CAMBRIDGE, Mass.-- Boston University senior forward Jesyka Burks-Wiley (Kansas City, Mo./Lincoln College Prep) is the recipient of the America East Women's Basketball Player of the Week for the fourth consecutive week, while UMBC freshman forward Erin Brown (Bethesda, Md./Walt Whitman) earned the league's Rookie of the Week for the second time this season. Both awards were handed out for the week ending January 25.
Burks-Wiley averaged 25 points and 9 rebounds in two conference games last week. In a crucial match-up with conference rival Hartford on Wednesday, the senior recorded 18 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals. She hit 8-of-10 attempts from the free-throw line and shot 55% from the floor. On the road against Maine Saturday, Burks-Wiley's career night led the Terriers to their first win at Alfond Arena in 8 years. Burks-Wiley poured in a career-best 32 points and, needing just one board to reach 500 for her career, collected 13 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the season. The senior also went 14-for-15 from the free-throw line, finishing the week shooting 88% from the charity stripe. Burks-Wiley leads the conference scoring 23 ppg in conference games only. She is also second in scoring overall with 18.5 ppg. In America East games, she leads the conference with 9.3 rebounds per game.
Brown, one of two rookie starters for the Retrievers, averaged 16.5 points and 7 rebounds in two conference games last week, while shooting 69.6% from the field. She was named the America East Player of the Game in both contests--both victories for UMBC. Brown scored 14 points on 7-of-9 shooting against Albany, when she was a perfect 5-for-5 from the floor in the first half. She then posted her fourth double-double of the season against Binghamton on Saturday with 19 points and a team-high 10 rebounds. Brown is the third-leading scorer for UMBC this year, averaging 9.7 ppg, and she is the third-leading freshman scorer in the conference. She is the top-rebounding rookie this season in America East with 5.6 rpg.
Honor Roll
Helping Brown lead UMBC to two wins last week was junior guard Carlee Cassidy (Syracuse, N.Y./Westhill) who averaged 24 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. She scored her 1,000th career point against Albany on Wednesday and shot 50% from long-range in two games... New Hampshire junior forward Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass./St. Raphaels) scored 26 points against Stony Brook and followed that up with 16 points against Albany. She has scored in double-figure points in all 19 games this season... Hartford junior forward Diana Delva (Stamford, Conn./Westhill) recorded a fine week of 16 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 83% field-goal shooting, 2 assists, 8 blocks and 2 steals... Junior guard Kairsten Nunn (Bowie, Md./Coastal Carolina) broke out in two Stony Brook games last week, averaging 18 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists per game... In Vemont's only game of the week, junior guard May Kotsopoulos (Waterloo, Ontario/Waterloo Collegiate) recorded 22 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals against Maine. She came just 4 points shy of 1,000 for her career.
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 tournament participants. America East is still ranked 20 out of 32 conferences after three weeks of conference play. UMBC and New Hampshire each made big moves in the positive direction, with the Retrievers climbing 20 spots to 161 and the Wildcats moving up 15 steps to 283. Maine moved up 8 spots to 315, while Boston University inched up to 108 from 112 last week. Hartford continues to be the highest-ranked America East team despite slipping 11 spots to 66 in this week's RPI.
And Then There Was One
Boston University knocked off Hartford Wednesday evening at Case Gym to become the last undefeated squad in America East this season. The Terriers' 6-0 start in conference play is the program's best start in 19 seasons, and their current 7-game winning streak is the longest for Boston U. in five seasons.
Lights, Camera, Action!
Tuesday night pits two of the league's heavyweights against one another in a regionally-televised game on New England Sports Network (NESN) and produced by America East in conjunction with ESPN Regional Television. Defending league champion Hartford travels up to Patrick Gym to face preseason favorite Vermont at 7 p.m. Eric Frede will call the play-by-play, while Leah Secondo will provide the color analysis. The Catamounts and the Hawks are currently tied for second in the conference standings with identical 4-1 America East records. The game will also be available worldwide via a live webcast at the America East Zone on www.AmericaEast.com.
Dog Fight
While the second-place teams battle it out Tuesday night, the first-place Terriers and fourth-place Retrievers come together in a fight for top-dog status Wednesday in Boston. In this America East quarterfinal rematch from a year ago which the Terriers won, Boston U. will put its unblemished conference record on the line, and UMBC will try to keep its place among the top four in the standings. The Retrievers are 0-2 against the teams placed above them in the conference so far this season.
Mourning a Coach
Sadly, inspirational N.C. State women's basketball coach Kay Yow lost her fight against breast cancer this past weekend. The Women's Basketball Coaches' Association (WBCA) is asking all women's basketball coaches to wear an upside down pink ribbon during games this week to remember Yow. Also, a moment of silence in her honor will take place at all Pink Zone games during the week of February 13-22. Stay tuned to www.AmericaEast.com for more information on Pink Zone week, the WBCA's campaign to fight breast cancer.
