Stony Brook’s Mykeema Ford (Trenton, N.J./Cheshire Academy) has been named America East Player of the Week for week 16, while Albany’s Charity Iromuanya (Lincoln, Neb./Lincoln Northeast) wins her first-ever America East Rookie of the Week award. The awards were announced Monday (February 26).
Ford earns her fourth America East Player of the Week honor of the season. Ford averaged 25.0 ppg, 6.0 apg and 4.5 rpg leading the Seawolves to a 2-0 record during the week. The Seawolves have won five straight in league play. The senior guard had 28 points in a road win at Binghamton and followed that up with 22 points and eight assists in an overtime win over Vermont. She leads the conference in scoring (19.5 ppg) and is third in assists (4.15 apg). The preseason all-conference selection is averaging 22.7 ppg in conference play, which is five points more than anyone else in America East. With her seventh career player of the week accolade, she moves into the top 10 all-time list of America East Player of the Week award winners.
Iromuanya did it all in a seven-point win over New Hampshire as she netted a career-high 17 points on 5-of-9 shooting and added six assists, five steals, four rebounds and a blocked shot. She is the second Great Dane to win this award this season, Britney McGee (Bakersfield, Calif./West) won back in week one of the season.
AMERICA EAST NOTEBOOK
Down the Stretch We Go
As we enter the final week of the regular season in women’s basketball a lot is still in question. The Hawks boast a league-best 13-1 conference record, one game up on second-place Stony Brook, with just two games remaining. The two teams will finish one and two, respectively. Maine (13-12, 7-7) currently sits in third, a half game ahead of Vermont (16-11, 6-8) and Binghamton (10-17, 6-8). The log-jam in the middle of the standings will come into focus over the final week of the regular season. Boston University (14-14, 6-9) and UMBC (13-15, 6-9) are tied for sixth place just a half game out of fourth place. New Hampshire (9-17, 4-10) and Albany (8-19, 4-10) are tied for eighth and both need to win out to try to avoid the opening round game.
Below is a list of championship seeding tie-breaking procedures.
Championship Seeding Tie-Breaking Procedures
Teams tied for first place will be deemed “co-champions.” Ties for chamionship seeding will be broken in the following manner:
a. Ties shall be broken from the top of the standings down.
b. In the event of a tie between two or more teams, the tie shall be broken using the following criteria in order.
c. The record in regular-season Conference play of the tied teams shall be determined against the other team(s) with which it is tied. The team with the highest winning percentage based on the results of their in-season head-to-head competition shall gain the advantage.
d. Record versus other Conference opponents in descending rank order. In the event of arriving at another pair of tied teams when comparing records, each team’s record against the combined tied teams is used rather than the performance against individual tied teams.
e. Conference record in road games. In the event a game was played on a neutral floor, the home team shall be considered to be the team which was originally awarded the home game when the Conference schedule was issued.
f. RPI ranking as determined by the College RPI Report (www.rpiratings.com) through the end of the regular season. The team with the highest ranking shall gain the advantage.
g. If the tie is not resolved, then the tie shall be broken by a coin flip or draw conducted by the Commissioner or his designee.
h. In the event of a tie between more than two teams, once the tie is broken and a team is awarded the highest seed among the tied teams, return to (a.) above.
Hawks Magic Number 1
Hartford’s magic number to claim a share of the regular season title and the top seed is one. Therefore, any combination of a Hartford win or a Stony Brook loss and the Hawks will be the top seed.
Preseason Poll: Where Are They Now
With one week left in the reuglar season, here is where they were picked in the preseason poll compared to where they are now.
School Preseason Current
Hartford 1 1
Stony Brook 2 2
Boston U. 3 T-6
Binghamton 4 T-4
New Hampshire 5 T-8
UMBC 6 T-6
Maine 7 3
Vermont 8 T-4
Albany 9 T-8
Hawks Continue to Roll
Hartford extended its league-best 11-game winning streak with wins over Binghamton and Boston U. During the 11-game win streak, the Hawks are averaging 62.2 ppg and allowing just 50.6 ppg for a +11.5 margin. All and all, Hartford has won 13-of-14 with its lone defeat coming in a 66-64 overtime loss to Vermont.
20/20/20
For the third-straight year, Hartford has won 20 games. Last season, the Hawks posted a program-best 27 wins in the regular season, while they won 22 games in 2004-05.
