CAMBRIDGE, Mass.-- Senior center Diana Delva (Stamford, Conn./Westhill) from University of Hartford and freshman guard Chantell Alford (West Haven, Conn./Wilbur Cross) from Boston University are the week four recipients of the America East Women's Basketball Player and Rookie of the Week awards, respectively. Both awards are for the period ending December 6.
Delva led Hartford to a pair of comeback victories on the road with high-scoring second halves last week, finishing with averages of 16 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.5 blocks, 1.5 steals, and 1.0 apg, while shooting 77.8% from the field and 80% from the foul line. She began the week with a team-best 17 points at Sacred Heart, 11 of which came in the second half. Delva followed that up on Friday night at St. Joseph's with her second double-double of the season with 15 points and a season-high 13 rebounds. Against the Hawks, 13 of her points came in the second half, including the first six points of the stanza and four points as part of an 18-2 Hartford run. She also added two assists and two steals while tying her career high of five blocks. The senior center ranks first in America East with 57.1% field-goal shooting, tied for first with 8.6 rebounds per game, second with 2.3 blocks per game and 11th with 13.1 points per game.
The rookie is the second straight Terrier to capture the weekly award and post impressive numbers. Alford averaged 14.5 points, 5.0 boards, 2.5 steals, 2.0 blocks and 1.0 assists last week against two Ivy League opponents. She poured in a career-high 19 points against Harvard on Sunday, while also contributing three rebounds, three steals and an assist. Earlier in the week at Brown, she scored 10 points and recorded seven rebounds, a career-high four blocks, two steals and an assist. For the week, she also finished perfect from the free-throw line (5-for-5) and shot 35.5% from the field (11-for-32). Alford is the second-leading freshman scorer in the league with 11.0 ppg - only behind teammate Mo Moran - and is third overall in free-throw percentage (87.5%) and blocked shots (1.3 bpg).
Honor Roll
The best of the rest last week....
Alex Young, Boston U., So., G
25 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.0 apg, 54.5% 3FG, 92.3% FT
Kirsten Jeter, Stony Brook, Jr., F
15.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.5 spg, 2.5 apg
Courtnay Pilypaitis, Vermont, Sr., G
16 ppg, 6.0 apg, 4.0 rpg, 2.0 spg, 62.5% 3FG
Denise Beliveau, New Hampshire, So., F
11.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 4.0 spg, 1.0 apg, 47% FG
Fast Start
The conference currently owns a 29-31 (.483) 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
The first 2009-10 edition of Collegiate Basketball News' RPI Report ranks America East ninth among 33 Division conferences, which can be heavily attributed to the league's strength of schedule, also ranked ninth. The only two non-BCS conferences ranked higher than America East is the Atlantic-10 (7th) and Colonial (8th). 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), Vermont (18) and Boston University (91) are all ranked in the RPI Report's top-100. Additionally, UMBC (145) and New Hampshire (147) give America East five teams in the top-150. They have a combined 10 wins over top-100 teams, including two top-50 squads. 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 November 30. The Catamounts are the 28th team listed, receiving 22 votes, while the Hawks earned seven votes. Additionally, Hartford received 19 votes in the AP Poll this week, up from 12 nods a week ago.
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 (23 of 60) 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 5-5 (.500)
->wins over Dartmouth (x2), Temple, Sacred Heart, Louisville
vs. WNIT Teams 3-10 (.300)
->wins over Central Conn., Harvard, Boston College
vs. All Postseason Teams 8-15 (.348)
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 9.9 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 2.7 bpg
C. Pilypaitis, UVM 19.3 ppg, 5.7 apg, 3.8 spg
M. Kotsopoulos, UVM 17.2 ppg, 2.3 apg, 1.7 spg
C. Cassidy, UMBC 13.9 ppg, 2.7 3FGM, 2.3 apg
D. Delva, UH 13.1 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 2.3 bpg
TV Record
America East is 5-1 so far in televised games this season, splitting a pair of contests last week. Binghamton picked up its first win of the season at Siena on Time Warner Cable Wednesday night, an overtime affair. The lone loss was Vermont's visit to undefeated #1 Connecticut last Thursday night, a match-up broadcast live on Connecticut Public Television (CPTV). Hartford will get its own crack at the intrastate foe this Thursday at the Hartford Civic Center, also on CPTV. The Hawks will play in the second televised game of the week as well as they host Northeastern Sunday afternoon on Connecticut Sports Network (CTSN).
Raining Three's
Vermont's Courtnay Pilypaitis and UMBC's Carlee Cassidy (Syracuse, N.Y./Westhill) are both climbing up the America East record book for three-pointers made. Pilypaitis sits tied for fifth in conference history alongside recent Boston U. graduate Kristi Dini with 208. Cassidy, with 197 long field-goals, is tied for seventh with former Great Dane Jen Schumacher. Pilypaitis and Cassidy, already the all-time leaders at their respective school, the pair are tied for third in the league this year with 2.7 three's per game each.
