CAMBRIDGE, Mass.-- University of Vermont senior guard May Kotsopoulos (Waterloo, Ontario/Waterloo Collegiate) took home her first America East Player of the Week award of the season after a busy week. Another guard, freshman Caitlynn Moran (Hopewell Junction, N.Y./John Jay) of Boston University, claimed her second Rookie of the Week accolade of her young career.
At the end of a tough stretch of games for Vermont, including four games in seven days, Kotsopoulos played consistently well, leading the team in scoring in all three contests last week. In the two mid-week games on the road and one home contest, the senior guard averaged 22.7 points, 2.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.0 steals, while shooting 51.1 percent (23-for-35) from the field, 44.4 percent (8-for-18) from three-point land and 87.5 percent (14-for-16) from the charity stripe.
Kotsopoulos opened the week by matching her career high of 29 points at Holy Cross and shooting 10-for-19. She added two rebounds, three steals and one assist against the Crusaders. Continuing the road trip at Massachusetts, she netted 19 points with three assists, two steals and one rebound. To finish the week, Kotsopoulos led the Catamounts with 20 points, three rebounds, three assists and one steal, shooting at least 50 percent from the field for the third straight game. Kotsopoulos also became the fifth Catamount to register 200 steals, now with 204 swipes for her career. This is her third career Player of the Week honor and the first of the season. The senior currently leads the conference in scoring with 19.0 ppg.
The rookie averaged 19.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.5 steals last week in two games. Moran also shot 50 percent (12-for-24) from the field, 60 percent (3-for-5) from three-point range and 73.3 (11-for-15) percent from the foul line. She led the Terriers in both games, scoring 18 points at Yale and 20 points against Marist. Against the Bulldogs she also finished with seven rebounds, three assists and three steals while knocking down nine of her 12 free-throw attempts. On Saturday against the Red Foxes, Moran added three rebounds and five assists to her team-leading point total, shooting 8-for-14 from the field. This is the freshman's second weekly honor this season and it is the third straight week the Rookie of the Week honor has gone to a Terrier. Moran is sixth in America East with 14.4 points per game and is fourth with 4.0 assists per game.
Honor Roll
The best of the rest last week....
Diana Delva, Hartford, Sr., C
17.0 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 1.5 apg, 66.7% FG
Joia Daniels, Stony Brook, Sr., F
17.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 3.5 apg, 3.0 spg
Charity Iromuanya, Albany, Sr., G
17.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 1.0 apg, 4.0 spg
Kristin Baker, Maine, Sr., G
10.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 5.5 apg, 1.5 spg
Fast Start
The conference currently owns a 34-42 (.447) record in non-conference action against some of the toughest competition in the country. The last time America East finished with a non-conference record higher than .500 was during the 2005-06 when the league finished with a 66-50 record (.569).
America East In The RPI Report
This week's edition of Collegiate Basketball News' RPI Report ranks America East 12th among 33 Division conferences, which can be heavily attributed to the league's strength of schedule, which ranked ninth-toughest in the country. The only three non-FBS conferences ranked higher than America East is the Atlantic-10 (7th), Colonial (8th) and Missouri Valley (10th). America East teams have a combined 9-7 record against those three leagues. The highest the conference has been ranked in the final RPI is 11th in 2005-06. Last season when the league tied a record with three teams in the postseason, America East finished with an RPI rank of 24.
The Teams In The RPI Report
Hartford (11) and Vermont (33) are ranked in the RPI Report's top 100. They are followed by Boston University (153), UMBC (204) and Binghamton (207) as the conference's top five teams in the rankings. In 2005-06, the league had three teams - Hartford, Stony Brook and Boston U. - complete the season in the top-100.
Poll Position
Both Vermont and Hartford are receiving votes in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches' Top-25 Poll released on December 8. The Hawks are the 28th team listed, receiving 24 votes, while the Catamounts earned eight votes. Additionally, Hartford received 12 votes in the AP Poll released December 14.
Against The Best
To get into postseason tournaments - and then succeed in them - you must compete against the best teams. Nearly half of the league's non-conference games this year (30 of 76) have been against teams which qualified for the NCAA or WNIT postseason tournaments last season. Below is how the league has fared against those teams.
vs. NCAA Teams 5-9 (.357)
->wins over Dartmouth (x2), Temple, Sacred Heart, Louisville
vs. WNIT Teams 3-13 (.188)
->wins over Central Conn., Harvard, Boston College
vs. All Postseason Teams 8-22 (.267)
Nine of a Kind
Binghamton senior guard Erica Carter (Naperville, Ill./Naperville) tied an all-time conference single-game record last Monday at Bryant with nine three-pointers. The nine three's, a school record, tied former Great Dane Jen Schumacher who achieved the feat against conference foe Vermont in 2005, and was part of Carter's 35-point performance.