Hitting The Mark
In a matter of five days, two America East players became 1,000-point scorers last week. Burks-Wiley became the second to do so this season against New Hampshire on Saturday, January 17. On Wednesday, January 21, UMBC's Cassidy joined Vermont's Courtnay Pilypaitis (Ottawa, Ontario/St. Peter) as the second junior to eclipse the mark this season. Cassidy knocked down a three late in the second half at home against Albany to reach the plateau.
500-Strong
Burks-Wiley hit yet another milestone one week after her 1,000th point by collecting her 500th rebound Saturday night, January 24 at Maine. The milestone rebound came as part of a 13-board effort against the Black Bears. Burks-Wiley joins Pilypaitis as America East's only two active members of the 1,000-point/500-rebound club. Vermont senior Amy Rosenkrantz is just six rebounds shy of 500, and 51 points shy of 1,000, and is the most likely candidate for the next member of the 1,000/500 club.
Closing In
While three players have already reached the mark, 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
May Kotsopoulos, Jr., UVM 996 14.8
Amy Rosenkrantz, Sr., UVM 949 9.0
Erica Beverly, Jr., UH 841 10.2
Marylynne Schaefer, Sr., UH 801 7.1
Rejected
Binghamton senior center Laura Franceski (Moscow, Pa./North Pocano) has made it very difficult for opposing teams to score in the paint, rejecting 54 shots this season (3.0 blocks per game) to lead the conference. Franceski has 194 for her career, which is fourth in America East all-time and three away from matching Delaware's Colleen McNamara for third-place in the books. The senior is tied for 11th in the country in the blocked shots per game category.
Midday Madness Sets Record
UMBC held its annual midday madness when it hosted Albany Wednesday, February 21 and set an attendance record of 1,517 to watch a women's basketball game at RAC Arena. Over 900 of those fans were local elementary and middle school students who came out for the event.
Three's Company
The top three three-point shooters in America East -- Boston U.'s Kristi Dini, UMBC's Cassidy, and Albany's Britney McGee-- are all averaging over 2.6 three's per game. They're all also moving up their schools' respective career three-pointers rankings. Cassidy moved into second at UMBC with 154 career triples, McGee is currently third all-time at Albany with 135, and Dini is one trey shy of moving in Boston University's top-three, currently with 155 for her career. Dini, Cassidy and McGee rank 2nd, 5th and 34th, respectively, in all of Division I.
Going On 30
Burks-Wiley's 32-point performance against the Black Bears became the eighth 30-point performance in the league this year. Never have so many 30-point individual efforts come in a single season since the 2004-05 season when there were nine such outbursts. That year, eight of the nine came against an America East opponent, while this season, three have come during league play so far.
Join The Club
Vermont's Pilypaitis joined two more elite clubs after the game against North Dakota on Sunday, January 4. With five assists, she moved into Vermont's top-five career assists list, handing out 369 in her 2+ seasons. She is now one away from 400 helpers for her career. The junior guard also grabbed eight rebounds and became the 12th member of Vermont's 1,000-point/500-rebound club.
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 (464 assists) and is 11 assists shy of breaking into the top-five in America East history. Former Terrier Andrea Higgins tallied 475 assists between 1989-93 for fifth all-time in the league annals.
December Report
America East teams went a combined 16-40 (.286) in the month of December with five of those games coming against ranked opponents. UMBC (4-3) picked up a quarter of those victories as part of its five-game winning streak.
Tournament Frenzy
Fifteeen regular-season tournaments highlighted the 2008-09 non-conference season, including two hosted by America East institutions, Vermont and Maine. UMBC took home the only tournament title this season with a 2-0 mark at the Iona Thanksgiving Classic.
Rookie Ramblings
UMBC has controlled the rookie of the week award during the 2008-09 season, earning 7 of 11 honors. Going back to last year, the Retrievers have actually won 9 of the past 13 rookie awards. Katie Brooks won weeks two and three, Michelle Kurowski earned recognition three weeks in a row, and Erin Brown took home the honor in weeks 7 and 11. Meghan Colabella won the America East Rookie of the Week the final two weeks of the 2007-08 season. The last time one team has dominated the rookie category was Vermont in 2006-07. Catamounts Courtnay Pilypaitis, May Kotsopoulos and Sofia Iwobi took home nine of 10 rookie awards spanning November 19, 2006-January 22, 2007.
Rookie Ramblings 2
Rookies around the league have made their way into their teams' respective starting lineups going into the conference season. Seven of the nine teams have started a rookie multiple times, and in most instances, consistently. Four freshmen have started every game this season-- Binghamton's Viive Rebane and Andrea Holmes, and UMBC's Michelle Kurowski and Erin Brown. Boston U. and Vermont have not started a rookie this season, and they are also two of the most experienced squads this season.
