CAMBRIDGE, Mass.-- New Hampshire senior forward Denise Beliveau (Framingham, Mass./Framingham) is the Player of the Week as announced on Jan. 2, while University of Hartford freshman guard Amber Bepko (Guilford, Conn./Mercy) picks up her first Rookie of the Week honor. Both Beliveau and Bepko helped their teams go 1-1 last week before heading into America East play today.
Beliveau averaged 18 points and 7.5 rebounds per game in two contests at the Iowa State Cyclone Challenge last week. She also picked up 3.0 steals per game and finished 5-for-8 from three-point range.
Beliveau poured in a season-high 24 points and collected a team-high 12 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the season in the consolation win against NJIT. The senior went 8-for-14 from the floor and 3-for-4 from long range as her sharp-shooting efforts fueled the Wildcats' rally after an early deficit. Beliveau halted an NJIT run with eight straight points, including back-to-back three-pointers. She also added two steals and an assist.
Against Iowa State the night before, Beliveau tallied 12 points to go along with three rebounds and four steals. she hit 2-of-4 three-pointers and finished 5-for-15 from the field.
Beliveau ranks sixth with 12.8 points per game and fourth with 8.4 rebounds per game this season.
Bepko finished the two-game week averaging 9.0 points 2.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game, and shooting 53.3 percent from the floor and 50 percent from long-range.
In a win over Harvard, Bepko finished with 10 points, three rebounds, four steals and an assist while shooting 5-for-10. She followed that up with eight points on 3-of-5 shooting and two rebounds in the final non-conference game of the season against Providence.
Bepko, who has started all 14 of Hartford's games this season, is fourth on the team with 5.9 points per game.
Progress Report
The conference stands at 53-64 (.453) this season. The latest RPI Report from RPIratings.com drops America East from 11th to 14th out of 33 conferences, but five teams are ranked in the top 200. New Hampshire made a jump of 13 spots up to 196 as it enters league play with a 7-5 record. Hartford is the top-rated America East team at 46.
Conference Rankings America East Teams
1. Big 12 46. Hartford (9-5)
2. Big East 146. Boston U. (7-6)
3. Big Ten 147. UMBC (6-7)
4. SEC 157. Albany (6-7)
5. Pac-12 196. New Hampshire (7-5)
6. ACC 232. Binghamton (6-7)
7. Colonial 234. Vermont (6-7)
8. West Coast 235. Stony Brook (3-10)
9. Atlantic 10 326. Maine (3-10)
10. Missouri Valley
11. Summit
12. Mid-American
13. Horizon
14. America East
15. Ivy
Against The Best
Among the league's 117 non-conference games, 41 were against teams that advanced to a 2011 postseason tournament. America East is 17-24 against those teams with Boston U. picking up a win over an NCAA participant last week. Most of those wins have come against WNIT participants as the league owns a 10-7 record against those teams. America East is 4-16 against NCAA teams, with victories coming at Central Florida (Hartford), against Marist (Boston U.) and Navy (UMBC, Boston U.). The league is also 3-1 against the WBI field.
The Second Season
Eight teams will open conference play on Monday, Jan. 2. Seeding for the 2012 America East Championship March 1-4 will be based on regular-season standings. Also, for the third straight year, the highest remaining seed will earn the chance to host the America East Championship final on its home court. The first day of America East play features one tournament quarterfinal rematch from last season as Hartford will host Albany at 7p.
On Top At The End
The America East Women's Basketball Champion has been either the one or two seed in the conference tournament 20 times in 27 years. Additionally, in 24 out of the 27 years of the tournament, the champion has been one of the top three seeds, making regular-season play crucial for championship hopes. Providing even further motivation, the highest seeded team remaining will host the America East Championship final in 2012 for the third straight year.
TV Guide
Three conference games will be televised this weekend, including two on Saturday. UMBC at Maine at noon will air on local network WABI Channel 5, while Vermont at Hartford will be broadcast throughout Connecticut on CPTV Sports beginning at 2p. Finally, Sunday's Albany at Stony Brook matchup at 5p will be television on Cablevision on Long Island.
