Roberts Thrives in Key Role as Freshman

Heading into the season, many fans of the Maine women’s basketball program understood that this would be a young team that would have to rely on contributions from underclassmen. However, there was also the expectation that the combination of junior forward Samantha Wheeler and senior guard Tanna Ross would be able to provide a veteran presence for this team. Unfortunately, Wheeler has only appeared in five games this season due to injury, which has forced some of the talented freshmen to mature faster than previously expected.

One freshman that has emerged as an excellent scoring threat for the Black Bears is Ashleigh Roberts. Roberts, who was the all-time leading scorer at Concord High School in Wilmington, Delaware, has an aggressive mentality on the court, which has allowed for her to contribute on the offensive end in many ways. 

“I always knew that I would be able to get to the basket, but I didn’t know how well I would be able to finish because the people are so much bigger than me,” explained the freshman guard. “I knew that even if I couldn’t necessarily score from the floor, I could always find a way to get to the free-throw line. I knew that I would be able to contribute something this year.”

Reed leads UNH to comeback win

Behind Cari Reed's 19 points, the UNH women's basketball team picked up its fourth victory in the last six games, this time defeating Albany, 60-46, on Thursday night in Lundholm Gymnasium.

Down 25-18 after halftime, Reed led a furious second half offensive assault for UNH. 16 of Reed's 19 points came after the break. Kelsey Hogan joined Reed in double-figures with 13 points to go along with six rebounds and three assists. Ebone Henry led the Great Danes with 16 points.

Next up for the Wildcats (7-15, 4-6) is a matchup with Binghamton University at Lundholm on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Vermont rolls over Hartford in statement win

WEST HARTFORD, Conn.—Hartford basketball faced another setback Thursday night in a 61-47 loss at the hands of conference rivals and leaders Vermont at the Reich Family Pavilion.

The Hawks(7-15, 4-5) came out flat and never found their shooting stroke throughout the game, shooting just 4-27 from behind the arc, a stat that has massive implications for a team that thrives off the long ball.

Vermont (18-5, 9-2)had trouble keeping the hosts at a safe distance until the second half, where they took the five-point lead they held at recess and expanded it for the rest of the game, leading by as many as 19 points. Hartford neither led nore tied the Catamounts for the entire game.

Vermont freshman guard Sandro Carissimo lead all scorers with 14 points and set the tone for an offense that consistently found good looks against the stingy Hartford zone defense. Carissimo had a great offensive chemistry with his childhood friend and teammate Brian Voelkel, who added 8 points and 12 boards.

UMBC sends "RAC in Black" crowd home happy with 83-79 OT win over Binghamton

Five Retrievers posted in double figures in a dramatic 83-79 overtime victory over visiting Binghamton. UMBC snapped a three-game slide and improved to 4-19 and 3-7 in America East play, while Binghamton (6-17, 3-7) fell for the seventh consecutive time. The last three losses have been by a total of 12 points.

Holland Reaches 2,000-point Milestone

Throughout his career at Boston University, senior guard John Holland has always had a knack for getting baskets. Holland, who has averaged in double-figures in each of his first three seasons at Boston University, reached a tremendous individual milestone in the 88-78 win over Maine, when he became just the 13^th player in America East history to reach the 2,000-point mark for his career.

After struggling offensively in a 60-48 loss to New Hampshire, Holland and his teammates knew that a more aggressive mindset would be essential in trying to knock off Maine. After scoring a season-high 88 points in the win over Maine, it seems that the Terriers regained some of their confidence.

“I think it’s just our execution,” Holland said. “That was really the main problem at UNH. After that game, we had some tough practices that really prepared us for Maine. That was a big emphasis [attacking the rim]. It seemed to work out against Maine, especially when you shoot 53 percent”

While the milestone was something that many fans of Boston University were aware of, it’s no surprise that Holland and his teammates were more focused on trying to find a way to pick up a key win against the Black Bears. However, when he buried a three-pointer for the 2,001^st point of his career, it donned on Holland that he had just accomplished something special.

“It really hasn’t been weighing on me,” the senior guard explained. “I figured that I would probably reach it at some point. I knew how much I needed, but I lost track during the game about how much I still needed until I actually reached it.”

Immediately after reaching the milestone, the crowd at Agganis Arena gave Holland a standing ovation and his accomplishment was announced to everyone in attendance. Although he was paying attention to the instruction of Coach Chambers during the timeout, it’s clear that the support of the Boston University community meant a lot to the senior guard.

“I really wasn’t able to pay much attention because of the timeout," said Holland. "I was really more focused on what Coach [Pat Chambers] had to say. It’s nice to have fans supporting me and the school supporting me. That’s always a great feeling.”

The Bronx, N.Y. native had a special guest in attendance for his milestone achievement, as his mother, who has played a key role in his life, was there to celebrate the moment.

“My mom has always been there for me and supported me throughout my life," Holland explained. "It was great that she was able to be there for another milestone and achievement in my life. It was really just wonderful that I was lucky enough to have her there.”

After improving to 6-4 in America East play with the victory over Maine, the Terriers find themselves two games behind both the Black Bears and the Vermont Catamounts at the top of the America East standings. However, Holland feels that this inexperienced team could be starting to find its rhythm at just the right point in the season.

 “I think we are getting there. I think it’s just that we have to keep working hard. We have a lot of young guys that I really feel like have grown up and have gained a lot of experience. I feel like we will be alright as long as we just keep working and keep bringing the same intensity every game.”

New Hampshire Wins OT Thriller

It took an extra five minutes of basketball to decide the game between New Hampshire and Albany. Sophomore guard Chandler Rhoads netted a team-high 15 points to lead the Wildcats to the 62-59 win. Here are some highlights from the thrilling game.