Home Court Advantage
Hartford has been exceptional on its home court, winning 32 straight contests at Chase Arena, the second-longest streak in Division I. The last time the Hawks lost at Chase Arena was November 29, 2006 to Seton Hall, 53-59. Hartford will play at Chase next on Saturday, January 31, against conference foe Albany.
Boston University reeled off 13 straight home wins and ranked as high as eighth in Division I, but snapped that streak earlier this season. St. John's defeated the Terriers Tuesday, December 30 to give Boston U. its first loss at Case Gymnasium in nearly two years.
On The Glass
Earlier this season, it looked like New Hampshire junior forward Candace Williams and UMBC sophomore forward Meghan Colabella were trying to one-up each other on the glass. Williams set a new career high on December 14 with 15 rebounds in a win against Northeastern. Colabella took it one step further exactly a week later posting up for 16 rebounds. While Williams matched that with 16 rebounds December 29 against Morehead State, Colabella went to another level with a career-high 20 rebounds, a new conference season-high, against Rider on the same day. All four performances were part of double-doubles. The previous 20-rebound performance in America East was by Boston University's Jesyka Burks-Wiley against Stony Brook at the America East Championship on March 11, 2006.
Looking Offensive
Five America East teams reached the 80-point water line the week of December 1 led by New Hampshire's 89 points on Friday night against Colgate. UMBC put up 85 points against Navy on Wednesday for their fifth such performance this season, Binghamton poured in 83 points against Niagara on Monday, Boston University took advantage of Brown for 81 points, and Hartford netted 80 on Saturday against St. Joseph's. All five of those performances resulted in wins for the America East squad.
Doubling Up The Triple-Double
Vermont junior guard Courtnay Pilypaitis completed a feat twice that most players can't accomplish ever in their careers. Pilypaitis recorded her second career triple-double on Saturday, December 6 against Holy Cross with 18 points, 10 assists and 11 rebounds. The junior earned her first triple-double, and the first in Vermont's women's basketball history, last winter against conference-foe Hartford. There have only been three triple-doubles in America East over the past five seasons and Pilypaitis is the owner of two of them. Before the Catamount, the previous one belonged to Boston University's Adrienne Norris in February 2004 against New Hampshire.
Retriever Double Threat
In UMBC's game against Towson on Wednesday, December 3, two Retrievers hit the 30-point mark for what is believed to be only the fifth time ever in Division I history. Junior Carlee Cassidy poured in a career-high 32 points, while her backcourt teammate, freshman Michelle Kurowski posted 30 points. The last time two teammates each scored 30 points in the same game was Purdue's Shereka Wright (34) and Katie Geralds (32) at Iowa on February 10, 2004.
November Report
Now that the first month of the season is complete, it's time to see where the league is in non-conference play to date. America East teams are 18-34 in out-of-conference contests, and have a .500 or above record against six diferent conferences (ACC, Big South, Colonial, MAAC, MAC, MEAC, and Patriot). Last season through three weeks of play, America East had a 22-27 non-conference record and had an even record or better versus 10 leagues.
Pair of Nines
A pair of guards dished out a then-conference-high nine helpers during the week of November 24. Albany guard Britney McGee handed out nine assists in the Great Danes' loss to VCU on Saturday, November 29, and finished just one assist shy of her first career double-double. Twenty-four hours later, freshman Katie Brooks also recorded nine assists in a 92-70 victory over UMES. Brooks finished one assist and three boards shy of a triple-double.
Most Outstanding, Most Impressive
UMBC rookie Katie Brooks earned the Most Outstanding Player award at the Iona Thanksgiving Classic after the Retrievers finished the tournament 2-0. The freshman averaged 18.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.5 blocks per game against Western Michigan and UMES for a stellar performance. In the first game against Western Michigan, Brooks finished with a game-high 23 points, including the final seven points of the first frame to give UMBC a three-point intermission lead. On the second day, she nearly had a triple-double and handed out nine assists, the most helpers by a Retriever since January 2007.
What A Win
The University of Hartford pulled off one of the biggest wins in America East history. On Friday, November 21 at the DePaul Invitational, the Hawks defeated #6/5 Duke, 53-51, for the program's first win over a top ten opponent ever. It was the second time an America East squad upended a top ten opponent, and the highest-ranked victim. University of Maine defeated Alabama, ranked 10 in the AP poll, 75-73, on January 5, 1995.
Free-Throwing Into The Books
The 64 combined fouls in the UMBC-Northern Illinois game on Saturday, November 22, which the Retrievers won, 88-73, was a new NCAA record. The mark knocked off a 22-year old record of 56 combined personal fouls in 1986 between Eastern Michigan and Kent State. UMBC took advantage, hitting 41 of 53 free-throw attempts.