Boston University’s Katie Meinhardt (San Francisco, Calif./St. Ignatius Prep) earns America East Player of the Week honors, while Sofia Iwobi (Fairfield, Iowa/Maharishi School) earns her first-ever America East Rookie of the Week award for week five. Meinhardt. The awards were announced on Monday (December 11).
Meinhardt, who earns her first career player of the week honor, led the Terriers to a 1-1 record in non-conference play. She scored 19 points including the game-winning shot with just two second remaining to lift Boston U. to a 60-59 win over Brown on Wednesday at Agganis Arena and followed that effort up with 24 points in a loss at Delaware. Meinhardt needs just 38 more points to hit the 1,000-point mark, as she stands at 962 career points. She currently ranks second in the conference in scoring (15.4 ppg).
For the fourth-straight week a Vermont player is collecting America East Rookie of the Week accolades. Iwobi led the Catamounts to a convincing 84-53 win over Colgate. She scored a game-high tying 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the floor. She also grabbed a pair of rebounds and had five steals in just 17 minutes of action off the Vermont bench.
AMERICA EAST NOTEBOOK
Vermont’s Youth Movement
With four-straight America East Rookie of the Week awards, its no surprise the Catamount rookies are leading the team offensively. After the Colgate game, the Vermont freshmen are accounting for 43.5 percent of the team’s offense, while sophomores are accounting for 32.9 percent. Overall, UVM’s underclassmen are accounting for 76.5 percent of its offense.
First National RPI Released
On Monday, the first Collegiate Basketball News (CBN) national women’s college basketball ratings percentage index (RPI) was announced. America East was once again among the leaders for mid-major conferences. The conference was ranked 14th of 32 Division I women’s basketball conferences and was fifth among mid-majors. Hartford was the conference’s best rated team coming in at 63rd of 335 teams in Division I. Vermont (63), Boston U. (103), Stony Brook (130), and Maine (147) are also all in the top half nationally.
Marquee Victories of the Week
America East women’s basketball enjoyed some marquee wins this past week. Among the highlighted victories were Hartford’s 58-46 win over Big-East Foe St. John’s, Vermont’s 31-point blow out of Colgate, Hartford’s convincing 68-45 win over Atlantic-10 foe Massachusetts, and Boston U.’s buzzer-beating triumph over Brown.
Ford’s Double-Digit Scoring Streak
Stony Brook’s Mykeema Ford (Trenton, N.J./Cheshire Academy) now owns the longest active double-digit scoring streak in America East. Dating back to the March 10, 2006 America East quarterfinal game against Vermont, She has scored in double figures in nine straight. Ford, who leads the league in scoring at 15.9 ppg, netted 12 points against Hofstra and 16 points against Temple last week.
Orono a Long Distance Call
After the second week of NCAA statistics, released on Dec. 10, Maine ranked seventh in the nation in three-point field goal percentage. The Black Bears converted on 41.9 percent. Montana lead the nation at 44.4 percent.
Hartford’s Defense 14th Nationally
After the second week of NCAA statistics, released on Dec. 10, Hartford’s defense ranked 14th nationally allowing just 52.5 points per game. LSU leads the nation allowing just 42.9 ppg.
Class Acts: Class-by-Class Scoring Leaders
The following is a breakdown of scoring leaders by class in America East.
Seniors:
Rank Name, School PPG
1. Mykeema Ford, Stony Brook 15.9
2. Katie Meinhardt, Boston U. 15.4
3. Bracey Barker, Maine 15.3
Juniors:
Rank Name, School PPG
12. Laura Sario, Binghamton 10.7
13. Cherri Raffo, Boston U. 10.7
14. Danielle Hood, Hartford 10.6
Sophomore:
Rank Name, School PPG
27. Danielle Flowers, New Hampshire 7.6 30. Amy Rosenkrantz, Vermont 7.4
30. Erica Beverly, Hartford 7.4
Freshmen:
Rank Name, School PPG
8. May Kotsopoulos, Vermont 12.1
9. Courtnay Pilypaitis, Vermont 11.8
20. Britney McGee, Albany 9.3
Seniors Leading the Way
While much can be said about the newcomers impact in America East, its the seniors that are leading the way for their respective teams. Eight of the top 10 scorers, including the top seven, are all seniors.
