Women's Basketball 12/30/2025 1:55:13 PM Women’s #AEHoops Conference Play Begins January 1 BOSTON – Kick off the New Year with four women’s #AEHoops contests as conference play gets underway on the first of the year in the midst of one of the most successful seasons for the league in the last decade. Five teams currently are at least four games over .500 and that doesn’t include UMBC, which has a Power 4 victory at Virginia, and Maine who won at Harvard earlier this month. Bryant and UAlbany lead the way at 10-3, while Vermont is close behind at 11-5. The America East is ranked as the 13th best league in the nation by NET going into the New Year, with a 56-47 record against Division I opponents. Vermont owns the best NET at 89, while UAlbany is close behind at 93 and Bryant is third at 126. Six programs have a NET of 190 or better, double the previous league high number of teams (3) under 190 entering conference play since the NCAA started using NET during the 2020-21 season. January 1 Schedule Vermont (11-4) at UAlbany (10-3) – 2 PM The first conference game of 2026 is a rematch of last season’s conference championship as the No. 2 Catamounts took down the top seeded Great Danes in Albany 62-55. Nikola Priede had 20 points as Vermont outscored the Great Danes 13-4 in the third quarter to take the lead for good. The Catamounts are 7-2 against UAlbany over the past three seasons, with the Great Danes earning both wins at home. Vermont ranks 3rd in the league in scoring (68.9) and scoring defense (53.9), with a 15.1 ppg scoring margin. They’re shooting a league-best .470 from the floor led by Priede who is averaging 15.9 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. Keira Hanson (14.4) and Jadyn Weltz (11.9) are also in double figures while combing for 44 threes. The Great Danes rank just eighth in the league in scoring (60.8) but once again lead the league in scoring defense (51.2). Delanie Hill is averaging 13.8 points per game while shooting 43% from three, while Lara Langermann is hitting a league-best 48% of her threes and putting up 9.7 points per game. Amaya Stewart is pulling up 12.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. Maine (5-8) at UMass Lowell (6-7) – 6 PM Maine has come back from a slow start to win its final two contests, at Quinnipiac (63-55) and at Harvad (59-57). UMass Lowell’s six non-conference wins are its most in a decade as the River Hawks went 3-2 in December. The Black Bears rank last in the league in scoring at 57.3 points per game but are fifth in scoring defense (61.6). The team is led by former Player of the Year Adrianna Smith, who is putting up 18.4 points, 10.0 rebounds and 4.6 assist per game. Asta Blauenfeldt is also in double figures at 11.5 points per game. UML is seventh in the league in scoring (61.5) but fourth in scoring defense (60.8) while leading the league with 7.6 three per game. Jaini Edmonds is putting up 12.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game, while Maddie Rice is averaging 9.5 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. New Hampshire (6-7) at Bryant (10-3) – 6 PM The Wildcats won three straight against Division I opponents to conclude 2025, highlighted by a dominant 74-38 win against Dartmouth. Bryant is 10-3 and also in the midst of a three-game win streak, which started with an 80-71 victory over Boston College three weeks ago. Bryant is 5-1 against UNH since joining the league. Bryant has been one of the best teams in the league, ranking second in scoring offense (70.0) and second in scoring defense (53.5) while shooting a league-best 37.2% from three. Mia Mancini is averaging 14.4 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game while Nia Scott is putting up 12.9 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. The Wildcats have been solid, ranking 6th in the league in scoring (62.5) and sixth in scoring defense (62.2) while sitting fifth in field goal percentage (42.6). Eva DeChent leads the league with 19.9 points per game, with 4.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 2.1 steals per game. Maggie Cavanaugh is putting up 9.1 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. NJIT (9-4) at UMBC (4-7) – 6:30 PM NJIT is off to its best Division I start with nine non-conference wins, despite having a few starters miss multiple games and has scored 70+ points seven times. UMBC is 2-2 in the past five weeks, with both losses by four or fewer points. NJIT was won each of the past three meetings, though this year’s UMBC returners zero starters from last season. NJIT is fourth in the league in scoring (67.2) but ranks eighth in scoring defense (63.2) and is second in threes per game (7.5). Olivia Kulyk is pulling up 15.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game while making 3.2 threes per game. Senior Alejandra Zuniga is putting up 14.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and 4.4 assist per game. The Retrievers rank fourth in the league in scoring this year (64.1) and are seventh in scoring defense (63.1), while ranking third in rebounding (36.8). Freshman Austin Kennedy is putting up 12.6 points and 3.4 rebounds per game while Jade Tillman is contributing 12.2 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game. Bye: Binghamton (8-4) Binghamton has won 5 of 6, with the lone loss a 72-54 defeat at Syracuse. Four of the five victories were by double digits, with three at home. The Bearcats lead the league in scoring (70.8), but ranks last in scoring defense (65.2) despite a league-best 10.4 steals per game. Bella Pucci is averaging 13.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game while Kendall Bennett is putting up 13.1 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. Saturday, Jan. 3 Schedule Binghamton at NJIT – 1 PM Maine at Bryant – 2 PM UMass Lowell at UAlbany – 2 PM New Hampshire at Vermont – 2 PM ABOUT AMERICA EAST Founded in 1979, the America East Conference is an elite NCAA Division I athletic conference that fosters an environment for student-athletes to become champions. Comprised of academically renowned, like-minded member institutions located in the Northeast region of the United States, America East is committed to broad-based excellence and progressive in its approach to supporting its more than 3,500 student-athletes across 18 sponsored sports. For more information, visit www.AmericaEast.com and follow the America East Conference and its social media channels, @AmericaEast. - America East Conference – Where Champions Rise -