BOSTON – Bryant and NJIT became the first teams to reach seven wins last week, while Vermont has six and UAlbany has five following the first month of action.
The first edition of the NCAA’s NET ratings were released on Monday and the America East had three teams ranked in the top-100, a first for the league since NET was adopted prior to the 2020-21 season.
UAlbany (69), Bryant (78) and Vermont (88) are the league’s top three while NJIT is fourth at 177. This marks the second straight year UAlbany has been under 100 in December, as they were at 96 last year. Currently the America East is 1 of 4 mid-major conferences to have three teams with a NET less than 100, alongside the Atlantic-10, Summit League and Sun Belt. The Ivy League, American each only have two.
The Week That Was
- Bryant extended its record to 7-0 with an 83-56 victory over Boston University mid-week and then dropped its first game, 62-53 at Providence on Sunday.
- NJIT went 1-1 last week, falling 71-43 against FDU, but rebounded for a 71-60 victory over Lafayette as Alison Cannon posted a triple-double of 14 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds and Olivia Kulyk poured in 30 points with six threes.
- Vermont moved to 6-3 this season with a 2-1 mark in Hawaii, beating the hsots 73-67 and then Santa Clara 63-51 before falling to Lindenwood 58-54. Keira Hanson was named to the All-Tournament team for her performances.
- Maine went 1-1 at the Iona Tournament, highlighted by Adrianna Smith’s triple-double of 19 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists in a win over Saint Francis.
- UMBC also finished 1-1 last week, falling to FIU 86-76 but rebounding for a 68-48 victory over Presbyterian College.
Looking Ahead
- This week features 17 non-conference games for the America East.
- UAlbany is at Bucknell and then Sacred Heart this week, while Bryant is at Yale and then hosts Holy Cross.
- NJIT faces Monmouth and Manhattan this week with the Catamounts hosting Bucknell in their lone contest.
- UMBC looks to get back to .500 with games against Morgan State and Loyola (Md.), while Maine has a three-game week with home games against BU and Rhode Island, as well as a contest at Penn.
America East Links
Fans will once again be able to watch every #AEHoops game this season regardless of where they live! The majority games will air on The AE on ESPN, either ESPN+ or ESPN3, in the United States. Games will also be available internationally on AmericaEast.TV. Those games will be available on computers, OTT devices and the brand new America East app, which is available on all IOS and Android devices and can be found by searching ‘America East Conference’ in app stores.
2025-26 Weekly Award Winners (Dec. 1)
Player of the Week
Adrianna Smith, Maine – R-Sr., Forward, Reston, Va.
- Averaged 15.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 7.5 assists, 2.5 blocks and 2.0 steals per game in a 1-1 week.
- Recorded the league’s first triple-double since 2017 with 19 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists in a win over Saint Francis.
- This is Smith’s first #AEHoops Player of the Week of the season and eighth in her career.
Rookie of the Week
Kennedy Austin, UMBC – Fr., Guard, Waldorf, Md.
- Averaged 16.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game in a 1-1 week.
- Totaled 24 points and seven rebounds in a 10-point loss to FIU.
- This is Austin’s first #AEHoops Rookie of the Week honor.
Weekly Award Winners
Nov. 11 – Player of the Week: Alejandra Zuniga, NJIT; Rookie of the Week: Amaya Stewart, UAlbany
Nov. 17 – Player of the Week: Maddie Rice, UMass Lowell; Rookie of the Week: Heidi Williams, UMBC
Nov. 24 – Co-Player of the Week: Nia Scott, Bryant; Co-Player of the Week: Bella Pucci, Binghamton; Rookie of the Week: Amaya Stewart, UAlbany
Dec. 1 - Player of the Week: Adrianna Amith, Maine; Rookie of the Week: Kennedy Austin, UMBC
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