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. 210, Ashley Underwood, Maine, 03-07
5. 208, Kristi Dini, Boston U., 05-09
208,Courtnay Pilypaitis, Vermont, 06-
7. 197, Jen Schumacher, Albany, 02-06
197, Carlee Cassidy, UMBC, 06-
Helping Hand
Pilypaitis is also among the league's all-time elite in dishing out assists. She handed out 12 assists last week to bring her total to 506, currently fifth all-time. Twelve more will not only move Pilypaitis into fourth-place, but will give her the school's all-time record currently held by Lori Taylor '98 with 517 career assists. Her fourth assist against Manhattan on Saturday was her career 500th, making her the only active player in the league with 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. 554, Christine Kinneary, Boston U., 05-09
4. 517, Lori Taylor, Vermont, 94-98
5. 506, 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 1.6, and five of the next eight are also freshmen or sophomores, including rookies Katelyn Vanderhoff (Lititz, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite) of Maine and Caitlynn Moran (Hopewell Junction, N.Y./John Jay) of Boston U. In field goal percentage, six underclassmen are in the top 15, led by Boston U. sophomore Caroline Stewart (Topsfield, Mass./Masconomet Regional) and Maine sophomore Samantha Wheeler (Plaistow, N.H./Timberlane Regional) in third and fourth, respectively.
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 Once 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 (3-4, 0-0 AE)
UAlbany dropped both of its contests last week against Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference opponents… The Great Danes fell by a 52-41 score to Canisius before being outlasted by Siena, 65-61, in overtime… Sophomore point guard Felicia Johnson (Newport News, Va./Woodside) and freshman forward Julie Forster (Huntington, N.Y./Huntington) led the squad with 10 points apiece against the Golden Griffins, while Johnson and senior guard Charity Iromuanya (Lincoln, Neb./Lincoln Northeast) each netted 14 versus the Saints… Siena has won six of seven meetings since the rivalry was renewed in 2001… Five players have led the team in scoring, while the bench accounts for 26.9 points per contest… Iromuanya averages a team-best 10.1 points per game to go along 5.1 rebounds and 2.7 steals… Ebone Henry (San Diego, Calif./Mater Dei Catholic), a freshman guard, scores at a 9.9 clip and grabs 5.4 boards … Forster pulled down 16 rebounds, which were the most since Danielle Hutcheson accomplished the feat on Feb. 12, 2005, against Siena in her first career start… After nearly averaging a double-double in the two games (8.5 ppg, 11.0 rpg), Forster ended the week leading all America East freshmen in rebounding (7.6 pg) and field goal percentage (.472) … The forward also ranks second in blocked shots (1.1 pg) and steals (2.1 pg) among her classmates … UAlbany, which won its first two games at SEFCU Arena by an average margin of 23 points, begins a three-game homestand with a 2 p.m. matinee against Wagner on Saturday, Dec. 12.
BINGHAMTON BEARCATS (1-5, 0-0 AE)
Senior guard Erica Carter (Naperville, Ill./Naperville) currently has 837 career points. This past week, she surpassed Leala Wegwerth (828 points from 2000-04) and moved into 18th place all-time in program history. Carter is 13 points away from tying Katrina Roggenbaum (1990-04) for 17th place all time with 850 points... Junior guard Jackie Ward (Pittsford, N.Y./Pittsford-Mendon) has now reached double figures in five consecutive games. On Dec. 2 against Siena, she poured in a career-high 26 points. Sophomore guard Andrea Holmes (Memphis, Tenn./Mitchell) added 21 points marking the first time a pair of Bearcat players have reached the 20-point mark in the same game since Jan 18, 2009, when the Bearcats beat Stony Brook, 91-86. Holmes had 32 points while Carter added 21 points in that game… Sophomore forward Viive Rebane (Talinn, Estonia/Audentes School), who grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds in the Bearcats’ game against Niagara on Saturday, is averaging a career-high 7.0 rebounds per game so far this season… Carter now has three career games with at least 20 points, Holmes has reached the mark five times (including twice this season) while Ward’s performance against Siena marked the first time in her career she has reached the 20-point mark.
BOSTON UNIVERSITY TERRIERS (3-4, 0-0 AE)
The Boston University women’s basketball team went 1-1 last week against the Ivy League. It began the week with an impressive 29-point victory over Brown, 87-58, backed by a career-high 33 points from sophomore Alex Young (Hickory, N.C./St. Stephen’s), whose point production was the second highest single-game total in the America East Conference this season. In that contest she went a perfect 8-for-8 from the free-throw line and shot 10-for-15 from the field. She followed that performance up with a 17-point performance at Harvard. Freshman Chantell Alford (West Haven, Conn./Wilbur Cross) also had a big week as she netted a career-high 19 points at Harvard on Sunday, and swatted four blocks at Brown on Wednesday night. The Terriers will complete their tour of the Ivy League on Wednesday night when they travel to Yale for a 5:30 p.m. match-up.