Instant Classic in Stony Brook
On Saturday, Stony Brook erased a 76-71 lead in the final two minutes to force overtime and outscored the Catamounts 19-10 in the final frame to earn the win. Jessica Smith (Bloomingdale, N.J./Butler) and Mykeema Ford (Trenton, N.J./Cheshire Academy) combined to score 52 points. Smith scored Stony Brook’s first nine points in the overtime session and matched a career-high with 30 points. Andrea Cihal (Mississauga, Ontario/Cawthra Park) posted a double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds to lead Vermont.
Ford Second-Longest Streak in Nation
Stony Brook’s Mykeema Ford (Trenton, N.J./Cheshire Academy) owns a league-best 36-game double-digit scoring streak, dating back to the February 9, 2006 America East game at Vermont. Ford owns the second-longest streak in the nation behind Courtney Paris of Oklahoma.
Barker Continues Streak
While Mykeema Ford’s streak is very impressive, Maine’s Bracey Barker (Bar Harbor, Maine/Mount Desert Island) has quietly scored in double digits in 14 straight games and 20-of-21 games this season. The lone exception was a zero-point performance against Holy Cross, a game she played just three minutes before leaving with a wrist injury. If you eliminate the Holy Cross game, Barker has scored in double figures in 25 straight.
Barker Nation’s Best from the Line
Maine’s Bracey Barker (Bar Harbor, Maine/Mount Desert Island) leads the nation in free throw percentage. She is shooting 92.2 percent (83-for-90) overall.
Hartford Defense Third Nationally
Hartford continues to rise to the top behind the strength of its defense. The Hawks rank third nationally as they are allowing just 52.6 ppg. The Hawks have allowed under 50 points on 13 different occasions this season, including seven times during Hartford’s current 11-game win streak. LSU boasts the nation’s top defense allowing 50.0 ppg.
AETV: Maine at Hartford
America East Basketball Presented by Boston Herald continues as Hartford hosts Maine as Eric Frede (play-by-play) and Leah Secondo (color analyst) call the action live from Chase Arena on Tuesday at 7 p.m. This is rematch of last year’s America East quarterfinal game. Hartford can clinch the top seed and a share of the regular season crown, while Maine sits along in third-place. The Black Bears hope to separate themselves from the field with a win. The Hawks have won 11 in a row and 22 straight over America East foes at Chase Arena. The game can be seen live on NESN with free live streaming video available through America East Zone on the conference’s website www.AmericaEast.com.
Building a Lead, Again
By continuing to win and getting a little help from those below them, Hartford and Stony Brook have begun to build a gap between themselves and the rest of the field. Hartford is 13-1 with its lone loss coming in overtime at Vermont, while Stony Brook is 12-2 with two losses to Hartford. Stony Brook leads its next closest competition (Maine) by five full games, while Hartford has a one-game lead over the Seawolves with a pair of head-to-head wins. The two finished first and second by a comfortable three-game margin last season.
RPI Update: Seven Teams On the Rise
America East remains locked into the #16 slot in the Feb. 25 version of the Collegiate Basketball News (CBN) women’s college basketball ratings percentage index (RPI). Seven of the league’s nine teams improved its standings from week nine. Hartford continues to rise in the rankings jumping a spot to 44, while Stony Brook is in the low 80s at 81. Binghamton jumped an impressive 9 spots during the week. All and all, six of the nine teams ranked in the top 200.
School 2/19 2/26 Diff.
Binghamton 243 234 +9
Maine 171 164 +7
Stony Brook 86 81 +5
Albany 261 256 +5
UMBC 214 210 +4
New Hampshire 272 270 +2 Hartford 45 44 +1
Ford Cracks Top 25 in Scoring
Stony Brook’s Mykeema Ford (Trenton, N.J./Cheshire Academy) recently moved into the top 25 nationally in scoring. The senior guard leads America East and ranks 23rd nationally averaging 19.5 ppg.
Preseason All-Conference Earn Billing
While not much stock usually goes into the preseason all-conference team, this season these players could be among the league’s all-conference honorees. With the exception of Erica Beverly (Bridgeport, Conn./Kolbe Cathedral), who missed most of 2006-07 with a season-ending knee injury, the all-conference honorees rank among the league leaders in several catagories.