Star Tracker
Throughout the season, we will track the statistics of the five players named to the preseason all-conference team by the coaches.
Player, Team Key Stats
E. Beverly, UH 9.0 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 2.8 bpg, 1.7 spg
C. Pilypaitis, UVM 15.8 ppg, 5.6 apg, 3.0 spg
M. Kotsopoulos, UVM 19.0 ppg, 46.3% fg, 1.8 spg
C. Cassidy, UMBC 13.4 ppg, 2.5 3fgm, 30.8% 3fg
D. Delva, UH 14.0 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 2.0 bpg, 59.5% fg
TV Record
America East is 7-2 so far in televised games this season, going 2-1 last week. The only two losses have come to top-ranked Connecticut on CPTV. The two wins last week came when Vermont beat Holy Cross in Worcester on local station WCTR, and Hartford outlasted Northeastern on Sunday afternoon on Connecticut Sports Network (CTSN). Just one television game is on tap for this week. When Hartford visits Marist on Saturday night, the 7:30 p.m. match-up will air live on Time Warner channel 6.
Clawing Away
A pair of Wildcats are clawing their way to 1,000 career points, both within striking distance. Senior forward Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass./St. Raphael) and senior guard Amy Simpson (Waterford, Conn./Waterford) have 974 and 915 career points, respectively, and the teammates could be the next two America East players to conquer the career milestone. Williams is averaging 11.9 points this season, while Simpson is the team's fourth-highest scorer with 5.1 points per game.
Raining Three's
Vermont's Courtnay Pilypaitis (Ottawa, Ontario/St. Peter) and UMBC's Carlee Cassidy (Syracuse, N.Y./Westhill) are both climbing up the America East record book for three-pointers made. Pilypaitis moved into fourth in conference history, eight behind the all-time leading scorer Cindy Blodgett, who finished her career with 219. Cassidy, with 198 long field-goals, moved into seventh place past former Great Dane Jen Schumacher. Cassidy and Pilypaitis, already the all-time leaders at their respective schools, are second and fourth in the league rankings this year with 2.5 and 2.1 three-pointers per game.
All-Time Three-Point Field Goals Made
1. 245, Melissa Kowalski, Northeastern, 00-04
2. 222, MaryLynne Schaefer, Hartford, 05-09
3. 219, Cindy Blodgett, Maine, 94-98
4. 211, Courtnay Pilypaitis, Vermont, 06-
5. 210, Ashley Underwood, Maine, 03-07
6. 208, Kristi Dini, Boston U., 05-09
7. 198, Carlee Cassidy, UMBC, 06-
8. 197, Jen Schumacher, Albany, 02-06
Helping Hand
Pilypaitis is also among the league's all-time elite in dishing out assists. She handed out 16 assists in three games last week to bring her total to 522, currently fifth all-time. Recent Boston University graduate Christine Kinneary is the next player on the list with 554 career helpers in fourth place. Pilypaitis' 500th assist earlier this season made her the first-ever America East player to reach 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 500 assists.
All-Time Assists
1. 759, Amy Vachon, Maine, 96-00
2. 605, Maureen DiJulia, Hartford, 94-99
3. 571, Lori Taylor, Vermont, 94-98
4. 554, Christine Kinneary, Boston U., 05-09
5. 522, Courtnay Pilypaitis, Vermont, 06-
6. 487, Cindy Blodgett, Maine, 94-98
7. 475, Andrea Higgins, Boston U., 89-93
Playing Up
Blowing up expectations, underclassmen around the league are playing older than they actually are in areas of the game that usually plague younger players. In assist/turnover ratio, UMBC sophomore Katie Brooks (Maryville, Tenn./Heritage) tops the list at 1.5, and four of the next eight are also freshmen or sophomores, including rookie Caitlynn Moran (Hopewell Junction, N.Y./John Jay) of Boston U. In field goal percentage, eight underclassmen are in the top 15, led by Boston U. sophomore Caroline Stewart (Topsfield, Mass./Masconomet Regional) in third with a mark of 50.9 percent.