Rank Name, School PPG
1. Mykeema Ford, Stony Brook 15.9
2. Katie Meinhardt, Boston U. 15.4
3. Bracey Barker, Maine 15.3
4. Jessica Smith, Stony Brook 14.7
5. Sharri Rohde, UMBC 13.7
6. Brittnie Hughes, UMBC 12.3
7. Katie Whittier, Maine 12.3
10. Danielle Clark, New Hampshire 11.6
Lighten the Load
With most of the conference’s nine institutions preparing for finals, the slate of non-conference action is considerably less this week and next. There are just four games scheduled between Monday and Saturday of this week. On Sunday, there will be four non-conference games, but just six games between Sunday and the Christmas holiday.
Non-Conference Success
America East teams have combined for a 36-42 (.462) record to start the 2006-07 season. As a whole, conference teams are 2-1 versus the ACC, 7-0 against the Ivy League and have tallied five wins over the Atlantic 10 and Patriot League.
Tournament Frenzy
America East schools have/will participate in 16 in-season tournaments during non-conference play this season. Earlier this season, Vermont won the URI Invitational and TD Banknorth Classic, while Maine captured the Dead River Classic title.
Playing the Field (NCAA STYLE)
America East schools are slated to play 24 of the 64 teams in last year’s NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship. Among these teams are Connecticut, Purdue, Duke, Temple, Arizona State and Boston College. Several other teams earned automatic bids by winning their conference championship.
Lights, Camera, Action
America East announced its most comprehensive television schedule in history with more than 50 men’s and women’s basketball games slated for broadcast in 2006-07 (see following page for complete schedule). Included in the package is the America East Men’s Basketball Championship, which will air live on ESPN2 on March 10 at 12 noon. It marks the 19th-consecutive year that the championship game will appear on ESPN or ESPN2.
America East and ESPN Regional Television will team up to produce and distribute games throughout the America East geographic footprint, which includes several of the nation’s top 25 media markets including New York (No. 1), Boston (No. 5), Washington, D.C. (No. 8), Baltimore and Hartford. In addition, no fewer than 12 games will be included in the ESPN Full Court package, the subscription service provided by ESPN. The games will also be available on-line via video streaming at AmericaEast.com, through the conference’s multi-media partner, XOS Technologies.
Championship Binghamton Bound
The America East Women’s Basketball Championship moves to Binghamton for the first time in 2007 as Binghamton University hosts the nine-team tournament on March 8-11 at Events Center. The first round game will take place on Thursday, March 8, followed by the quarterfinals on Friday, March 9, the semifinals on Saturday, March 10 and the title game on Sunday, March 11.
Tournament ticket packages are $25 for youth/students and $40 for adults. To purchase tickets call 607-777-SLAM or online at www.AmericaEast.com. To request media credentials for the conference’s premier event, email Tom Wilkins (wilkins@americaeast.com).
TEAM-BY-TEAM NOTEBOOKS
Albany Great Danes
Albany (2-7, 0-0 America East) dropped two non-conference games last week and is now in a three-game slump... The Great Danes fell to intrastate-rival Buffalo, 61-35, on Wednesday and lost a 75-46 decision to Big 10 opponent Wisconsin on Sunday... Junior guard Kelly Martinson (Madison, Wis./James Madison Memorial) returned to her hometown for the game against the Badgers... Senior guard Amanda Ward (East Hartford, Conn./East Hartford) continues to lead the team, scoring 10.4 points per game, after netting 16 points at Wisconsin... Ward, who went 6-for-6 from the free throw line against the Badgers, added six points and four rebounds against Buffalo... Freshman guard Britney McGee (Bakersfield, Calif./West) is second on the team, averaging 9.3 points per game... McGee scored seven points to go along with five rebounds, four steals and an assist versus Wisconsin and netted six points at Buffalo... Junior guard Sherri Mikus (Duncannon, Pa./Susquenita) and junior forward Kristin Higy (Akron, Ohio/North Canton Hoover) each contribute 9.2 points per game for the Great Danes... Mikus led UAlbany with 10 points against Buffalo and chipped in with six points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal, the 100th of her career, at Wisconsin... Higy netted six points versus the Badgers and led the team with seven rebounds against the Bulls... UAlbany will return to action on Sunday, Dec. 17, taking on Sacred Heart at 2 p.m.