Catamounts blanked as Hartford rolls

WEST HARTFORD, Conn.-- The Hartford Hawks ousted the Catamounts of Vermont in an influential game in the middle of the America East women’s basketball standings, with a final score of 68-43.

The Hawks (8-14, 5-4) opened the game on a 10-0 run and, while the Catamounts (2-20, 2-7) would pull to within two, dominated throughout the contest, even leading by as many as 29.

“It’s nice when our offense clicks and we can enjoy a big lead,” said Hawks coach Jennifer Rizzotti. “It’s been a while.”

Hartford’s Ruthanne Doherty was reminiscent of her old self, posting a game-high 13 points and 8 boards. She added four assists and provided fast-break energy that helped the hosts pull away from Vermont in the second half.

Vermont: If The Weather Outside Is Frightful, Train Inside!

The University of Vermont Athletics Department unveiled a new indoor turf field facility yesterday, just in time for yet another winter storm which battered the Northeast. In what has long been a disadvantage to athletics programs north of the Mason-Dixon line and into New England, especially those spring sports programs who often can't get onto their home playing surface until weeks and sometimes months into the season, the Catamounts now have a place to train and practice when the weather outside is less than ideal.

The new facility will be open to the entire campus community, but the impact that it will have specifically on both lacrosse programs and soccer programs is invaluable. Vermont produced the following video to go along with its release on the new facility.

And speaking of practice facilities, the Stony Brook Athletics Department has made significant ground on a brand new track facility whose infield will also serve as a practice field for the soccer, lacrosse and football teams. A photo gallery of the work in progress is available here: http://www.goseawolves.org/view.gal?id=82389

Both of these facilities look first-rate and will have a major impact on the schools' athletics programs. I can't wait to check them out in person!

John Holland reaches 2,000-point mark in win over Maine

Boston University head coach Pat Chambers and senior guard John Holland talk after the victory over Maine.

BracketBusters Pairings Announced

For the fifth time in the past seven years, an America East team will make an appearance on national television as part of ESPN's BracketBusters series. This year, it will be the Vermont Catamounts making the national television appearance, as they will travel to South Carolina to face Charleston on Saturday, Feb. 19 at 5:00 p.m. on ESPN U. The Catamounts currently sit in second place in the America East, with an impressive 7-2 mark in conference play, and an overall record of 16-5.

Here is the complete list of games involving America East teams (All games are set for Saturday, Feb. 19):

Vermont at Charleston
Maine at Siena
New Hampshire at Marist
Canisus at Boston University
Manhattan at Stony Brook

Weekly Awards

Here are the winners for the men's and women's weekly awards:

Men's:




Women's: 

Binghamton Lets Large Lead Slip Away

It seemed like the Binghamton University men’s basketball team was ready to end its five-game skid in the first half against Maine last night at the Events Center. The Bearcats held a 22-point lead at one point in the first half, but saw it all erased as the America East’s top team battled back to take a 77-74 victory.

The Black Bears trailed for the majority of the contest, not acquiring their first lead until there was 1:34 left in the game. Binghamton was fast out of the gate early, taking a 13-4 lead within the games first five minutes. Junior center Kyrie Sutton scored the Bearcats' first 10 points, all on field goals down low. Sophomore guard Jimmy Gray assisted on all five of those shots. Sutton found himself in foul trouble and ended up sitting on the bench for the final 15 minutes of the first half. He finished the game with 15 points and five rebounds.

The key for the Bearcats in the first half was success from beyond the arc. They were 9-of-17 (52.9 percent) from 3-point range in the half, three of them coming from senior forward Mahamoud Jabbi. Jabbi finished the game with 19 points and 10 rebounds, both team highs. It was his fourth straight double-double performance. With 7:10 left in the first half, Binghamton led 39-17. However, Maine went on a 15-6 run to close the gap to 45-32 at halftime.

3-pointers weren’t as easy to come by in the second half for the Bearcats. They were 4-of-11 from 3-point range in the half. The Black Bears started to take control of the game with about 15 minutes left. They went on a 9-0 run that made the score 57-52. Maine kept chipping away at the lead and finally tied the game at 71-71 with 3:22 left. A dunk from Mike Allison gave the Black Bears their first lead and they never looked back. Allison also had two key blocks a minute earlier that kept the score tied. With the Bearcats down 74-71 with 32.7 seconds left, they had possession and were able to get Jabbi a look from 3-point range, but he missed the shot. Senior guard Chretien Lukusa also missed a 3-point attempt with the score 75-71 with 13 seconds left.

Maine’s Gerald McLemore led all scorers with 23 points (five 3-pointers.) Gray had a double-double for the Bearcats with 10 points and a career-high 12 assists. Senior forward Greer Wright was out once again for Binghamton with a lingering ankle injury.

The Black Bears extended their winning streak to seven games and remain atop the America East standings with an 8-1 conference record. Binghamton dropped its sixth straight after winning its first three conference games.

The Bearcats are set to travel to UMBC on Thursday. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

Here are videos of the post-game press conferences, courtesy of Pipe Dream.

Mark Macon:



Mahamoud Jabbi:



Jimmy Gray:

UMBC edges Stony Brook, 65-57, to move to 7-2 and into a tie for 2nd place in AEC

Junior forward Erin Brown scored 18 points and junior guard Michelle Kurowski added 15 to lead the UMBC women's basketball team to a 65-57 victory over America East rival Stony Brook Saturday afternoon at the RAC Arena. The win is the fourth straight for the Retrievers and the 200th in head coach Phil Stern's 15-year career. Here are the highlights.