Happy To Be Home
America East teams are 26-17 (.605) overall this season on home courts. Three teams remain undefeated at home through the completion of non-conference play, including Hartford who moved to 6-0 at Chase Arena with a win over Harvard last week. Boston U. and Albany are both 4-0 on their homecourts.
Reed's Hot Hand
University of New Hampshire junior Cari Reed found her shooter's touch Dec. 6 against Harvard. The guard exploded for a then-league-high 32 points including a school-record eight three-pointers. The eight treys marks the highest number of made shots from downtown by an America East player since Binghamton's Erica Carter's conference-record nine on Dec. 7, 2009. Reed tied three others for the second-highest single-game three-point field goals made in America East history.
Playing With The Big Boys
Hartford and Boston U. each upended Boston College during a three-day span, Dec. 10 and Dec. 13. It was the Hawks' first win over the Eagles in program history, and the Terriers' first over their crosstown rivals since 1990. The wins marked the league's first over an ACC team this season, and the first since Vermont's two wins against the ACC (vs. Boston College, NC State) in 2009-10. The victories wer also the second and third win for an America East team over a Big 6 Conference team this season. Boston U. defeated Providence out of the Big East on Nov. 11.
Join The Club
Sat. Dec. 3 marked a special day for three players who all reached the 1,000 point milestone within hours of one another. New Hampshire senior Denise Beliveau first hit the mark against Holy Cross, followed by UMBC senior Erin Brown against Princeton. Boston U. junior Chantell Alford tallied her 1,000th career point in the first half against West Virginia. Alford is the first junior to accomplish the feat since UMBC's Michelle Kurowski and Binghamton's Andrea Holmes each scored their 1,000th points last January. Binghamton senior Viive Rebane became the most recent to hit the mark last week at St. Peter's College. The league now has seven active 1,000-point scorers, the highest number of active members since there were 10 during the 2009-10 season.
Going National
The America East announced a national broadcast package last week that made league history. First, a five-year deal with ESPN includes a minimum of 47 national appearances for the league's men's and women's basketball programs on ESPN platforms, the most in conference history. The package includes seven women's hoops games on ESPN3, including the America East Championship semifinals and final. The league also signed a contract with CBS Sports Network, putting five America East basketball games on national television. A February 19 matchup between UMBC and Hartford at Chase Family Arena will mark the first-ever nationally televised conference women's basketball game.
America East Women's Basketball
TV Package
Jan. 25 Boston U. at UMBC (ESPN3)
Feb. 1 Vermont at Boston U. (ESPN3)
Feb. 11 Binghamton at Hartford (ESPN3)
Feb. 19 UMBC at Hartford (CBS Sports Network)
Feb. 25 Boston U. at Hartford (ESPN3)
March 4 America East Semifinals (ESPN3)
TBD America East Championship (ESPN3)
Team Notebooks:
Albany (6-7, 0-0 AE) dropped two games at the FIU Sun & Fun Classic in Miami, Fla., in the Great Danes' final games before the New Year... Albany lost to the host Panthers 69-56,on Thursday before falling in the consolation round, 61-59, to Charlotte... In the second game against the 49ers, junior guard Ebone Henry (San Diego, Calif./Mater Dei Catholic) scored a game-high 26 points en route to being named to the all-tournament team. Henry was the catalyst in an Albany comeback in the game, scoring seven straight points for the Great Danes in the second half... Julie Forster (Huntington, N.Y./Huntington) led all players with 12 rebounds, and was just short of a double-double with nine points... In the opener against FIU, senior guard Cassandra Callaway (Bayonne, N.J./Bayonne) scored a team-high 11 points... Junior Lindsey Lowrie (Bay Village, Ohio/Bay) has become a key figure for the Great Danes as of late, scoring eight points versus FIU and adding 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the floor against Charlotte... As a team, the Great Danes shot 41.7-percent (25-60) versus the 49ers, and accumulated 20 steals in two games... Albany will kick off America East Conference play on Monday at Hartford before hosting UMBC on Wednesday.