Binghamton Bearcats
Binghamton’s (2-7, 0-0 America East) freshmen guards Erica Carter (Naperville, Ill./Naperville Central) and Muffy Sadler (Cedar Rapids, Iowa./Cedar Rapids Kennedy) both made their first career start against Lehigh on Thursday. It marked the first time since the conclusion of the 2002-03 season that a pair of freshmen were in the starting lineup (Jen Blues started the entire season while Rachel Laws started the last 12 games). Carter averaged 6.0 points in her first two starts this past week... Sophomore forward Laura Franceski (Moscow, Pa./North Pocono) made her first career start against Villanova on Sunday and tied a career high with 11 points... Villanova marked the third of five teams coming to the Events Center this season that advanced to the post-season last year. Sacred Heart and Liberty came to Binghamton last month while Hartford and Stony Brook will visit during the conference portion of the season.
Boston University Terriers
Despite senior tri-captain Katie Meinhardt’s (San Francisco, Calif./St. Ignatius Prep) 24-point performance Boston University (5-4, 0-0 America East) dropped a 79-59 decision to Delaware on Sunday afternoon at the Bob Carpenter Center... Meinhardt scored in double digits for the second-straight time and the 11th time in her career... Meinhardt’s jumper with two seconds remaining on the clock helped propel the Terriers over Ivy League foe Brown, 60-59, at Agganis Arena on Wednesday night... Brown’s desperation inbounds pass was intercepted at half court by sophomore Christine Kinneary (Plainedge, N.Y./Holy Trinity), sealing the victory... Meinhardt finished with a team-high 19 points, while freshman Kristen Folk came up with five blocks and nine rebounds.
Hartford Hawks
Hartford (7-4, 0-0 America East) finished its final week before the exam break with a 2-1 record with wins over St. John’s and UMass and a loss on the road at #20/18 Michigan State... The Hawks were led during the week by Ikea Witt (Vineland, N.J./Sacred Heart) who began the week with a 22-point effort on the road at St. John’s... The 22 points was a season best for the senior guard... She finished that game 9-of-15 from the field and 4-of-4 from the free throw line... She also had four rebounds, four assists and five steals... Witt finished the week a perfect 9-of-9 from the free throw line and was 16-of-30 (.533) over the three games... Danielle Hood (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Walter Panas) also averaged double digits for Hartford over the week with 12.7 points per game... She finished with double digits in all three games with 10 at the Red Storm, 16 at home against UMass and 12 on the road against the Spartans... She also shot well during the week with a 63 percent shooting effort (17-of-27). Diana Delva (Stamford, Conn./Westhill) was almost unstoppable from the field this week with a 6-of-7 effort overall for 85.7 percent shooting... She led the teams rebounding efforts for the week with 19 rebounds, while recording five blocks... For the season, Witt and Hood lead the team in scoring, where they are averaging 11.5 and 10.6 ppg, respectively... Delva leads the team in rebounding with a 5.1 rebound per game average with Witt and Hood just behind her with 4.6 and 4.4 rpg respectively.
Maine Black Bears
Maine (5-3 0-0 America East) dropped a pair of games this past week to Holy Cross and Saint Joseph’s.... Maine fell at Holy Cross on Thursday by a score of 72-64 and lost on Sunday to the Hawks by a count of 69-49... Ashley Underwood (Augusta, Maine/Cony) led Maine in scoring on Thursday with a season-high 21 points... It marked the first time this season she led the team in scoring... Katie Whittier (New Gloucester, Maine/Gray-New Gloucester) scored a team-high 10 points on Sunday... She also had a double-double on Thursday with 12 points and 10 rebounds ... Amanda Tewksbury (Clinton, N.J./North Hunterdon) netted 11 points on Thursday against the Crusaders, which marked her second-straight double-figure scoring game... The Black Bears return to action on Sunday with a game at Boston College at 3:30 p.m. in Chestnut Hill, Mass.
