West Hartford, Conn.-- America East women's basketball will once again be available live on ESPN3 Saturday afternoon as the defending America East Basketball Champion Hartford Hawks play host to the Binghamton Bearcats at Chase Family Arena. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m.
Eric Frede, the voice of America East, will have the call while Frank Sullivan will provide the color analysis.
America East is
in its first year of a five-year contract with ESPN that will feature
conference games exclusively on ESPN3, ESPN’s multi-screen network
available through an affiliated internet or video provider online via
WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app and
through ESPN on Xbox LIVE. Fans can learn how to access games on all
available platforms at ESPN3's FAQ page.
Hartford (15-10, 6-5 AE) started the conference slate 1-4, but has won four of its last five entering Saturday's contest. Binghamton (12-13, 6-6 AE) has won two of its last three, but is looking for its first road win since a Jan. 22 victory at New Hampshire. The teams sit fourth and fifth in the league standings, among a four-team log jam in the middle jockeying for an upper edge entering the final two weeks of the regular season.
The Hawks took the last meeting 63-41 in Vestal on Jan. 14 and have gone 5-2 since that win. Three Hawks are averaging double-figured scoring in America East play, led by junior forwards Ruthanne Doherty and Nikkia Smith each with 10.7 ppg.
Binghamton senior guard Andrea Holmes is averaging 14.9 ppg in league games, including 20.0 ppg over the last two contests. Classmate Viive Rebane, who only played three minutes in the first matchup with Hartford because of an injury, is pacing the Bearcats with 8.4 rpg against America East opponents and should be a formidable matchup with the Hartford post players.
In other action on Saturday, three teams host Play 4Kay games to raise awareness and funds for the fight against breast cancer. Boston U. (18-6, 11-0 AE) begins the day with a 1 p.m. contest at Case Gym against Stony Brook (4-21, 1-11 AE). The Terriers put an 11-game win streak on the line, while the Seawolves are hoping to snap an 11-game skid.
The Great Danes (16-9, 10-2 AE), who sit in second place and have already locked up their best-ever seed for the America East Championship next month, host the Black Bears at 2 p.m. Maine (6-18, 3-8 AE) is in seventh-place going into the weekend and is looking for its best finish in league place since 2007.
The final game of the day pits Vermont (9-16, 3-9 AE) and New Hampshire (12-11, 5-6 AE) in Durham at 3 p.m. The game will be televised in the Manchester area on WBIN-TV. The first game of the season against the Catamounts and Wildcats went UNH's way, 63-69 in overtime.
View the full Daily Update here.
Saturday, Feb. 11
*Stony Brook at Boston U., 1 p.m. l Live stats l Live video l SBU audio l Boston U. audio l
*Binghamton at Hartford (ESPN3), 2 p.m. l WATCH HERE l Live stats l Binghamton audio l Hartford audio l
*Maine at Albany, 2 p.m. l Live stats l Live video l Maine audio l
*Vermont at New Hampshire (WBIN-TV), 3 p.m. l Live stats l Live video l Vermont audio l UNH audio l