Women's Basketball

Women’s #AEHoops Jan. 8-10: Preview

BOSTON – Following the opening weekend of conference play just three teams remain unbeaten and six teams have secured at least one victory. Read about all four of Thursday’s matchups and then check back on Friday for highlights from every single contest.
 
UMBC (5-8, 0-1) at Maine (6-9, 1-1) – 6 PM
  • UMBC fell 80-75 in its conference opener to NJIT as the Highlanders outscored the Retrievers 27-15 in the final period to escape with the five-point win. Jade Tillman had 25 points in the loss.
  • Maine went 1-1 last weekend, edging UMass Lowell on the road 73-65 before falling 82-73 at Bryant. Adrianna Smith averaged 32 ppg in the two contests, including 37 against the River Hawks.
  • UMBC is 3-3 against Maine over the past three seasons. The home team has won each of the last six matchups in the series.
  • UMBC ranks 5th in the league in scoring (68.0) and 4th in scoring defense (61.2), while Maine is 9th in scoring (59.4) and 7th in scoring defense at 63.2 ppg.
 
NJIT (10-5, 1-1) at New Hampshire (6-9, 0-2) – 6 PM
  • The Highlanders are 1-1 in conference action after edging UMBC 80-75 and falling late to Binghamton 75-71. Alejandra Zuniga had 39 points against the Retrievers in the win, but NJIT was outscored 24-11 in the fourth quarter against the Bearcats.
  • UNH started conference play 0-2 with a tough 45-31 decision at Bryant and then a 72-56 defeat at Vermont, two of the top three teams in the league. Eva DeChent had 15 points, nine rebounds and two blocks against the Catamounts.
  • NJIT is 4-3 against UNH in its last seven matchups, but the Highlanders are just 1-3 on the road over that span.
  • NJIT ranks 4th in the league in scoring (68.3) and 8th in scoring defense at 64.8, while New Hampshire is 5th in scoring defense (61.7), but 8th in scoring offense (59.9).
 
Bryant (12-3, 2-0) at UMass Lowell (6-9, 0-2) – 6 PM
  • The Bulldogs started league play 2-0 with a hard-fought 45-31 win over UNH and then an 82-73 victory against Maine. Nia Scott led five players in double figures with 16 points and 11 rebounds against the Black Bears.
  • UMass Lowell is 0-2 in conference play but led much of the way against Maine before a late barrage of shots doomed them 73-65. Two days later against UAlbany, the River Hawks led at the half and three minutes into the third before the defending regular season champions pulled away for a 74-62 win.
  • Bryant has won five straight against UMass Lowell and is 5-1 against the River Hawks since the Bulldogs joined the league. All six of the matchups have been decided by at least eight points.
  • Bryant currently ranks 1st in the conference in scoring defense (53.3), 3rd in the league in scoring (69.1) and 1st in scoring differential (+15.8), while UMass Lowell is sixth in scoring (61.7) and scoring defense (62.5).
 
Vermont (13-4, 2-0) at Binghamton (9-5, 1-0) – 6:07 PM
  • Vermont opened #AEHoops action with a pair of 72-56 victories, beating UAlbany and New Hampshire by matching scores. Reigning Player of the Week Nikola Priede went off against the Wildcats for 35 points, shooting 16-for-20 from the field.
  • Binghamton started conference play with a dramatic 75-71 win over NJIT as the Bearcats trailed by 12 points with nine minutes left in the contest. They forced nine turnovers in the fourth and got 23 points, 11 rebounds and 3 blocks from Kendall Bennett.
  • Vermont is 8-1 against Binghamton since 2022, with the lone loss on the road in 2024. The Catamounts won both matchups last season, holding the Bearcats under 50 points. 
  • The Catamounts are second in the league in scoring (69.3) and third in scoring defense (54.1) with a +15.2 scoring margin, while Binghamton is the top scoring team in the league (69.9) and 9th in scoring defense (65.1).
 
Saturday’s Games
  • NJIT at Maine – 1 PM
  • UMBC at UNH – 1 PM
  • Binghamton at UML – 1 PM
  • UAlbany at Bryant – 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 -