CAMBRIDGE, Mass.-- UMBC's Carlee Cassidy and University of Maine's Tanna Ross received the America East Women's Basketball Player and Rookie of the Week, respectively, for the week ending December 9. Deja vu is in the air as both Cassidy and Ross also received their respective awards for the first week of the season on November 12. Click here for full PDF Weekly Release.
UMBC sophomore guard Carlee Cassidy (Syracuse, N.Y./Westhill) received her second weekly honor of the season with the America East Women's Basketball Player of the Week. Cassidy led the Retrievers to a 2-1 week with 19.0 points per game and 4.7 rebounds per game. She shot 46.5 percent (20-for-43) from the floor and 40.0 percent (8-for-20) from three-point range. Cassidy scored 17 points at Loyola to go along with a team-high six rebounds and four assists. Two days later in UMBC's win at Navy, the sophomore led the Retrievers' second-half charged with nine straight points and finished with 15 for the game. Finally, she posted a career-high 25 points in UMBC's 74-72 victory over Northern Iowa, making a career-high eight field goals (8-for-13), including a career-best five from three-point range. She again took over the game for the Retrievers in the second half, leading a rally with 11 straight points in a three-minute span late in the game in the come-from-behind win. Cassidy increased her team-best scoring average to 15.4 ppg.
Freshman guard Tanna Ross (Newburgh, Maine/Hampden Academy) from Maine was named the America East Rookie of the Week for the second time this year after also doing so the first week of the season. Ross poured in a career-high 20 points against Massachusetts, and led Maine in scoring for the third game of the season. The rookie shot 6-for-8 from behind the arc and 7-for-13 overall from the field. Ross ranks 20th in the conference in scoring (9.0 ppg), sixth in three-pointers made (1.88 pg) and 11th in three-point field goal percentage (.333).
Recent Results
Sunday, December 9
at UMBC 74, Northern Iowa 72
Sophomore Carlee Cassidy captured Player of the Game honors with a game-high 25 points and five three-pointers.... Senior Kristin Drabyn hit 50% of her shots from beyond the arc (3-of-6) and notched 14 points, while the Retrievers as a team drained a season-high 12 three-pointers.
at Hartford 73, Hofstra 42
The Hawks shot 47% for the game from the field and held the Pride to just 27%... Hartford received 33 points from off the bench, including Katie Kelley's 10 points... Senior Danielle Hood's 11 points led the team in scoring for the seventh time this season.
Saturday, December 8
at Massachusetts 74, Maine 55
Rookie Tanna Ross recorded a career-high 20 points... Emily Rousseau and Sandra Vaitkute also scored in double-digits with 13 and 12 points, respectively.
at Liberty 76, Binghamton 40
The Bearcats shot 34.0 percent, while Liberty shot 63 percent from the field... Sophomore Muffy Sadler netted a team-high eight points, including a pair of treys.
at Vermont 46, Lafayette 45
Amy Rosenkrantz made a lay-up with 38 seconds remaining to lift the Catamounts... Vermont snapped the Leopards' five-game winning streak with the victory.
Harvard 59, at New Hampshire 53
Candace Williams notched her second double-double of the season with 10 points and 12 rebounds... Amy Simpson scored all of her 10 points in the first half.
at Detroit-Mercy 51, Albany 49
Three Great Danes reached double-digit points, including Kristin Higy with 12 points, Britney McGee with 11 points, and Charity Iromuanya with 11 points... Albany forced 24 Detroit turnovers.
Friday, December 7
at Yale 81, Stony Brook 64
The Seawolves used 13 different players on the court, all of whom posted points on the scoresheet... Senior Aly Young paced the offense with 11 points, while senior Dana Ferraro and freshman Jodie Plikus each tallied 10 points.
at Hartford 64, St. John's 62
Despite the victory for the Hawks, leading scorer Danielle Hood did not hit a field goal until the second half... Hood finished with 16 points and five rebounds... Sophomore Diana Delva registered a team-high nine rebounds.
Upcoming Action
Tuesday, December 11
Boston University at Harvard 7 p.m.
Junior Jesyka Burks-Wiley leads the Terriers in both scoring (14.0 ppg) and on the boards (7.3 rpg) and is in the conference's top-four in each... Boston U. is fourth in the nation in free-throw percentage (82.5%).
Wednesday, December 12
Louisville at Vermont 7 p.m.
America East commissioner Patrick Nero will be in attendance to present the Catamounts with the 2006-07 Academic Cup during halftime... Sophomore Courtnay Pilypaitis is in the DI top-20 in both free-throw percentage and three-point field goal percentage.
Central Connecticut at Stony Brook 7 p.m.
The Seawolves earned a 74-55 victory last year at Central Connecticut... Led by Morgan Patrick's conference-best 2.50 blocks per game, Stony Brook is 15th in the country in blocks.
New Hampshire at Iona 7:30 p.m.
The Wildcats look to snap a three-game losing streak and pick-up their first away game of the season... Denise Beliveau leads all America East freshmen with 9.8 points per game and is tops in the league with 2.38 steals per game.
Hartford at Marist 7:30 p.m.
Danielle Hood and the Hawks face Marist, a 2007 Sweet Sixteen team and a squad ranked 54 in the first RPI report of the season... Hartford has an RPI of 31 to open the season.