Stony Brook’s Mykeema Ford (Trenton, N.J./Cheshire Academy) ranks first in scoring (19.5 ppg), third in assists (4.15 apg) and is a four-time America East Player of the Week.
Jessica Smith (Bloomingdale, N.J./Butler) of Stony Brook ranks second in scoring (16.3 ppg), first in rebounding (7.6 rpg) and is also a three-time player of the week honoree.
Hartford’s Danielle Hood (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Walter Panas) ranks eighth in the conference in scoring (13.4 ppg), third in field goal percentage (.502) and recently became the third junior to pass 1,000 points in her career at Hartford.
Binghamton’s Laine Kurpniece (Coopersburgm Pa./Southern Lehigh) missed five games this season, but has really emerged of late. She’s scored in double figures in nine-straight games and ranks 13th in the conference in scoring (10.9 ppg). In addition, she ranks fifth in field goal percentage (.490) and fourth in offensive rebounds (2.41 orpg).
Championship Brunch at Events Center
The 2007 America East Women’s Basketball Championship Brunch will be held at Binghamton’s Events Center on March 8 at 10 a.m. The league will hand out its annual awards just hours before the start of the conference’s nine-team tournament. The brunch is open to the public with ticket prices set at $40. To purchase tickets, contact Assistant to the Commissioner Rachael Hilgar at hilgar@americaeast.com.
Championship Tickets On Sale Now
Tickets for the 2007 America East Women’s Basketball Championship on March 8-11 are on sale now. To purchase tickets visit www.AmericaEast.com or www.BearcatStuff.com.
Retrievers Scoring Well-Balanced
UMBC is the only team in the America East with four players ranking in the conference’s top-20 scoring leaders.
Player PPG Rank
Sharri Rohde 13.6 6th
Brittnie Hughes 11.0 12th
Kristin Drabyn 10.1 17th
Amanda Robinson 10.0 18th
Signs of Improvement
Maine, Vermont and Albany finished as the bottom three teams last year and struggled to find wins throughout the season. This season all three have matched or surpassed their win totals from the previous season.
Win Totals
School 05-06 06-07 Diff.
Vermont 9 16 +7
Maine 10 13 +3
Albany 7 8 +1
Maine 7th Nationally From the Line
The Black Bears rank seventh nationally from the charity stripe converting on 78.2 percent. Maine has made 395-of-505 through 25 games this season.
Kurpniece Leading the Bearcats
Binghamton’s Laine Kurpniece (Coopersburg, Pa./Southern Lehigh) is averaging 11.9 ppg in conference play and has scored in double figures in nine-straight games and 11 of 14 games in league play. She is shooting 55.2 percent from the floor and 88.9 percent from the charity stripe.
UMBC Not in the Giving Mood
The Retrievers have been very protective of the ball this season. They lead America East and rank 18th in the nation in turnovers at 14.4 per game. In addition, they boast a league-best 0.96 assist/turnover ratio.
Boston: A Long Distance Call
Boston U. has found success from behind the arc this season. The Terriers are averaging 6.2 three-pointers per game this season, which is first in the conference and ranks 27th out of 324 teams in Division I.
2007 Ford Scorer
Stony Brook’s Mykeema Ford (Trenton, N.J./Cheshire Academy) has kicked her scoring up a notch since the new year. The senior guard is averaging 22.6 ppg in 2007, which is six points more than her closest competition. In addition, she has led the Seawolves to a 12-2 mark in conference play and is averaging 3.79 apg, which is fourth since the new year.
Stony Brook’s One-Two Scoring Duo
Stony Brook’s Mykeema Ford (Trenton, N.J./Cheshire Academy) and Jessica Smith (Bloomingdale, N.J./Butler) rank first and second in the league in scoring-respectively. Ford leads the league averaging 19.5 ppg, while Smith is second at 16.3 ppg. Never in league history has a team had players finish first and second in scoring.
Seawolves’ One-Two Rebounding Pair
Stony Brook’s Jessica Smith (Bloomingdale, N.J./Butler) and Dana Ferraro (Middlesex, N.J./Middlesex) rank first and second in the league in rebounding-respectively. Smith leads the league averaging 7.6 rpg, while Ferraro is second pulling down 7.5 rpg.
Hartford Extends Home Streak
The Hawks extended their conference home win- streak to 23 games with a win over Boston U. This streak includes Hartford’s impressive 6-0 record in the America East Championship over the past two seasons and a 7-0 mark this season.
