Women's Basketball

Air Force Reserve Women’s Basketball Playoffs Open Thursday

BOSTON – The 2026 Air Force Reserve America East Women’s Basketball Playoffs commence on Thursday evening with three quarterfinals games at 6 pm, followed by a fourth at 6:30 p.m. All games will be played at the higher seed.
 
All games will be on ESPN+ and for the complete bracket visit Championship Central or our Playoffs Digital Program.
 
No. 1 Vermont vs. No. 8 UAlbany – 6 PM
  • The top seeded Catamounts have won 5 of 6 and are 24-3 this season when they score at least 50 points.
  • UVM is led by Defensive Player of the Year Nikola Priede, who is averaging 17.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. Keira Hanson is second on the team with 14.1 points and a team-high 59 triples while Jadyn Weltz is putting up 11.4 points, 4.1 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game.
  • UAlbany is 2-3 over its last five games, with wins over Binghamton and UMBC. The Great Danes also lost by three to UNH (45-42) and one to Maine (60-59).
  • Second-Team All-Conference performer Delanie Hill is averaging 13.9 points, 2.4 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game, while Rookie of the Year Amaya Stewart comes off the bench averaging 12.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.
  • Vermont and UAlbany met in last year’s championship, with UVM winning 62-55 on the road. The Catamounts won both games this year, 60-49 & 72-56, and they’re 9-1 against them since Feb. 2023.
 
No. 2 Maine vs. No. 7 New Hampshire – 6 PM
  • The Black Bears are one of the hottest teams in the league, having won 7 of 8  games and they've lost at home just once at home against conference opponents over the past three seasons.
  • America East Player of the Year Adrianna Smith runs the show, averaging 22.2 points, 10.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game, while all-conference selection Asta Blauenfeldt is second on the team at 11.7 points per game. Freshman Lala Woods is third in scoring at 8.7 points per game.
  • New Hampshire has won two straight games and 3 of their past 4 losses have been decided by seven points or less. Last week UNH took down Binghamton 67-48 and then finished the regular season with a 45-42 win over UAlbany.
  • Second-Team performer Eva DeChent paces the offense, averaging 17.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game. Maggie Cavanaugh is second on the team, averaging 8.9 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.
  • Maine is 2-0 against New Hampshire this year, but needed a fourth quarter comeback in their previous meeting. The Black Bears outscored the Wildcats 23-9 in the fourth to win 67-61. Overall they’ve won 12 straight against UNH.
 
No. 3 Binghamton vs. No. 6 Bryant – 6 PM
  • Binghamton is 18-11 and hosting its first playoff game since 2020, but has dropped five of its past six contests. The Bearcats are coming off a 74-67 loss to Maine and three of their five losses have been by at least nine points.
  • Second-Team All-Conference sniper Bella Pucci leads the team in scoring at 15.2 points and 3.7 rebounds per game while ranking second in the league with 63 threes. Kendall Bennett is averaging a double-double of 14.3 points and 10.0 rebounds per game.
  • Bryant went 2-4 over the last six games of the season, including a 75-42 loss to NJIT and a 65-59 double overtime defeat at UMBC to end the regular season. Bryant is 5-2 in league play when they score at least 60 points.
  • Mia Mancini is putting up 12.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game this season, while Nia Scott is averaging 11.8 points and 8.8 rebounds. Mimi Rubino is also in double figured with 11.8 points and 4.0 rebounds per game.
  • Bryant and Binghamton split their season series this year. The Bearcats won in overtime at Bryant in January, 66-64, but the Bulldogs returned the favor with a 63-60 win a month later.
 
No. 4 UMBC vs. No. 5 NJIT – 6:30 PM
  • UMBC is 15-13 overall and won 4 of 5 to close the regular season, including a 46-44 victory at Vermont. The Retrievers are coming off a 23-point victory over UMass Lowell to conclude the regular season.
  • First-Team All-Conference honoree Jade Tillman has been dominant for the Retrievers, averaging 16.6 points and 8.4 rebounds per game with 24 threes in league play. Freshman Heidi Williams is the team’s second leading scorer, averaging 11.1 points and 5.7 rebounds per game in conference action.
  • The Highlanders won 5 of 6 to conclude the regular season and secure the No. 5 seed, highlighted by a 21-point victory over Maine and 33-point win against Bryant to conclude the regular season.
  • Senior Alejandra Zuniga earned First-Team All-Conference honors once again after averaging 17.8 points, 4.0 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game. Second-Team selection Olvia Kulyk has a league-high 70 threes while averaging 15.0 points and 4.9 rebounds per game.
  • UMBC and NJIT split their season series this year after the Highlanders won both matchups in 2024-25. NJIT won the conference opener 80-75, but UMBC won the most recent matchup, 52-51, by outscoring the Highlanders 21-9 in the fourth.
 
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 its social media channels, @AmericaEast. 
 
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