Senior point guard Andrea Holmes (Memphis, Tenn./Mitchell) and senior forward Viive Rebane (Talinn, Estonia/Audantes) were named to the St. Peter's Holiday Classic All-Tournament Team. The two-day event was held Dec. 28-29 and Binghamton (6-7, 0-0 AE) was the runner-up to Dayton... Rebane now has 1,018 career points, which ties Helene Thomas for 13th place all time in program history. In 12th place is Jen Blues (2002-06) with 1,019 points... Holmes now has 1,290 points which continues to rank fourth all time in Binghamton history. Holmes also reached the 500 rebound and 400 assist career milestones last week... Senior guard Orla O’Reilly (Cork, Ireland/Ursuline School) finished the tournament with 14.0 points per game... Binghamton opens up its 11th season in the America East Conference against Maine on Jan. 2 at the Events Center. It marks the third straight season that the Bearcats have opened up the conference schedule on their home floor.
The Terriers (7-6, 0-0 AE) played three games in three days for first time since the 1990-91 campaign when they participated in the three-day Holiday Classic in Orlando, Fla.... Boston U. went 1-2 on the weekend...Both of Boston U.'s games in the Fordham tournament were against opponents the program had never faced (Coppin State and Navy)...Boston U.'s game at St. John's was the third game against a BIG EAST opponent this season. Boston U. went 1-2 this season against the BIG EAST (defeated Providence on Nov. 11, 65-62 and lost to WVU on Dec. 3, 78-53)... Senior Caroline Stewart (Topsfield, Mass./Masconomet Regional) was named to the Fordham Holiday Classic All-Tournament team as she averaged 8.0 points and 7.5 rebounds in the Terriers' two games... Boston U. ends non-conference play with a 7-6 record.
The Hawks (9-5, 0-0 AE) split their final two non-conference defeating Harvard (72-61) on their home court before falling to Providence (46-63) on the road on New Year's Eve... In the win over Harvard, junior forward Nikkia Smith (Montville, Conn./Montville) led the team with a career-high 25 points, the most points scored by a Hawk this season and just the third 20-plus performance this year. Smith also led the team with six rebounds and two blocks against the Crimson. She then joined fellow classmate Ruthanne Doherty (Richmond, Va./L.C. Bird) in leading the team at Providence. Doherty finished with a team-high 13 points, while Smith added 10... Against the Friars fellow junior Daphne Elliott (Fairfield, Conn./Fairfield Warde) led the team in rebounding with her first double figure boards game finishing with 10... The Hawks will open conference play on Monday night with thtie third game in five days when they welcome Albany (7 p.m.) to the home of the 2012 America East Championship, the Chase Family Arena at the Reich Family Pavilion... The Hawks will then travel to New Hampshire on Thursday (7 p.m.) and host Vermont on Saturday (2 p.m.) in a game that is scheduled to air live on CPTV Sports throughout Connecticut.
Maine (3-10, 0-0 AE) dropped its seventh-straight game as it was defeated 78-51 by Siena at Alfond Arena on Thursday evening... The loss, Maine's seventh in the month of December, marked the first time the Black Bears have gone winless in December since going 0-7 in 1992. However, in that season the Black Bears bounced back from the tough month and earned an appearance in the 1992 NAC Championship game... Freshman Danielle Walczak (Lee, N.H.) had a career day against Siena. The freshman forward started her first career game while picking up career highs in points (13), field goals made (5), free throws made (3), offensive rebounds (4), steals (2) and minutes (26)... Fellow freshman Courtney Anderson continues to rack up the assists as she totaled a career-high seven against the Saints and now has multiple assists in all 13 games this season... Maine will open up America East action with a Monday showdown at Binghamton. The Black Bears will be looking to start 1-0 in league play for the first time since they defeated UMBC 67-55 on Jan. 5, 2008 to begin that season 1-0 in conference action. A win would give Maine its first conference road win since downing Albany 61-58 on Jan. 28, 2010.