Dead River Returns
University of Maine held its 17th annual Dead River Company Classic earlier this year in what is the longest running regular season tournament hosted by an America East school. Initiated in 1993-94 under head coach Joanne Palombo-McCallie, the Dead River Company Classic is always held early in the season and attracts prominent programs such as Florida, Oklahoma State, Wisconsin, Georgia and Clemson. The Black Bears defeated Buffalo, 58-53 in the consolation game this year, while Penn State took the tournament title with 52-48 win over Holy Cross on Saturday.
Hartford Downs Ranked Foe Again
In what is becoming a common occurrance, Hartford defeated a ranked opponent when the Hawks upended #19/23 Louisville, 62-50 Tuesday night (11/17) at Chase Arena. It was the fifth straight season Hartford has defeated a team ranked nationally. Below is a breakdown of those victories.
November 17, 2009 62-50, #19/23 Louisville
November 21, 2008 53-51, #5/6 Duke
December 22, 2007 54-51, #23 Michigan State
December 2, 2006 60-43, #23/22 BYU
March 19, 2006 64-58, #23 Temple
Returning Champs Are Back At It
Eight months removed from their America East Championship in March, Vermont is back to doing what they've been doing best - winning. The Catamounts opened the season winning the tournament title at the Sheraton Raleigh Wolfpack Invitational hosted by NC State. UVM beat the MAC's Western Michigan by a 79-65 score Friday night (11/13), then beat host NC State, 52-47, on Saturday night (11/14). Senior guards May Kotsopoulos (Waterloo, Ontario/Waterloo Collegiate) and Courtnay Pilypaitis (Ottawa, Ontario/St. Peter) were both named to the all-tournament team, with Kotsopoulos earning MVP honors.
Back In The Game
The 2008 Rookie of the Year Denise Beliveau (Framingham, Mass./Framingham) of University of New Hampshire is back for her sophomore season after a season-long hiatus due to injury. Out to prove that the time away from the court won't cause a sophomore slump, the 5-foot-11 forward powered the Wildcats to a season-opening win over St. Joseph's with 21 points, nine rebounds and two assists. As a rookie she averaged 10 points, 6.2 rebounds, two assists and two steals per game.
Class Act
Vermont's May Kotsopoulos, a business administration major with a GPA of 3.67, was named one of 30 candidates for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Women's Basketball Award. She is the two-time Women's Basketball Scholar-Athlete and was the team MVP for the America East champion Catamounts. Kotosopoulos is the second straight Catamount to be selected as a candidate for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Women's Basketball Award. Former standout Amy Rosenkrantz '09 earned the honor last season.
Wooden Award
University of Hartford's Erica Beverly (Bridgeport, Conn./Kolbe Cathedral) was named a preseason candidate for the John R. Wooden Award, the most prestigious award in college basketball. Beverly was one of 31 candidates announced over the summer. These players and others who excel throughout the season will be evaluated and considered for December’s midseason list and the official ballot released in March. She finished her junior year averaging 11.1 ppg and led the team at 7.2 rpg, while being named to the America East All-Conference First Team and to the All-Defensive Team. She also led the team in blocked shots with 61, on the way becoming the school’s all-time shot blocker. Beverly also finished second on the team with 68 assists.
Good Things Come In TV Packages
During the regular season, America East, in partnership with ESPN Regional Television, will produce 14 games, which will be distributed among regional sports networks and local carriers. Eric Frede returns as the play-by-play announcer for America East basketball. Frank Sullivan, who coached in the ranks for 33 years, returns for his third season as men’s basketball color analyst. Leah Secondo, a veteran of America East television productions, is the color analyst for women’s basketball games.
The conference television slate begins Jan. 2 when Stony Brook battles Boston University on MSG and NESN at Case Gym, site of last year’s four-overtime thriller between the two schools. In women’s action, Vermont will host Hartford on Jan. 26 on NESN in a rematch of a 2009 semifinal game.
Both America East Championship games will be aired live on Saturday, March 13. The men’s title bout will take place at 12 p.m. on ESPN2, marking the 23rd straight year the conference championship has been nationally televised. The women’s championship contest will be televised on Comcast Sports Net at 8 p.m. All four semifinal contests will be aired regionally on Sunday, March 7 from Hartford’s Chase Arena, site of the 2010 America East Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championship Presented by Newman's Own.
As result of a partnership with Pack Network, each of the conference-produced games will also be streamed and available for free at AmericaEast.tv, the league’s new home for live webcasts. First-round and quarterfinal action from the America East Men’s & Women’s Championship will also be aired on the new site.
