CAMBRIDGE, Mass.-- University of Hartford junior forward Erica Beverly (Bridgeport, Conn./Kolbe Cathedral) takes home the America East Women's Basketball Player of the Week for the period ending December 21, while UMBC freshman guard Michelle Kurowski (Hicksville, N.Y./Hicksville) is the recipient of the Rookie of the Week award for the third straight week.
Beverly, a unanimous preseason all-conference selection, tallied a double-double in the Hawks' only game of the week, a 56-52 loss at Bowling Green. The junior forward posted her fourth double-double of the season with 13 points and 11 rebounds, while adding three assists, two steals and a career-high six blocks. She shot 40% for the game (4-for-10), and finished with a 5-of-7 effort at the free-throw line. Beverly's six blocks marked the first such performance by a Hartford Hawk since Kenitra Johnson in January, 2000. This is Beverly's first career player of the week award and she is the second Hawk to receive the recognition this season.
In two games last week, Kurowski averaged 11 points, five rebounds and 2.5 steals per game. She netted 13 points against James Madison, including 12 in the second half, and she added five rebounds, an assist and a steal. The rookie tallied nine points against Loyola while also contributing five rebounds and a career-high four steals. Kurowski is averaging 16.3 ppg on the season, second-best on the team and in the league.
Honor Roll
It was a tough week for America East teams, but there were still some solid performances despite the records. UMBC's Carlee Cassidy (Syracuse, N.Y./Westhill) averaged 27.5 points per game in two games last week, including a 33-point effort on Sunday against Loyola... Vermont's Sy Janousek (Chandler, Ariz./Corona del Sol) came off the bench to score 18 points, a career high, Sunday at No. 9/11 Lousiville. She went 5-for-9 from the field and 7-for-8 from the foul line... Sophomore Ariel Brown (Lumberton, N.J./Rancocas Valley) started the week off right with a career night for Stony Brook against Manhattan on Monday. Brown scored 17 points while also adding 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals.
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 is ranked 22 out of 32 conferences in the latest report. Binghamton made the biggest jump, moving up 27 spots from 232 to 205, while Boston University improved 8 spots and New Hampshire remained steady at 320. Hartford remains the highest-rated team in the conference at 62 despite slipping four spots since last week.
Tournament Frenzy
All teams are off during the week for the holiday, but once the action gets going on Sunday, it's full steam ahead. Five different tournaments get under way next weekend all over the country, including Stony Brook in Los Angeles for the Courtyard By Marriott LA Westside Holiday Classic hosted by Loyola Marymount and University at Albany in Edinburg, Texas for the Battle at the Border Tournament hosted by Texas-Pan American. New Hampshire will be traveling to play in the Louisville Tournament to become the third America East team to play at Freedom Hall in the month of December. UMBC will be in Virginia for the Cavalier Classic and University of Maine travels to Philadelphia for the St. Joseph's Classic. Tournament action continues on Monday with Vermont heading down to the sunshine state to take on the nationally-ranked Florida Gators in Gainesville.
Home Court Advantage
America East has two teams with long home court win streaks ranked among the top in Division I by the NCAA. Hartford's 29 game streak is tops in the nation. The Hawks' next chance to extend the streak to 30 is January 7 versus conference foe 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. The 13 straight home victories ranks eighth in Division I, while the Terriers' next chance to improve upon that is Tuesday December 30 vs. St. John's.
On The Glass
New Hampshire junior forward Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass./St. Raphaels) set a new career high, as well as a 2008-09 league high, last Sunday afternoon with 15 rebounds in a win against Northeastern. Sophomore Meghan Colabella (Montclair, N.J./Montclair) from UMBC took it one step further exactly a week later posting up for 16 rebounds. Both rebounding performances were part of double-doubles, while both were also career highs.
Handouts
Boston University senior guard Christine Kinneary (Plainedge, N.Y./Holy Trinity) registered the second-most assists in a season last year with 214, and is getting closer to another America East record. Kinneary is currently third all-time in career assists at Boston University and is 34 assists shy of breaking into the top-five in America East history. Former Terrier Andrea Higgins tallied 465 assists between 1989-93 for fifth all-time.
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 893 10.6
May Kotsopoulos, Jr., UVM 875 14.5
Carlee Cassidy, Jr., UMBC 867 24.9
Erica Beverly, Jr., UH 772 9.5
Marylynne Schaefer, Sr., UH 760 7.3