Defense: A League Trend
America East schools have been turning up the heat defensively this season. Three of nine teams are holding opponents under 61.0 points per game-while all nine are under 68.4 ppg allowed. In addition, all nine schools are holding its opponents under 44.4 percent shooting from the floor.
Non-Conference Success
America East teams have combined for a 55-58 (.491) non-conference record in 2006-07 season. As a whole, conference teams are 9-2 against the Ivy League and have tallied seven wins over the MAAC and six over the Patriot League and Northeast Conference.
Tournament Frenzy
America East schools have participated in 16 in-season tournaments during non-conference play this year. Earlier this season-Vermont won the URI Invitational and TD Banknorth Classic, Maine captured the Dead River Classic title, UMBC went a perfect 2-0 at the Battle at the Border Tournament-and Boston U. lost to No. 3 Duke in the finals of the Blue Sky Classic.
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 (8-19, 4-10 America East) won its only game of the week, a 75-68 decision over America East Conference rival New Hampshire on Wednesday... The Great Danes were led by junior forward Kristin Higy (Akron, Ohio/North Canton Hoover) who scored a career-high 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting from the field... Higy also added seven rebounds, three steals and an assist in 37 minutes of action... America East Rookie of the Week Charity Iromuanya (Lincoln, Neb./Lincoln Northeast) recorded a career-best 17 points in the contest... She added a career-best six assists to go along with five steals, four rebounds and a block, while going 6-of-6 from the free throw line... Junior forward Gia Sanders (Bowie, Md./The Bullis School) also scored in double figures, netting 11 points, while freshman guard Britney McGee chipped in with 10 points, two rebounds, two steals and two assists... The Great Danes shot a season-best 58.8 percent (30-of-51) from the floor, including a 66.7-percent (16-of-24) performance in the second half... Senior guard Amanda Ward (East Hartford, Conn./East Hartford) continues to lead the team, averaging 10.5 points per game, while Higy adds 10.3 and a team-high 6.5 rebounds per contest... UAlbany will wrap up regular-season play this week, hosting Stony Brook on Senior Day on Wednesday and finishing up at Vermont on Saturday.
Binghamton Bearcats
Binghamton (10-17, 6-8 America East) has averaged 65.3 points in its past 10 games... The Bearcats have reached the 70-point mark in scoring four times during that span... Sophomore forward Laura Franceski (Moscow, Pa./North Pocono), who leads the America East Conference with 1.85 blocks per game, rejected a career-high seven shots against Hartford on Saturday, just missing the school record of eight blocks in a game (set by Leah Truncale against Morehead State on Nov. 25, 2001)... Franceski’s 50 blocks this season ranks fifth all-time in program history and her 76 career blocks ranks fourth... In addition, her career average of 1.38 blocks per game ranks second all time in school history... Junior center Laine Kurpniece (Riga, Latvia/Secondary School 47) has reached double figures in scoring the past nine games and have averaged 14.8 points per game during that span... She 18-point, 11-rebound performance against Hartford on Saturday represented her ninth career double-double... Kurpniece’s 50.9 career field goal percentage continues to rank first all time in program history... Senior guard Rebecka Lindgren (Oskarshamn Sweden/Sandagynasiet) has played 109 career games for Binghamton, which is tied for sixth all time in program history... Junior forward Juta Jahilo (Helsinki, Finland/Helsingin Kaupunki) has averaged 8.5 points in her last four games... She netted 12 points in Saturday’s game against Hartford.
Boston University Terriers
Boston University (14-14, 6-9 America East) erased a 16-point deficit in the second half and brought it down to the wire with the University of New Hampshire, however the Wildcats hit four crucial free throws with under a minute left to hold for the victory, 71-66, on Saturday afternoon... Senior Katie Meinhardt (San Francisco, Calif./St. Ignatius) led Boston U. with 18 points, 13 in the second half, to spearhead the Terriers’ wild second-half comeback... Sophomore guard Kristi Dini (Putnam Valley, N.Y./Putnam Valley) poured in 14 points, including four 3-pointers... Boston U. shook off a tough first-half shooting performance from the field to shoot 51.9 percent in the second stanza, and edge UNH in outrebounding, 34-32... Junior Kasey Devine (North Kingstown, R.I./North Kingstown) netted a career-high 16 points and Meinhardt put up 19, however the Terriers fell, 64-60, to the University of Hartford on Wednesday... The Terriers drew to within two points with 10 seconds on sophomore Amarachi Umez-Eronini’s (Washington, D.C./Woodrow Wilson) made free throws, remaining however the Hawks were able to hold on for the victory.