Coming To A TV Near You
America East will produce four episodes of America East On Campus, a 30-minute magazine show devoted to showcasing the conference’s best and brightest student-athletes. The fifth-year show, which will air on regional sports networks including NESN beginning in January, is hosted by Frede, who produces the show along with his Cod Rock Media Productions partner, Dan Hannigan.
A Return To Familiar Ground
For the first time in the league’s history, the 2010 America East Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships will be held in a combined tournament format at the University of Hartford’s 3,508-seat Chase Arena in West Hartford, Conn. March 4-7, 2010. The first, quarterfinal and semifinal rounds for both the men and women will be held at the combined tournament, while the title games will both be held the following weekend at the site of highest seeds remaining.
Both first round games will be held Thursday, March 4, while the women’s quarterfinals will follow on Friday, March 5. The men’s quarterfinals will be scheduled for Saturday, March 6 and both the men’s and women’s semifinal tilts will take place Sunday, March 7. The highest seeds remaining in both the men’s and women’s tournament will host the championship games on Saturday, March 13.
Newman's Own Signs Title Sponsorship
The America East Conference, the University of Hartford and Newman's Own, Inc. announced at this year's Media Day that Newman's Own, Inc. will serve as the title sponsor of the 2010 America East Men's and Women's Basketball Championship. The Championship trio of America East, University of Hartford and Newman's Own, Inc. will announce a plan later this year that will further cultivate the principles of community service, education and leadership among students from the nine conference campuses.
ALBANY GREAT DANES (4-4, 0-0 AE)
UAlbany defeated Wagner by a 63-56 score to even its record in its only game last week… The Great Danes improved to 3-0 at SEFCU Arena this season for the first time as a Division I program, outscoring their opponents by a margin of 17.7 points in those games… The squad ended the week leading the league in scoring defense (58.0 ppg) and steals (11.4 pg)… Senior guard Charity Iromuanya (Lincoln, Neb./Lincoln Northeast) filled up the box score in the victory and accounted for 17 points, eight rebounds and four steals… The senior leads the team in scoring with 11.0 points per game and ranks second in the league in steals (2.9 pg)… Freshman forward Julie Forster (Huntington, N.Y./Huntington) registered her first career double-double on 11 points and 11 rebounds in her second straight start… She also blocked two shots, which was a game high… Forster leads all America East freshmen in rebounding (8.0 pg), a mark which is fourth overall in the league, and is among the top three in her class in field goal percentage (.448), steals (2.0 pg) and blocked shots (1.3 pg)… In addition to being a perfect 3-0 at home, the Great Danes are also unbeaten at 3-0 against opponents they lost to during the 2008-09 season… UAlbany will look to reverse last year’s 69-54 decision against Army when the Black Knights visit SEFCU Arena on Saturday, Dec. 12 at 2 p.m.
BINGHAMTON BEARCATS (2-6, 0-0 AE)
Senior guard Erica Carter (Naperville, Ill./Naperville) poured in a career-high 35 points in Binghamton’s game against Bryant on Dec. 7. The 35 points by Carter ties for the fourth-best in school history. It was also the highest total since Sarah Cartmill had 35 points against Hartford on Feb. 17, 2002. In addition, Carter's nine three-pointers was a school record… Carter had 27 of her points in the first half as the Bearcats raced out to a 53-31 lead. The 53 points scored by Binghamton is the highest one-half total since the program moved up to the NCAA Division I level in 2001. The old mark was 51 vs. Northeastern (in the second half) on Jan. 29, 2005… Against Bryant, Carter became the first Binghamton player to score at least 20 points in back-to-back games since Laine Kurpniece during the 2007-08 season. The 35 points by Carter ties Cartmill for the Bearcats' highest single-game total during the programs' nine-year Division I era ...Carter moves into 15th place all time in program history with 872 career points. She is 46 points away from tying Jen Gaeta (1992-94) for 14th place all time… Also against Bryant, sophomore point guard Andrea Holmes (Memphis, Tenn./Mitchell) added nine points, six rebounds and a career-high 11 assists. That represents the highest total by a Binghamton player since Bess Greenberg dished out 11 assists against Lehigh on Feb. 17, 2001 (the year before Binghamton became a NCAA Division I program).
