CAMBRIDGE, Mass.-- Binghamton University junior forward Laura Franceski (Moscow, Pa./North Pocono 15) earned the America East Women's Basketball Player of the Week for the week ending January 20. University of Vermont forward Tonya Young (Canaan, N.H./Mascoma Valley Regional) received the conference's Rookie of the Week for her part in the Catamounts' 2-0 record last week. Click here for full Weekly Release in PDF format.
Franceski was the top Binghamton scorer during the week as Binghamton gained a pair of wins to move to 3-0 in conference play. She poured in a career-high 27 points in the Bearcats' 65-58 road win at UMBC. Franceski also added four rebounds, a season-high six blocks and three steals. For the week, Franceski finished with 10 blocks, 1.5 steals per game, and shot a blazing 75% from the field on 12-of-16 shooting. Currently, the junior ranks eighth in America East with 12.0 ppg, and first with 2.5 blocks per game. Franceski is the first Bearcat honored with a weekly award this season.
Young scored 14 points, one shy of her career high, on 6-for-9 shooting and added four rebounds in the win over Albany. She also added five points and five rebounds in 13 minutes versus UMBC. For the week, Young averaged 9.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg and shot 50% from the floor. This is the second time Young has been honored by the conference.
Recent Results
Sunday, January 20
* at Vermont 65, UMBC 55
Catamount Kelli Poles pieced together a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds... Sophomores May Kotsopoulos (18 points, three assists, two steals) and Courtnay Pilypaitis (14 points, eight assists, seven rebounds) led Vermont.... Retriever senior Kristin Drabyn moved into second on the school's three-pointer list as she netted five from long distance to account for all 15 of her team-high points.
Saturday, January 19
* at Boston University 89, Stony Brook 40
Juniors Jesyka Burks-Wiley (17 points, 12 rebounds) and Christine Kinneary (11 points, 10 assists) each put together a double-double and led six Terriers in double digit scoring... The Terriers outrebounded the Seawolves, 61-39.... Stony Brook's Kirsten Jeter and Ariel Brown each scored a team-high six points.
* Hartford 56, at Maine 38
Senior Danielle Hood led the Hawks with 15 points and also added four assists and three steals... Hartford forced 27 Black Bear turnovers while robbing the ball 11 times... Sophomore Amanda Tewksbury scored Maine's team-high 11 points and brought down 10 rebounds... The Black Bears could only muster 21.4% shooting in the second half.
* at Binghamton 82, New Hampshire 74
Binghamton senior Laura Sario broke out for 20 points and six assists, including 5-for-5 three-point shooting... Classmate Laine Kurpniece shot 5-for-6 from the field and 6-for-6 at the charity stripe for 16 points... For the Wildcats, sophomore Amy Simpson, freshman Denise Beliveau and senior Ashley Cerniglia notched 19, 18, and 17 points, respectively.
* - America East Conference Game
Upcoming Action
Tuesday, January 22
* UMBC at Albany 7 p.m.
The Great Danes won last year's contest at SEFCU Arena, 70-51... Sophomore Britney McGee paces the Albany offense with 11.4 points per game, while UMBC sophomore Carlee Cassidy continues to led the league with 17.4 points per game and six 20-point performances this season.... Albany senior Gia Sanders has averaged 11.8 points and 5.8 rebounds in the last six games.
* Binghamton at Hartford (CSN/WIVT) 7:30 p.m.
Binghamton senior Laine Kurpniece has 998 career points, and will likely score the two points needed to reach the 1,000 milestone... Hartford's Danielle Hood entered the season with 1,145 points and is the only active America East player in four figure scoring... Both teams have a three-game winning streak to their name.
Wednesday, January 23
* New Hampshire at Vermont 7 p.m.
The Catamounts swept the season series last year... Both teams have sophomores leading the offense; Vermont's Courtnay Pilypaitis is fourth in the league with 14.4 ppg, while New Hampshire's Amy Simpson is sixth with 12.6 ppg.... Pilyapitis is averaging 8.0 assists in the last two games.
* Boston University at Maine 7:30 p.m.
The Black Bears came out victorious by five points the last time the Terriers made the trek to Orono... Freshman Tanna Ross and sophomore Brittany Boser are Maine's 1-2 punch with 9.6 and 9.4 ppg, respectively... Boston U. junior Christine Kinneary leads the conference in minutes per game (38.06), assists (7.25), and assist to turnover ratio (2.47).