Hartford Hawks
Hartford (20-7, 13-1 America East) picked up two victories last week over Boston University at home and at Binghamton... The Hawks outlasted the Terriers in the final minutes on a key save from Ikea Witt (Vineland, N.J./Sacred Heart) who found an open Lisa Etienne (Norwalk, Conn./Brien McMahon) who then found Danielle Hood (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Walter Panas) wide open under the hoop for the final basket of the game with 11 seconds to play... Hood led all scorers in the game with her fourth 20+ game of the season. Hood (20 points) was joined in double figures by Witt and Etienne who each added 13 points... Etienne also dished out a career-high nine assists... Against the Bearcats, the Hawks allowed Binghamton to pull a 20 point deficit into single digits but held on as five players’ recorded double digits, securing the Hawks third consecutive 20 win season... Hood again led the team with 18 points and was joined by Etienne with 14, MaryLynne Schaefer (Centreville, Va./Westfield) with 13 and Witt and Diana Delva (Stamford, Conn./Westhill) each added 11... Hood continues to lead the team in scoring with 13.4 points-per-game, while Delva increases her point total daily and is now averaging 7.1 points on the season... Delva leads the team in rebounding at 6.6 rebounds-per-game and is the leading shooter at 61 percent on 64-of-105.
Maine Black Bears
Maine (13-12, 7-7 America East) won its only game of the week as the Black Bears downed UMBC on Saturday, 79-72, at Alfond Arena in Orono... Maine was led in scoring by Bracey Barker (Bar Harbor, Maine/Mount Desert Island) who scored a game-high 24 points... Ashley Underwood (Benton, Maine/Cony) followed with 23 points, seven rebounds and a game-high tying six assists... It marked the fourth game in the last six that she has topped 20 points in scoring... Underwood is averaging 21.6 points per game and shooting 58 percent from the field in her last six contests... Lindsey Hugstad-Vaa (Apple Valley, Minn./The Breck School) also got the start at power forward on Senior Day, and she netted 11 points and grabbed three rebounds... Maine’s fourth and final senior, Katie Whittier (New Gloucester, Maine/Gray-New Gloucester) also had a solid final game at AlfondA rena, as she scored six points, pulled down four rebounds and handed out three assists... The Black Bears close out the regular season this week with a pair of road games... Maine will face Hartford on Tuesday night at 7 p.m., and then take on Stony Brook on Saturday at 4 p.m.
UMBC Retrievers
UMBC (13-15, 6-9 America East) split a pair of America East road games last week, defeating Vermont, 80-72, on Feb. 20 before falling to Maine, 79-72, on Feb. 24... The Retrievers averaged 76 points on the week, 17.1 points more than their season average entering the week... UMBC’s victory over the Catamounts was its first-ever win in Burlington... It was the first time the Retrievers scored 80 points since Nov. 23, 2004... Senior forward Sharri Rohde (Indianapolis, Ind./Franklin Central) posted her second double-double in three games, scoring a career-high 27 points and grabbing 10 rebounds... Rohde also added six assists to lead the team in all three categories, the first time a Retriever has accomplished that feat since Rohde did it on Feb. 12, 2005... UMBC made 15 of 16 free throws in the final 59 seconds of the game, including 13 straight, and was 17-for-18 from the charity stripe in the game for a season-high 94.4 percent... Senior point guard Brittnie Hughes (Roanoke, Va./Northside) was 8-for-8 from the line down the stretch... The Retrievers got off to a slow start at Maine before cutting an 18-point lead to five but could not complete the comeback... Rohde again led the Retrievers with 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists... Junior guard Kristin Drabyn (Avon, Ind./Avon) averaged 16.0 ppg and drilled seven three-pointers on the week... The Retrievers have the week off before returning to the court on Saturday, March 3, hosting Hartford in the regular-season finale.