BOSTON UNIVERSITY TERRIERS (3-6, 0-0 AE)
The Boston University women’s basketball team rounded out a tough three-game road stretch of the Ivy League last week as it dropped a close 61-57 contest at Yale on Wednesday, Dec. 9. Freshman Caitlynn Moran led the way with 18 points, backed by a strong performance from the charity stripe, where she netted nine made free throws. On Sunday, the Terriers hosted Marist – their sixth top-100 opponent of the season, and kept the game close, however, the Red Foxes pulled away for an 81-73 decision. In that game, three Terriers reached double figures, led by Moran’s 20-point performance. Classmate Chantell Alford (West Haven, Conn./Wilbur Cross) put together a strong performance with 18 points, six rebounds, five assists, five blocks and two steals. BU will enjoy a 16-day break and return to the floor on Dec. 28 when it heads to Philadelphia, Pa., for the Saint Joseph's Hawk Classic. It will face South Carolina on the first day of the tourney and tip-off is slated for 4 p.m.
HARTFORD HAWKS (7-2, 0-0 AE)
The Hawks finished a two game week 1-1 with a loss to the nation’s best, Connecticut, and a home win over Northeastern in extra time… Against the #1 Huskies, Hartford was led by senior Diana Delva (Stamford, Conn./Westhill) who finished with 13 points on 4-of-7 from the field and 5-of-6 at the free throw line… The highlight against the #1 team in the nation came with the first of four rebounds for senior Erica Beverly (Bridgeport, Conn./Kolbe Cathedral), which allowed her to pass Heather Weindorfer to become the all-time leading rebounder in school history… The Hawks then welcomed the Colonial Athletic Association’s Huskies to West Hartford for the second battle between the Hawks and Huskies of the week, scoring a 68-63 overtime win, the second win in extra time this season… Three players finished in double figures against Northeastern, led by Delva who compiled her third double double of the season with 21 points and 14 rebounds, both season highs for the forward/center… Following her was rookie Alex Hall (Pembroke, N.H./Pembroke Academy) who finished with 17 points, scoring in double figures for the second time in her short career… The two combined to shoot 16-of-22, both shooting better than 70 percent in the game… Delva finished 10-of-14 form the field, after opening the game a perfect 6-of-6 in the first half… Hall put up a season best five three points, finishing the game 6-of-8 from the field, finishing three points shy of her career high in scoring… Rounding out the leading scorers was junior Mary Silvia (Reading, Mass./Reading Memorial) who finished with 10 points, her third game in double figures since returning to the lineup five games ago… The Hawks will play a single game in the next week, on the road at Marist on Saturday, December 19 at 7:30 p.m.
MAINE BLACK BEARS (2-6, 0-0 AE)
Maine fell on a last second shot to Delaware 52-50 and dropped a road contest to Quinnipiac 68-59… The Black Bears set a number of career highs on the week… Senior Kristin Baker (Bingham, Maine/Bingham) tied her assist mark with nine against the Blue Hens… Senior Katia Bratishko (Annandale, Va./Flint Hill) led the team in scoring against Delaware with a new career mark of 14 points… She also set a new career high in rebounds against Quinnipiac… Senior Amanda Tewksbury (Clinton, N.J./North Hunterdon) tallied the team’s second double-double against Delaware with 13 points and 12 boards… Baker scored 14 second half points enroute to a career high 17 in Saturday’s loss.
UMBC RETRIEVERS (4-4, 0-0 AE)
UMBC lost to cross-town rival Coppin State, 55-54, in its only game of the week… Sophomore guard Michelle Kurowski (Hicksville, N.Y./Hicksville) posted her third double-double of the season with 11 points and 10 rebounds… Sophomore guards Katie Brooks (Maryville, Tenn./Heritage) and Erin Brown (Bethesda, Md./Walt Whitman) also netted 11 points apiece… Senior guard Carlee Cassidy (Syracuse, N.Y./Westhill) had 10 points, giving the Retrievers four players in double figures for the fourth time this season… Junior forward Meghan Colabella (Upper Montclair, N.J./Montclair) added nine points and 11 boards… UMBC’s first seven field goals came from long distance, and the Retrievers did not hit a two-point attempt until just 1:05 remained in the first half… The Retrievers finished with 10 triples, including three apiece by Brown, Colabella and Kurowski… Four Retrievers are averaging double figures in scoring, and all four rank in the top 20 in the America East… UMBC is the only team in the conference with four players averaging double digits… Kurowski ranks in the top three in the league in both scoring (16.8 ppg) and rebounding (8.8 rpg)… Cassidy is UMBC’s fourth all-time leading scorer with 1,335 career points… The Retrievers have a week off before taking on cross-town rival Loyola on Sunday, Dec. 20.
