CAMBRIDGE, Mass.-- Junior forward Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass./St. Raphaels (R.I.)) from University of New Hampshire is the recipient of the America East Player of the Week for the period ending December 14, while UMBC guard Michelle Kurowski (Hicksville, N.Y./Hicksville) repeats as the Rookie of the Week award winner.
Williams becomes the first Wildcat to receive the award in nearly two years and is the first forward recognized with the weekly honor this season. She averaged a double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds in two games last week against the ACC's Boston College and the Colonial's Northeastern. In Chestnut Hill against the Eagles, Williams registered 13 points, seven rebounds, a block and a steal, and she then led the Wildcats to their second win of the season against Northeastern with 17 points and a career-high 15 boards. With New Hampshire down by 11 at the half against the Huskies, Williams netted nine points in the first 10 minutes of the second stanza to shift the momentum and give New Hampshire a six point lead. Her performance against Northeastern was her second double-double of the season and her ninth straight double-figures game. Williams played 79 out of 80 possible minutes last week, and will now get a week off before the Wildcats return to the court on Sunday against Central Michigan.
In the only game of the week against Coppin State, a 76-63 win, Kurowski tallied 20 points and five rebounds. She shot 58.3% (7-for-12) from the field, 40% (2-for-5) from three-point land and 80% (4-for-5) from the charity stripe. She currently ranks second in America East with 17.4 points per game. Kurowski receives this award for the second straight week, while the Retrievers have had a hold on the award for the past four weeks.
Honor Roll
UMBC's Carlee Cassidy (Syracuse, N.Y./Westhill) took the lead in the Retrievers' 76-63 victory over Coppin State this week, scoring 28 points on 9-of-20 field goal shooting and launching four treys. She also went 6-for-6 from the free-throw line... Jesyka Burks-Wiley (Kansas City, Mo./Lincoln College Prep.) led Boston University to a 1-1 week including a win over Harvard and a loss at Marist. The senior forward averaged 19 points and five rebounds on the week while shooting 43.3% from the floor.
The Report Is In
Collegiate Basketball News put out its weekly Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) report this morning, an unofficial look at what the NCAA Selection Committee looks at throughout the season and at the end of the regular season to pick out tournment participants. America East remains steady at 21st out of 32 conferences. The largest upward movement come from Boston U., who stepped up 35 spots from 198 to 163. Hartford (+13) and New Hampshire (+11) also improved their standing by double-figures. UMBC has the best improvement from a year ago, ranked 128. Last year by the time the second report was released, the Retrievers were ranked 271.
Holiday Break
Teams are taking a break for both final exams and the holiday season as there are only three games going on during the week. Stony Brook hosts Manhattan in its last non-conference home game, while UMBC will face a tough test in James Madison on Thursday night in Virginia. Albany is also on the road Friday night at St. Francis (N.Y).
On The Glass
Candace Williams set a new career high, as well as a 2008-09 league high, Sunday afternoon with 15 rebounds in a win against Northeastern. She is averaging 7.9 boards per game this season, which ranks third in America East.
From The Point
Though Boston University's Christine Kinneary (Plainedge, N.Y./Holy Trinity) plays the role of true point guard for the Terriers, and averages over five assists per game in doing so, she's come out this season as both a scorer and rebounder as well. Against Marist, Kinneary notched a double-double of 15 points and a career-high 11 rebounds. The previous game against Harvard, she also put up double figure points with 10. Kinneary is averaging 11.4 points per game this season, good for 13th in America East.
Home Court Advantage
The Hartford home-court win streak has now risen to 29 games, tops in Division I women's basketball. The Hawks are one ahead of Old Dominion, who will play St. Joseph's at home this Friday to try to tie up the Hawks. Hartford won't have the chance to extend the streak to 30 until the conference season on January 7 against Binghamton. Boston University has also strung along a nice little run of their own, with 16 straight victories at Case Gym and 13 straight at home. The only home loss for the Terriers within that stretch was an early season stumble last year to ranked Ohio State at Agganis Arena where Boston U. plays select home games.
Closing In
While Pilypaitis managed to get it out of the way early, several other America East players are eyeing the 1,000 point mark. Below is a list of players who may reach that mark by the end of this season, their total points and their 2008-09 points per game average as of today.
Player, School Points PPG
Jesyka Burks-Wiley, Sr., BU 891 16.0
Amy Rosenkrantz, Sr., UVM 883 10.7
May Kotsopoulos, Jr., UVM 863 14.8
Carlee Cassidy, Jr., UMBC 834 24.3
Erica Beverly, Jr., UH 759 9.2
Marylynne Schaefer, Sr., UH 755 7.5
Upcoming Action
Monday, December 15
Manhattan at Stony Brook 7 p.m.
The Seawolves host the Jaspers in their last nonconference home game of the season... Manhattan won last year's match-up by a 74-68 score... Sophomore Misha Horsey is Stony Brook's leading scorer this season at 9.2 ppg.
Thursday, December 18
UMBC at James Madison 7 p.m.
UMBC puts their five-game win streak on the line after a 10 day break for final exams... The Retrievers fell to James Madison at home last season, 61-74... Junior Carlee Cassidy, who leads America East in scoring, is also second in the league with 3.0 treys per game.
Friday, December 19
Albany at St. Francis (NY) 7 p.m.
The Great Danes beat the Terriers in a dog match last season, 70-63, in Albany... Sophomore Janea Aiken has led Albany scoring in six of the nine games this season, including a season-high 19 points against Detroit and 18 points last time out against NJIT.
Recent Results
Sunday, December 14
at New Hampshire 70, Northeastern 62
The Wildcats, down by 11 at the intermission, went on a 20-3 run to begin the second half and picked up their first win at Lundholm Gym this season... Junior forward Candace Williams led the way with 17 points and a career-high 15 boards... Junior guard Amy Simpson also tallied 17 points.
at Harvard 73, Maine 50
Junior guard Kristen Baker paced the Black Bears with a career-high 16 points. She also dished out four assists and collected a steal and a block... Freshman forward Samantha Wheeler recorded a team-high 8 rebounds as Maine went on to outrebound the Crimson, 39-31.
Kent State 77, at Vermont 71
Junior guard Courtnay Pilypaitis netted a game-high 24 points while also putting up eight boards and seven assists on the statline... Junior guard May Kotsopoulos was the only other Catamount in double figures with 13.
Saturday, December 13
at Miami (Fl.) 72, Binghamton 37
The Bearcats had their second consecutive outing with poor shooting, hiting just 19% of first-half field goals. They did improve in the second to finish at a 27.9% clip... Freshman Viive Rebane posted a team-high nine points.
at Dartmouth 59, Stony Brook 47
Junior Kairsten Nunn netted a season-high 17 points to lead the Seawolves from off the bench... Sophomore Misha Horsey produced a balanced stat line with six rebounds, seven points, four assists and two swipes.
at Marist 73, Boston University 62
Senior point guard Christine Kinneary notched her first double-double of the season with 15 points and a career-high 11 boards... Classmate Jesyka Burks-Wiley went 6-for-17 from the field for a team-high 17 points... The teams see-sawed throughout the game with seven lead changes.