New Hampshire Wildcats
New Hampshire (9-17, 4-10 America East) snapped a four game losing streak with a 71-66 home win over Boston U. on Saturday... Danielle Clark (Corinna, Maine/Nokomis Regional) and Ashley Cerniglia (Pittsford, N.Y./Sutherland) both drained five 3-pointers to lead the Wildcats... Clark finished the game with 27 points and Cernlglia had 14 points during the first half en route to a 17-point effort... Whitney Edwards (Mt. Vernon, N.Y./Trinity Catholic) also scored in double-figures with 12 points... Edwards, the league’s assists leader, also led the Wildcats in helpers with seven... The Wildcats enjoyed a 51.9 shooting percentage (14-of-27) from the field during the first half, including 54.5 percent (6-of-11) from beyond the 3-point arc... Senior Ray Williams (Mississauga, Ontario/The Woodlands School) pulled down 10 boards to lead the Wildcats... The Wildcats are now 8-5 at home this seson... On Feb. 21 the Wildcats suffered a 68-75 loss to Albany... Clark recorded her fourth double-double of the season with 12 points and 11 rebounds... Freshman Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn./Waterford) drained four 3-pointers en route to a team leading 14-point performance.... Edwards had 13 points and ties her career-high 8 assists in the game... The Wildcats will play their final game at home Weds., Feb. 28, when they host Vermont... The team will then travel to Binghamton on Sat., Mar. 3 for its final regular season game.
Stony Brook Seawolves
Stony Brook (16-10, 12-2 America East) went 2-0 last week... In a 71-62 win at Binghamton, America East Player of the Week Mykeema Ford (Trenton, N.J./Cheshire Academy) led the Seawolves with a game-high 28 points, including 12-of-13 from the free throw line and was named America East co-player of the game... Kelly Watson (Chatham, Ontario/John McGregor) had 14 points, Jessica Smith (Bloomingdale, N.J./Butler) added 12 and Leah Getz (Peninsula, OH/Southampton College) had 10 points... Stony Brook held Binghamton to 37 percent shooting from the field... In the 96-87 win in overtime over Vermont, Stony Brook outscored Vermont 19-10 in the third frame to beat the Catamounts, 96-87 in overtime... The Seawolves’ 96 points represents the largest point total in their Division I history and most since the 2002-2003 season when they beat New Hampshire, 90-72... Smith tied her career-high with 30 points previously set against Vermont in 2005 and was named America East co-player of the game... Smith went 14-24 from the field and added nine rebounds... Ford had 22 points and eight assists, Dana Ferraro (Middlesex, N.J./Middlesex) had 15 points and eight rebounds and Cheri Davis (Islip Terrace, N.Y./Islip) recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Stony Brook faces Albany on Wednesday, February 28 before returning to home to face Maine on its annual senior day... Seniors Jessica Smith, Mykeema Ford, Inbar Orion, Sabrina Thompson, Farah Vasquez-Jacobo, Kelly Watson and Leah Getz will be honored in a ceremony before the game.
Vermont Catamounts
Vermont (16-12, 6-9 America East) went 0-2 on the week in two high scoring contests... The Catamounts fell to UMBC (80-72) and lost 96-87 in overtime at Stony Brook... The Catamounts held a five-point lead with 2:46 left versus Stony Brook, but the Seawolves were able to force overtime and earn the victory... Despite the 0-2 week, sophomore Andrea Cihal (Mississauga, Ontario/Cawthra Park) averaged a double-double of 13.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per game... She posted career highs of 20 points (10-of-14 FG) and 11 rebounds in the overtime loss at Stony Brook for her first career double-double... That was following a then career-high 16 points and nine rebounds in a loss to UMBC... Over the past five games, Cihal is shooting 71.4 percent from the floor... Freshman Courtnay Pilypaitis (Orleans, Ontario/St. Peter) averaged 17.5 points per game on the week for Vermont... She also totaled 11 rebounds and 11 assists, while shooting 48.3 percent from the floor... Pilypaitis led Vermont with 22 points in the loss to UMBC... Last week five Catamounts averaged double figures... In the loss to Stony Brook, sophomore Sy Janousek (Chandler, Ariz./Corona del Sol) came off the bench to score a career-high 16 points in the first half and finished the game with 18 points... Over the past five games UVM boasts six players averaging at least 10 points per game... The Catamounts close out the regular season with a game at UNH on Wednesday (Feb. 28) and host Albany on Saturday (Mar. 3).