NEW HAMPSHIRE (3-5, 0-0 AE)
Last time out the University of New Hampshire women’s basketball team fell to Central Connecticut State University, 60-48, Thursday night at Lundholm Gymnasium… Junior Jill McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.) scored 12 points, tallied six rebounds, two assists and two blocks, earning America East Player of the Game honors for UNH … The two squads tipped off the action trading baskets, until UNH strung off a 6-0 run, sparked by a McDonald jumper at 11:57 that gave the Wildcats the early 11-10 lead… New Hampshire capped off the stretch with a pair of jumpers by Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.) and McDonald, pushing its lead to five, with the score 15-10 at 10:15… CCSU would fire back with a 6-0 run of its own, holding a 16-15 advantage over the ‘Cats… Emily Rose hit the go-ahead bucket for CCSU on a jumper at the 9-minute mark, giving the Blue Devils their first lead in nearly three minutes… Kelley Flynn (Hopinkton, N.H.) and Diamon Beckford (Philadelphia, Pa.) answered the call for the Wildcats, scoring back-to-back baskets pushing the score to 20-16 with 6:28 remaining… The Blue Devils were once again quick to respond, as Alexzandria Dowdy rebuttaled with a three-pointer of her own on the ensuing possession, sparking a 6-1 run, giving CCSU a 24-22 lead with 3:08 remaining… However, UNH would enter the half up 33-29 after Denise Beliveau (Framingham, Mass) nailed a buzzer beater to close out the stanza… The Blue Devils kicked off the second stanza with back-to-back three-pointers on ensuing possessions, giving the visitors the 35-33 advantage with 18:46 remaining … The quick start would be a tale of things to come for CCSU, as they closed out the game with a 17-6 run that built its lead up to 12 and proved to be too much of a burden for New Hampshire to overcome … Beliveau added six points, seven boards, three assists and two steals in the loss… Lauren Wells (West Chester, Pa.) chipped in with five points, five assists and four rebounds.
STONY BROOK SEAWOLVES (2-7, 0-0 AE)
Stony Brook dropped a pair of tightly contested games, losing to Fairfield 65-49 and Dartmouth 77-72… The Seawolves dug themselves into early holes in both games, but battled back outscoring their opponents in the second half of each game… Senior Joia Daniels (Silver Spring, Md.) scored a career-high 20 points in the loss to Fairfield… She was 9-for-17 from the field and added three assists and three steals… Against Dartmouth she scored 15 on 50% shooting while tying her career-best for assists with four… SBU scored more field goals, had more assists and steals and fewer turnovers than the Stags, but Fairfield made 15 more free throws… The Seawolves shot 57.6% in the second half against Dartmouth as they outscored the Big Green 45-38… SBU had a chance to tie the game with six seconds remaining but freshman Amanda Corona’s three-point attempt bounced off the front of the rim… Corona scored a career-high eight points and fellow freshman Taylor Burner also set a career high with nine points.
VERMONT CATAMOUNTS (7-2, 0-0 AE)
Vermont went 2-1 on the week with a pair of victories over Holy Cross (78-56) and UMass (57-38) on the road, while suffering its second loss of the season to Oklahoma State (68-63) at Patrick Gymnasium. Senior May Kotsopoulos (Waterloo, Ontario/Waterloo Collegiate) averaged 22.7 points and shot 51.1 percent from the field on the week. She scored a career-high 29 points, including draining five three-pointers, to lead UVM past the Crusaders. Kotsopoulos collected three steals against Holy Cross to become the fifth Catamount with 200-plus career steals. Freshman Kendra Seto (Oshawa, Ontario/Eastdale C.V.I.) averaged 13 points and seven rebounds in three games for the Catamounts. She added a career-high 17 points in the win over Holy Cross and was one rebound shy of her first career double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds in the victory over UMass. Vermont used a stifling defense to smother UMass and hold the Minutewomen to 38 points. The Catamounts committed just four turnovers to set a new school record for fewest miscues in a game. Against Oklahoma State, the game was tied at 59 with 6:16 remaining, but the Cowgirls went on a 9-3 run to close the game and pull out the victory. OSU was the first Big 12 school to play at Patrick Gym in the program's history and the Catamounts will also play Nebraska on Jan. 4 at Patrick. Kotsopoulos and backcourt mate Courtnay Pilypaitis are one of five duos in the country to average 17 points or more on the same team. Pilypaitis moved into fourth all-time among America East three-point leaders (211). UVM is 37-12 versus non-conference opponents on its home court.