HARTFORD HAWKS (6-1, 0-0 AE)
The Hawks scored a pair of comeback from double digit deficit victories in a two-game week at Sacred Heart and at St. Joseph’s… The Hawks opened the week storming back from a 13-point halftime deficit against the Pioneers, shooting 68 percent in the second half (19-of-28)… Against Sacred Heart, senior Diana Delva (Stamford, Conn./Westhill) led the Hawks with 17 points, 11 of which came in one three-minute span in the second half where she scored on five layups and a free throw… She was one of three players to finish with double figure points with senior Erica Beverly (Bridgeport, Conn./Kolbe Cathedral) and junior Mary Silvia (Reading, Mass./Reading Memorial) each adding 13 point … Hartford then traveled to St. Joseph’s for the second of three-straight road games on Friday night … Hartford trailed by seven at the break and as much as 10 in the second half before using an 18-2 run, which included 12 unanswered points, to retake a lead and force overtime... The Hawks then outscored St. Joseph’s 13-7 in the extra period for their first overtime victory since February of 2006… Hartford's come back was partially made possible by the stellar performance from freshman Daphne Elliott (Fairfield, Conn./Fairfield Warde) who finished with a career-high 21 points, 14 of which came in the second half… Elliott’s 21 points is a season high for all Hartford players and she is the second freshman of the season to score 20 or more points… Delva also shined against St. Joseph’s, compiling her second double-double of the season with 15 points (13 in the second half) and 13 rebounds… The Hawks will play two games in the coming week, at #1 Connecticut on Thursday (7 p.m.) and then hosting Northeastern on Sunday (2 p.m.).
MAINE BLACK BEARS (2-4, 0-0 AE)
Maine traveled to Morgantown where they were defeated in their second-ever trip to the WVU Coliseum, 88-32 by the West Virginia Mountaineers…The Black Bears now have a career record of 9-21 against the powerful Big East… Senior Kristin Baker (Bingham, Maine/Upper Kennebec Valley High School) led the Black Bears with 12 points and also added three steals in the contest… Baker picked up one rebound in the game and now stands just two boards away from 200 in her career… The Black Bears had three scorers with four points, including senior Amanda Tewksbury (Clinton, N.J./North Hunterdon) and sophomore center Samantha Baranowski (Stanhope, N.J./Lenape Valley Regional)… Tewksbury is now one field goal away from 250 in her career and one rebound away from 300, while Baranowski needs just two points to reach 200 as a Black Bear in her sophomore season… Tewksbury also is inching closer and closer to her 100th career game played with the Black Bears as she has appeared in 93 games with Maine… The Black Bears have yet to find a win on the road but will now return home where they hold a winning record at 2-1 and are 158-62 all-time at Alfond Arena… The Black Bears will take on the Delaware Blue Hens on Tuesday night, Dec. 8 with a 7 p.m. tip-off scheduled at Alfond Arena.
UMBC RETRIEVERS (4-3, 0-0 AE)
UMBC split a pair of home games last week… The Retrievers defeated in-state rival Navy, 59-51, on Wednesday… Junior guard Chelsea Barker (Waterville, Maine/Messalonskee) tied her career high with 15 points on a perfect shooting night, going 4-for-4 from the floor, including 3-for-3 from long range, and 4-for-4 from the foul line… Sophomore center Topé Obajolu (Randallstown, Md./Archbishop Carroll) posted her second career double-double with 12 points and a career-high 14 rebounds… Sophomore guard Michelle Kurowski (Hicksville, N.Y./Hicksville) and senior guard Carlee Cassidy (Syracuse, N.Y./Westhill) each scored 17 points in UMBC’s 70-61 loss to Delaware on Saturday… Kurowski added nine rebounds, five assists and two steals… Cassidy, the Retrievers’ career leader in three-pointers, drained four triples and now has 197 in her career, ranking seventh all-time in the America East… Cassidy also became the fifth Retriever ever to eclipse the 1,300-point plateau, and now ranks fourth all-time with 1,325 career points… UMBC has a week off before traveling to cross-town rival Coppin State on Dec. 12 for the first of six straight road games.
