23 in 1982-83.
One of last season's featured victories was a 50-44 decision over Maine in Lundholm Gymnasium on Jan. 19. That win was Magarity's 100th as head coach of the Wildcats. She owns a 124-105 overall record at UNH.
Magarity ranks fourth in all-time coaching wins at UNH. Kathy Sanborn (1986-97) was 170-127 in her 11 seasons. Cecelia DeMarco (1977-86) went 136-86 in her nine seasons and Sue Johnson (1997-2007) was 133-150 in her 10 seasons.
Magarity earned America East Coach of the Year honors last season. She was also a finalist for the Women's Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year award.
CARLIE'S CLIMBING: Carlie Pogue, the America East Player of the Year last season, has broken into the Top 10 on UNH's career scoring list. She is at No. 8 on the list with 1,336 career points. Denise Beliveau (2007-12) is at No. 7 with 1,365 points. Orsi Farkas (1996-2000) is at No. 6 with 1,434. Pogue is No. 11 on the rebounding list with 638. Aubrey Danen (1998-03) is at No. 10 with 666.
THE DEFENSE NEVER RESTS: UNH leads America East in scoring defense. The Wildcats allow 55.3 points a game, which also ranks No. 13 in the nation. UNH led the league in scoring defense last year as well when it gave up 55 points a game.
SIMPSON ON THE MOVE: Aliza Simpson has moved into the Top 20 in a couple of career categories. She's No. 16 in three-point field goals with 82. Adriane Domanski (1998-00) is next on the list at No. 15 with 87 and Marcie Lane (1991-94) is at No. 14 with 95. Simpson is No. 15 in assists with 238. Christine Gulas (1982-84) is No. 14 with 264.
DOUBLE THE FUN: Olivia Healy scored a career high 23 points and had 11 rebounds in a 63-61 win at Binghamton on Jan. 10. It was Healy's second double-double of the season and the third for the team. She had 17 points and 10 rebounds against Dartmouth on Dec. 5. Kat Fogarty had 18 points and 11 rebounds against Xavier on Nov. 11 for UNH's first double-double of the season. Fogarty had three double-doubles last season.
RALLY TIME: The Wildcats have rallied from behind in the fourth quarter on the way to three of their four America East wins this season. They trailed Vermont 37-34 after three periods before rallying to a 52-49 win on Jan. 18. They trailed UMBC, 38-33, heading into the fourth quarter on Jan. 3 and roared back for a 56-51 victory. Binghamton owned a 49-46 lead going into the fourth period on Jan. 10 and UNH pulled out a 63-61 win. The Wildcats came from behind to win another America East game as well. On Jan. 15, they trailed UMass Lowell 25-22 at the half and took their first lead at 32-30 with 5:18 left in the third period on the way to a 66-45 win.
EVERYONE INTO THE POLL: The Wildcats were the fourth team listed under "Others receiving votes" in the latest www.collegeinsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll.
GOOD MORNING: The Wagner, Dartmouth and UMBC games had morning start times. They were three of four UNH games scheduled before noon this season. The Wildcats play Hartford on Feb. 14 at 11 a.m. for Education Day.
THE CAPTAINS: Kat Fogarty, Brittni Lai, senior guard Peyton Booth (Wadsworth, Ohio) and junior guard Emily Peters (Lindstrom, Minn.) have been named captains for the 2017-18 Wildcats.
"All four are tremendous leaders and each brings something different to the group," Magarity said. "Kat and Peyton were our captains last year and obviously did a great job and were deserving again. All four of them stood out as leaders during the offseason and we're excited to have them as our captains."
TITLE TIME: Last year's America East regular season championship was UNH's first outright league title. The Wildcats shared the championship of what was then the Seaboard Conference with Northeastern in 1984-85. Both teams had 4-1 records in the league.
