CAMBRIDGE, Mass.-- The University at Albany took home both the America East Women's Basketball player and rookie of the week awards on Monday, as the Great Danes went 2-0 and remain in a second-place tie in the conference standings. Senior forward Gia Sanders (Bowie, Md./The Bullis School) led her team to the undefeated week and freshman guard Janea Aiken (St. Albans, N.Y./St. Dominic) completed the Great Dane sweep.Click here for full Weekly Release in PDF.
For the week ending February 10, Sanders led the Great Danes to their third and fourth consecutive wins, as she averaged 13.0 points and 8.0 rebounds in two games. In the 76-50 win over Boston U., Sanders scored 15 points and grabbed six rebounds, going 6-of-10 from the floor, including 2-of-3 from three-point range. In a 67-50 win over New Hampshire, Sanders recorded her fifth double-double of the season with an 11-point, 10-rebound performance. She also recorded five steals against the Wildcats. Sanders, who completed the week without a single turnover, is averaging 7.7 points and a team-high 6.9 rebounds on the season, and continues to lead the team with 41 steals and 32 blocks. This is her first weekly award of the year and of her collegiate career.
Aiken helped lead the Great Danes to an undefeated week in conference play, averaging 11.5 points and 4.0 assists per game, shooting a team-high 76.9% from the floor. Aiken scored 12 points to go along with six assists and two rebounds against Boston U., shooting 6-of-8 from the floor. In a win over New Hampshire on Sunday, Aiken scored 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting from the floor, including 2-for-2 from three-point range. She added two assists and one steal in 21 minutes of action against the Wildcats. Aiken is scoring at a 7.5 clip for the Great Danes this season.
Recent Results
Sunday, February 10
* at Vermont 71, Stony Brook 51 (PackCast)
Junior Amy Rosenkrantz paced the Catamount offense with 22 points... Sophomore Courtnay Pilypaitis (14 points, 10 assists) and Kelli Poles (12 points, 11 rebounds) each finished with double-doubles... Vermont shot 60% in the second half to extend a seven-point lead at the intermission... Rookie Kristen Jeter scored a team-high 16 points for the Seawolves... Stony Brook sunk just 5-of 17 points from the free-throw line... Vermont swept the home-and-home season series with Stony Brook.
* at Albany 67, New Hampshire 50
Albany caused 27 Wildcat turnovers, including 19 thefts... Senior Gia Sanders and sophomore Charity Iromuanya each contributed five steals... Four Great Danes finished with double-doubles, including Sanders (11 points, 10 rebounds) and senior Kristin Higy (11 points, 12 rebounds)... Sophomore Amy Simpson led UNH in scoring, with 19 points, for the third straight game... Classmate Candace Williams also finished with double-digit points with 10 points to go along with nine boards... With the win, Albany won a season series against a single conference opponent for the first time since the 2004-05 season.
Saturday, February 9
* at UMBC 69, Maine 59
Sophomore Carlee Cassidy matched her season high of 27 points en route to being named the Retrievers' America East Player of the Game... Senior Kristin Drabyn netted five three-pointers and scored 21 points for the game... For the Black Bears, sophomore Amanda Tewksbury scored a team-high 23 points... Senior Kris Younan handed out five assists and added two thefts... UMBC and Maine split the season series.
* at Hartford 61, Boston University 54 (PackCast)
Senior Danielle Hood scored a game-high 23 points for her third 20+ performance in the last four games... Sophomore Erica Beverly pulled down 10 rebounds and blocked one shot... For the Terriers, junior Christine Kinneary notched a new career high, 20 points on 9-of-16 shooting... The Terriers shot just 3-for-11 from the charity stripe... By avenging the loss the Terriers handed the Hawks in January, Hartford extended its home winning streak to 20 games.
* - America East Conference Game
Upcoming Action
Wednesday, February 13
* Binghamton at Boston University 7 p.m.
The Bearcats nipped the Terriers, 59-55, last time out in Vestal.... Binghamton senior guard Laura Sario, averaging 9.9 ppg, has 993 career points and is seven shy of becoming the second Bearcat to reach the 1,000 point milestone this season... Previously averaging over 72 ppg in conference games, Boston U. has averaged just 52 ppg in the last two games, both losses.
* Hartford at Vermont (PackCast) 7 p.m.
The Catamounts have yet to lose at Patrick Gym this season in conference play, with just one loss at home overall... Vermont is the only team in the conference to have three players in the top-10 scorers... Hitting 43 of 61 attempts in conference play, Hartford sophomore Diana Delva is shooting 70.5% from the floor in nine league games... Sophomore Erica Beverly and senior Danielle Hood are shooting at 55% and 54% clips, respectively.
* UMBC at Stony Brook 7 p.m.
The Retrievers defeated the Seawolves in Baltimore, 61-56, earlier in the season... Senior Morgan Hatten returned for the first time since sustaining an injury and played nine minutes last time out against Maine... Stony Brook freshman Kirsten Jeter has led the team in scoring in seven games this season, including last time out against Vermont when she netted 16 points.
* Albany at Maine 7:30 p.m.
The Great Danes came away with their largest margin of victory of the season last time against Maine, 78-46... Albany is currently riding its longest win streak of the season at four games, defeating foes by an average of 18.75 ppg during that stretch... The Black Bears are averaging five more points a game at home vs. on the road and holding opponents to 15 points less at Alfond Arena.
* - America East Conference Game