NEW HAMPSHIRE (3-4, 0-0 AE)
Last time out the University of New Hampshire women’s basketball team fell to St. Peter's College, 66-47, Saturday afternoon at the Yanitelli Center … Senior Candace Williams (Norfolk, Mass.) and sophomore Denise Beliveau (Framingham, Mass.) led the Wildcats with 15 and 12 points, respectively… The first five minutes of the action opened with both teams trading blows, as a basket by Beliveau at 10:55, knotted the action at 7-7 with 15:55 remaining … Following the stretch, the two squads would continue to trade baskets, until UNH pulled ahead with its largest lead of the game on a basket by Williams at 11:16 to set the score at 17-14… The two squads battled back and forth for the next six minutes of play, in a stretch that featured three ties and six lead changes … The Peahens would catch fire late in the stanza, as a pair of free throws by Jessica Coles at 5:03 sparked a 14-3 run to close out the half, giving the home team a 37-27 advantage at the intermission … Midway through the second frame, the Peahens strung off a 14-2 run that lasted nearly seven minutes, building their largest lead of the contest, with a 55-35 advantage at 10:31… Beliveau snapped the scoring stretch, knocking down three free throws in a one-minute span, to kick off a 9-4 New Hampshire run… Williams capped off the stretch with a three-pointer and a jumper on back-to-back possessions, cutting the Peahens' lead down to 15, setting the score at 59-44 with 4:53 remaining … For New Hampshire, the run was too little too late, as St. Peter's would once again pick up the pieces with five unanswered points, pushing its lead back up to 20, while holding UNH to just three points in the final four minutes of play to preserve the win … In UNH's previous outing, the Wildcats fell short to Seton Hall University, 54-45, Thursday night at Walsh Gymnasium… Junior Jill McDonald (Middlebury, Vt.) tied her career high scoring 17 points, including 11 in the second half… New Hampshire got off to a quick start in the contest, posting a 10-5 run, led by McDonald, who tallied six points during the five minute scoring stretch… Nicole Emery responded to the run with a layup at 15:21, cutting New Hampshire’s lead down to just three, setting the tone for a 10-4 run, capped off with a bucket from Kandice Green with 8:01 remaining, as Seton Hall claimed the lead for the first time in the contest… Seton Hall held a 23-21 advantage at the intermission… Seton Hall started the second half with two quick baskets on ensuing possessions, kicking off a 6-2 run… New Hampshire would strike back midway through the stanza knotting the score at 37-37 with 10:24 remaining… Despite UNH’s late charge, the Pirates took control the rest of the way, holding on to win the game 54-45 … McDonald also added two rebounds, two blocks and steal in the contest … Beliveau scored 10 points, ripped down six rebounds and tied her career high with five steals … Williams chipped in with five points and nine boards.
STONY BROOK SEAWOLVES (2-5, 0-0 AE)
Stony Brook split its games this week, dropping a road contest to Monmouth, 61-45, before winning at home against St. Francis (N.Y.), 71-40… Juniors Kirsten Jeter and Misha Horsey led the way for the Seawolves against Monmouth, both scoring 10 points while Horsey added four assists and three steals… Stony Brook shot 50 percent in the first half but struggled to find its touch in the second, scoring just 16 points… The Seawolves were dominant in their win against St. Francis (N.Y.) leading from wire to wire… Jeter scored a game-high 20 points while senior Joia Daniels (15 points, 10 rebounds) and sophomore Destiny Jacobs (10 points, 11 rebounds) both recorded double-doubles… SBU grabbed 26 offensive rebounds which resulted in 27 second-chance points… The Seawolves also scored 29 points off 22 Terrier turnovers… Senior Crystal Rushin was a solid force off the bench for the Seawolves averaging 6.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game.
VERMONT CATAMOUNTS (5-1, 0-0 AE)
Vermont suffered its first loss of the year at No. 1 Connecticut, 84-42. Senior Courtnay Pilypaitis (Ottawa, Ontario/St. Peter) led Vermont with 20 points and six rebounds against the Huskies. The Catamounts bounced back with a 78-59 win over Manhattan on Saturday... Senior May Kotsopoulos (Waterloo, Ontario/Waterloo Collegiate) led the Catamounts with 17 points and was 4-for-6 from beyond the arc. Pilypaitis added 12 points and 10 rebounds for her second double-double of the year and the sixth of her career with points and assists... Freshman Lauren Buschmann (St. Catharines, Ontario/Governor Simcoe) came off the bench to score 12 points in 13 minutes against the Lady Jaspers. Kotsopoulos moved into ninth place all-time at UVM in scoring (1,294), passing Alex Lawson '97. She also moved into fifth place all-time in three-point field goals (133). Pilypaitis became the second Catamount to hand out 500 assists and is 66 shy of becoming the all-time assist leader at Vermont. She joins former standout Lori Taylor '98 with 500-plus assists. Taylor is UVM's all-time leader with 571 and was inducted into the UVM Athletic Hall of Fame in October. Vermont continues a stretch of four games in seven days on Monday (Dec. 7) at Holy Cross and on Wednesday (Dec. 9) at UMass.