The 2012-13 women's basketball season officially came to a close last week as the University of Connecticut took home the national title. Here is a look at some of the top achievements this season.
Dynamic Danes
Albany took home its second-straight America East title in 2012-13 while winning its first regular-season title. The Great Danes were the seventh team in league history to go unbeaten in conference play with a perfect 16-0 mark, but were the first team since Maine in 1995-96 to go undefeated in the regular season and win the tournament title. Albany finished with the best record for any America East team since Hartford in 2005-06, going 27-4.
A League of Her Own
Boston U. senior guard Chantell Alford became the first player in the history of the America East Conference to be named Player of the Year three times, as she was named Co-Player of the Year with Albany's Ebone Henry this season. Alford also became the first-ever four-time All-Conference First Team selection. Alford leads the conference in scoring at 16.6 points per game, the highest average of her career. Alford ranks 14th on the America East all-time career scoring list with 1,790 points, and also sits fourth in 3-point field goals made with 244. She has made 81 3-pointers this year, the fifth most in a single season in league history.
Hitting from Downtown
As a team, Boston University hit 217 3-point field goals, the second most in a single season in America East history. The Terriers also finished 17th in the country in 3-point shooting percentage, hitting 35.6-percent on their attempts.
One of the Best Defensive Conferences
Five America East teams finished in the top-68 of scoring defense in the country this season, led by Albany who allowed a conference single-season record 49.3 points per game and ranked third in the country. Boston U. was next in 10th at 51.8 points per game, followed by Hartford in 27th, Stony Brook in 44th and New Hampshire at 68.
Major Category Leaders
The Boston University Terriers cornered the market on what are considered to be the three major individual categories. Chantell Alford led the conference in scoring at 16.6 points per game, while Rashidat Agboola led in rebounding at 9.0 per game and Mo Moran led in assists at 5.8 per game. The last America East team to have individuals lead the conference in all three categories was Maine in 1989-90. That year, Rachel Bouchard led the conference in scoring and rebounding, while Cathy Iaconeta led the league in assists.Boston U. is the first to have three different players lead the conference in each category.
Nine-Straight for the Hawks
Hartford has had quite a decade. Since winning the program's first America East Championship in 2002, the Hawks have made a trip to a postseason tournament in all but two seasons, including an active streak of nine straight seasons.
Stealing the Show
UMBC guard Raven Harris led the conference with 109 steals, averaging 3.43 per game. The senior finished fifth on the America East top-five single season steals list had the highest steals average since Shniece Perry average 3.5 steals per game for Towson in 1999-2000. Harris also ranked second in the league in conference games only in scoring, averaging 15.5 points per game and scoring in double figures in 15 of the 16 conference contests.
Big Turnaround
Stony Brook eclipsed its 2011-12 win total in the first eight games of 2012-13 and has already won 10 more games than it did all of last season. The 14 wins were the most for Stony Brook since 2006-07.
On the ReboundsAlbany senior Julie Forster graduated with over 1,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds, finishing her career at Albany with 1,149 career boards, the third-most in conference history.
Another Postseason winBoston U. defeated Sacred Heart, 61-49, in the first round of the WNIT, marking the seventh postseason win for an America East team since 2006.
Taking Down the Top-25
Boston University defeated then No. 17/15 St. john's on Dec. 1, 2012, marking the first win for an America East team over a ranked opponent since 2009.
Storied History
Several former America East Champions are still coaching at the collegiate level. Joanne Palombo-McCallie won four titles (1995, 1996, 1997, 1998) while at Maine and most recently led Duke to the 2013 ACC tournament title; Sharon Versyp, won the league title in 2004 at Maine before moving to Purdue. Minnesota's Pam Borton, who won a tournament title with Vermont in 1994, is also in the Big Ten now with Versyp. Former Vermont head coaches Cathy Inglese (1986-93) and Sharon Dawley (2003-10) each won two America East Championships and are now in the Atlantic-10 competing for a title, Inglese at Rhode Island and Dawley at Massachusetts. Former New Hampshire assistant coach Lindsay Gottlieb led California to the Final Four in 2013.