UMBC Retrievers
UMBC (4-5, 0-0 America East) split a pair of games last week, falling to Navy, 74-56, at home on Dec. 6, before defeating Longwood, 57-49, on the road on Dec. 9... Senior point guard Brittnie Hughes (Roanoke, Va./Northside) scored a career-high 23 points against Navy, her second 20-point performance of the season, and was named the Marlow Sports America East Player of the Game... Hughes accounted for 41 percent of the Retrievers’ scoring in the game... The 18-point loss was UMBC’s largest since a 24-point defeat by Hartford on Jan. 14, 2006... The Retrievers shot just 48.4 percent from the free throw line against the Mids... UMBC opened the second half on a 20-7 scoring run to take the lead at Longwood... Junior guard Kristin Drabyn (Avon, Ind./Avon) tied a career high with 16 points against the Lancers... She has scored in double digits in five of the last six games... After scoring just six points against Navy, snapping her five-game double-figure scoring streak, senior forward Sharri Rohde (Indianapolis, Ind./Franklin Central) scored 13 points at Longwood, all in the second half... Rohde has started every game of her career, extending her streak to 93 consecutive starts... She scored her 900th career point on Saturday at Longwood and ranks 16th all-time at UMBC with 906... UMBC was out-rebounded, 87-62, last week, including 43-28 by Navy... The Retrievers have a week-long break for final exams before resuming their five-game road trip on Dec. 17, when they take on in-state rival and former Northeast Conference foe Mount St. Mary’s in Emmitsburg, Md.
New Hampshire Wildcats
New Hampshire (3-5, 0-0 America East) recorded a 1-1 record for the week... After a tough 50-31 loss to Boston College on Tuesday, the Wildcats rebounded with a 52-44 victory over Colgate on Saturday... Sophomore forward Danielle Flowers (Chalfont, Pa./Central South Bucks) tallied a team-high 13 points to go along with six rebounds, two steals and two blocks... Senior co-captain Danielle Clark (Corinna, Maine/Nokomis Regional) delivered 10 points and three rebounds, while teammate Whitney Edwards (Mt. Vernon, N.Y./Trinity Catholic) made a game-high five steals and posted four points in the win... The Wildcats return to action on Tuesday (Dec. 19) when they play host to Northeastern at 7 p.m. in Lundholm Gymnasium.
Stony Brook Seawolves
Stony Brook (2-5, 0-0 America East) went 0-2 last week... At Temple, Mykeema Ford (Trenton, N.J./Cheshire Academy) and Jessica Smith (Bloomingdale, N.J./Butler) each scored 16 points in a 72-58 loss to the Owls... Dana Ferraro (Middlesex, N.J./Middlesex) added 10 rebounds... At home vs. Hofstra, the Seawolves fell 82-67 to their Long Island rival... Ferraro led the way with 17 points and five rebounds... Ford had 12 points and six assists... Smith scored 10 points including her 1,300th career point with a layup in the first half... Stony Brook plays on the road for two road games this week... The Seawolves travel to New Hampshire to face Dartmouth on Wednesday at 7 p.m. On Friday, the Seawolves face Central Connecticut State at 7 pm.
Vermont Catamounts
Vermont (6-2, 0-0 America East) closed out its five-game road swing with a 4-1 record after earning an 84-53 victory at Colgate... Freshmen Sofia Iwobi (Fairfield, Iowa/Maharishi School) and May Kotsopoulos (Waterloo, Ontario/Waterloo Collegiate) led all scorers with 14 points each... Iwobi came off the bench to net her 14 points and picked up five steals in 17 minutes of action, her best performance to date... Andrea Cihal (Mississauga, Ontario/Cawthra Park) and Brittney Cross (Durham, N.H./Oyster River) added 10 points each in the game... Cihal also grabbed six rebounds in one of her strongest performances of the year... Head coach Sharon Dawley earned her 180th career victory in the win over Colgate, her record stands at 180-111 all-time in 12 seasons and 43-44 at Vermont in four seasons... The Catamounts are off to their best start (6-2) since the 2003-04 season, Dawley’s first year at UVM... Vermont improved to 50-10 when it scores 70 points or more dating back to the 2001-02 season... The Catamounts are 3-0 this season when hitting the 70-point plateau... UVM is 3-0 versus Patriot League opponents this season and improves to 11-4 overall versus Colgate... Vermont’s 31-point win was the biggest margin of victory since a 33-point triumph at Boston U. on February 18, 2001... The Catamounts have recorded double-digits in steals in all eight games this season, registering a season-high 19 versus Colgate.