UMBC (6-7, 0-0 AE) dropped both games at the Hilton Garden Inn Hokie Classic in Blacksburg, Va., last week… The Retrievers fell to High Point 62-51 on Wednesday… Senior guard Michelle Kurowski (Hicksville, N.Y./Hicksville) scored a team-high 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting… Senior forward Erin Brown (Bethesda, Md./Walt Whitman) saw her 20-game double-digit scoring streak come to an end, but she pulled down a career-high 14 rebounds… UMBC lost to host Virginia Tech 57-52 on Thursday… Brown and junior guard Brittany Crowell (Brandywine, Md./Gwynn Park/James Madison) combined for 34 points and 10 three-pointers… Brown tied her career high with six treys in nine attempts and finished with 18 points, while Crowell set new career bests with 16 points and four triples in eight attempts… UMBC matched a season high with 10 treys, shooting a season-best .476 from long distance… Brown leads the America East with 15.8 ppg and 2.9 three-pointers per game this season… Kurowski ranks third all-time at UMBC with 1,418 career points, while Brown is 11th with 1,113. They are two of just 12 Retrievers ever with 1,000 points and 500 rebounds in their career… Senior center Topé Obajolu (Randallstown, Md./Archbishop Carroll) is just three blocks shy from breaking UMBC’s all-time record… The Retrievers open America East Conference play this week, hosting New Hampshire on Monday before visiting Albany on Wednesday and Maine on Saturday.
UNH (7-5, 0-0 AE) rounded out its non-conference schedule with a split at the Iowa State Cyclone Challenge, earning a 79-71 victory over NJIT before falling to the host Cyclones 71-57... Against NJIT, senior Denise Beliveau (Framingham, Mass.) posted a season-high 24 points and added 12 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the season. Beliveau, who was named to the all-tournament team, shot 8-of-14 from the floor and added 12 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the season, finishing 3-of-4 from long range... Junior Morgan Frame (Waterville, Maine) logged 20 points and nine rebounds, shooting 7-of-18 from the field. Sophomore Kelsey Hogan (Nashua, N.H.) and senior Abigail LaRosa (Hampton, N.H.) posted 13 and 11, respectively, as Hogan added four assists and LaRosa was 7-of-8 from the charity stripe... In the opener against Iowa State, Frame poured in 16 points and eight rebounds on 5-of-13 shooting from the field, while Beliveau posted 12 points and four steals. Senior Kelley Flynn (Hopkinton, N.H.) recorded 10 points and six boards off the bench, shooting 5-of-8 from the floor... Beliveau and Frame both averaged 18 points per game during the tournament... The 'Cats open conference play at UMBC on Jan. 2 at 7 p.m. before playing host to Hartford on Jan. 5 at 7 p.m.
Stony Brook (3-10, 0-0 AE) concluded its non-conference schedule with a 54-47 victory over visiting Youngstown State on Tuesday. It was the second consecutive win for the Seawolves... SBU never trailed against Youngstown and held YSU to 25.9 percent shooting. It was the third time in the last four game the Seawolves have held their opponents under 35 percent shooting... SBU held YSU 16 points below its season scoring average and snapped their five-game road winning streak... Junior Dani Klupenger (Aurora, Ore.) led Stony Brook with 11 points while senior Tamiel Murray (Teaneck, N.J.) had a season-high 10 points and six rebounds... Junior Jessica Previlon (Brooklyn, N.Y.) had nine points and nine rebounds and freshman Kellie Krueger (Wilsonville, Ore.) had eight points and eight rebounds... The Seawolves out-rebounded YSU 44-35 and have out-rebounded three of their last four opponents... Stony Brook opens conference play at Vermont on Monday before hosting Binghamton and Albany later in the week... Sunday's game against Albany can be seen on Optimum Local Channel 118.
Vermont (6-7, 0-0 AE) wrapped up its eight-game road swing with a pair of losses at the Blue Sky Classic hosted by Dartmouth... The Catamounts dropped a 65-53 decision to No. 15 Georgetown... Junior Lauren Buschmann (St. Catherines, Ontario/Governor Simcoe) posted her fourth double-double of the season with 13 points and 11 rebounds... Freshman Kayla Burchill (Portland, Maine/Deering) added a career-high 20 points behind a 6-for-11 effort from three-point range... Buschmann finished the tournament with 34 points and 19 rebounds after scoring 21 points and grabbing eight boards in a 68-59 loss to La Salle. She was named to the all-tournament team... The Catamounts return home for the first time since Nov. 22 to host Stony Brook in the league opener on Jan. 2... Vermont is 67-24 (.736) versus America East opponents at Patrick Gymnasium since the 2000-01 season.