BOSTON – Women’s #AEHoops conference play gets underway on Thursday evening with four contests, followed by four more on Saturday. Check out our conference notes and team-by-team capsules to get a primer on what to expect ahead of Thursday.
All games during conference play can be found on ESPN+ or ESPN3 on the AE on ESPN Home Page in the United States. Fans located internationally can watch all the action on AmericaEast.TV.
WEEKLY SCHEDULE
| Thursday, January 4 |
|
| UNH at UVM |
6:00 PM |
| Maine at UMass Lowell |
6:00 PM |
| UMBC at Binghamton |
6:07 PM |
| Bryant at UAlbany |
7:00 PM |
|
|
| Saturday, January 6 |
|
| UVM at Maine |
1:00 PM |
| NJIT at UAlbany |
2:00 PM |
| UNH at UMass Lowell |
2:00 PM |
| UMBC at Bryant |
2:00 PM |
WOMEN'S PREVIEW
GOING STREAKING
UAlbany has a league-best 11-2 record this season and has won seven straight games. They’ve won each of those seven games by at least ten points, including the last three by 20+ points.
NET RATING
UAlbany currently leads all #AEHoops programs with a NET rating of 121, followed by Maine (135) and Vermont (170) in the top 200. New Hampshire (268), NJIT (270), Binghamton (274) and Bryant (292) are all in the top 300.
MAINE ATTRACTION
The Black Bears are 7-7 this season but have played the toughest schedule in the league. They’ve played six teams in the NET Top 100, when no other program has player more than three such contests. They’re 2-4 in those games, highlighted by wins against Harvard (71) and Rhode Island (79) and an eight-point loss to Indiana (18).
CATAMOUNT COUNTRY
Reigning Champion Vermont is 8-6 overall and has won 17 consecutive contests against league opponents. It is the sixth longest such winning streak in the nation. Last season they started conference play 0-2 before finishing the regular season with 14 straights on the way to the conference title.
BLOCK PARTY
NJIT currently ranks 15th in the nation with 5.7 blocks per game. They’re led by Trinity Williams who is blocking a league-best 1.8 shots per game, followed by freshman Madilyn Dogs at 1.2 blocks per contest.
TREY BIEN
UAlbany has been shooting the lights out from deep, ranking sixth in the nation by shooting 39.8 percent from beyond the arc. The team is led by transfer Meghan Huerter, who is sixth individually in the country, shooting 32-for-64 (50%) from downtown.
THREE’S COMPANY
Bryant freshman Mia Mancini and Binghamton sophomore Ella Wanzer have been two of the most prolific three-point shooters in the nation this year. Mancini is fourth nationally with 48 triples, while Wanzer is seventh at 41. Mancini is third in threes per game at 3.69 and Wanzer is 17th (3.15), while shooting 42.1 and 42.3 percent respectively from beyond the arc.
ALL-AROUND DOMINANCE
Maine’s Adrianna Smith currently leads the America East in both rebounds (10.6) and assists (4.9) per game. She’s also seventh in scoring at 14.0 points per contest and is currently the only player in the nation averaging 10+ points, 10+ rebounds and 4+ assists per contest. Smith is third nationally with nine double-doubles this season.
TEAM CAPSULES
UAlbany (11-2)
The Great Danes have won seven straight games and had the same starting lineup for all 13 games this season, which has helped them allow just 51.2 points per game. They’ve been led by Kayla Cooper who is averaging 15.1 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game. Helene Haegerstrand is also in double figures at 10.2 points, while freshman Deja Evans is putting up 8.6 points and 7.5 rebounds per contest.
NJIT (8-5)
Three straight wins for the Highlanders to end the year gave them their best non-conference record in the Division I era. They are sixth in the league in scoring (61.3) but fourth in scoring defense at 60.1 points per game. Junior Trinity Williams has anchored the team with 6.7 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game while scoring 10.3 points per game. Sophomore Alejandra Zuniga is averaging a team-best 15.3 points per game to go along with 2.3 assists per game.
Vermont (8-6)
The Catamounts went 4-2 in December and have the second-best scoring defense in the conference (53.9), but are just seventh in scoring offense (56.8). Emma Utterback spearheads the offense with 15.7 points, 4.6 assists and 2.7 rebounds per game. Anna Olson leads the league by shooting 56.2 percent on her way to 11.0 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. Bella Vito leads the team with 5.9 rebounds and 4.6 points per game.
Bryant (7-6)
In the month of December, the Bulldogs went 4-1. They rank third in the league in scoring at 65.8 points per game and are fourth with 7.2 threes per game. Senior Mariona Planes Fortuny leads the team with 16.0 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game while classmate Kemari Reynolds runs offense with 5.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. Freshman Mia Mancini is second on the team in scoring at 15.5 points per game, thanks to 3.7 made threes per contest.
Maine (7-7)
The Black Bears are .500 with the toughest non-conference schedule in the league and are coming off three-point losses to both Tulane and Penn. They’re averaging 63.9 points per game while allowing 63.8 points per contest. Anne Simon leads the league in scoring (19.8), while ranking second in both rebounding (7.5) and steals (2.3). Not to be outdone, Adrianna Smith leads the league in both rebounding (10.6) and assists (4.9), to go with 14.0 points per game.
New Hampshire (6-7)
This season the Wildcats are just one win from matching last year’s total, thanks to their effort on the defensive end. They’re third in the league, allowing 56.0 points per game while scoring 55.2. It’s a team effort as six players are averaging between 9.5-4.0 points per game, led by Avery O’Connor at 9.2. Clara Gomez has also been key to the team’s success with 6.4 rebounds, 4.8 points, 1.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game.
Binghamton (5-8)
The Bearcats are 5-8 this season and an impressive 5-1 when they hold their opponents to less than 60 points. They are first in the league with 8.1 threes per game and are second in scoring at 66.0 points per game. Ella Wanzer leads the team with 12.9 points and 3.15 threes per game while Jadyn Weltz directs the offense. The sophomore is averaging 10.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.0 steal per game.
UMBC (4-8)
The Retrievers have won two straight and three of four, following an 85-53 beatdown of Saint Francis (Pa.). They’re averaging 62.6 points per game while allowing just 65.2. They have been led by newcomer Anna Blount. She leads the team in scoring (13.0) and rebounding (7.5) and is joined in double figured by Jordan Lewis at 10.1 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. Jaliena Sanchez has a team-high 20 steals while averaging 8.7 points per contest.
UMass Lowell (0-12)
The River Hawks are winless, but have had two games decided by just two points this season. Mili Carrera leads the team in scoring this season with 9.9 points per game and 4.7 rebounds per contest. Transfer Sydney Watkins had done a bit of everything for the team this season, leading them in rebounding (6.3), steals (3.2), assists (3.0) and minutes (34.1), while putting up 6.7 points per contest.
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