Hawks Drop Season Opener to No. 16 UMass

WEST HARTFORD, Conn.—Hartford lacrosse dropped its season opener to 16th- ranked UMass 14-10 in front of 600 fans at Al-Marzook Field.

The Hawks controlled the game in the first half, going into the break with a 7-5 lead over the favored Minutemen, who beat Army in their first game last Saturday. The visitors scored the first two goals before Hartford turned it on, scoring five straight goals to take the lead and the upper hand.

The third quarter offered an entirely different game for the Hawks. Senior All-American Tim Fallon won 10 of 14 face-offs in the first half but only won one of his eight attempts in the third. He finished 16-28 from the face-off x and scooped a game-high 12 ground balls.

Newman's Own Volunteer Opportunities

With the America East Conference Tournament rapidly approaching, AExtra wanted to remind all fans of the numerous volunteer opportunities that Newman's Own offers.

In fact, Newman’s Own is encouraging volunteerism and service through a new partnership with VolunteerMatch, the web’s most popular volunteer network. The program, “Nourish the Good”, will award a $3.00 coupon to those who volunteer through  their page at www.volunteermatch.org/nourishthegood. Visit the page to find opportunities in your campus neighborhood, then enjoy a little Newman’s Own!

AExtra would like to encourage all fans to check this out and get ready for what should be an exciting America East Conference Tournament on March 3-6. 

Catamounts Set to Prepare for College of Charleston After Clinching America East

After reeling off its 10th consecutive win, and clinching the America East Regular-Season title, Vermont must now turn its attention to a huge matchup against College of Charleston. In a nationally televised game that is part of BracketBusters, the Catamounts will head out on the road to face the Cougars, who lead the Southern Conference with a 12-2 record. The Cougars are led by senior guard Andrew Goudelock, who is averaging 23.7 ppg and is regarded as one of the elite scorers in the country. AExtra was able to catch up with Vermont head coach Mike Lonergan to get his thoughts on this key nonconference game.

Poor Shooting Dooms Binghamton Women's Basketball

After suffering its first home loss of the season last Saturday against Vermont, who had previously won just three games all season, the Binghamton University women’s basketball team returned to action at the Events Center last night against University of Hartford. It was a pivotal matchup, with the Bearcats sitting in third place entering the game and the Hawks in fourth. The Bearcats (16-10, 9-4 America East) did not rebound from their first home loss, as they were handled by the visiting Hawks (12-14, 9-4 AE) 55-37.

BU junior guard Andrea Holmes, the league’s third-leading scorer entering the game, jump-started the action, nailing a 3-pointer on the first shot attempt of the game. The game was balanced a quarter of the way through, with Hartford answering Binghamton’s made shots. Binghamton was not short on opportunities, but struggled with shots near the basket, missing a few layups that could’ve given them a controlling lead. Hartford took advantage and opened up a 20-12 lead with about five minutes to go in the first half.

Catamounts Clinch America East

After being picked to finish 5th in the preseason poll, the Vermont Catamounts have surprised many people with an outstanding season. With the 73-56 win over Maine last night, the Catamounts clinched the America East Regular-Season title and improved their record to 22-5 overall. Despite not necessarily having a star player, UVM has used incredible balance and a stout defense to clinch the No. 1 seed and at least a spot in the NIT.

Hawks Blind-sided by Bearcats

WEST HARTFORD, Conn.—Hartford basketball suffered one of the most embarrassing losses in program history, dropping Wednesday’s home game against last-place Binghamton 77-47, ending a nine-game skid for the Bearcats.

The Hawks (8-18, 5-8) came out shooting from behind the arc and never found a rhythm, hitting just 6-27 from range and only attempting eight shots inside the arc in the first half. The Bearcats (7-19, 4-9), on the other hand, went 10-16 for three. Sophomore Jimmy Gray in particular shot 5-6 for the visitors, finishing with 17 points and six boards.

Coming into the game as the conference’s poorest rebounding team, the Bearcats dominated the glass, out-rebounding Hartford 45-15, including a school-record 17 from senior walk-on Mahamoud Jabbi, who added 12 points and four assists.

“He likes to out-work everyone; he makes us all better as players,” said Gray of the lefty standout from Gambia, who grabbed five offensive boards to contribute to their 23 second-chance points.

Maine Prepares for Bracketbusters Matchup with Siena

Heading into the annual ESPN Bracketbusters event, more buzz is around the University of Maine campus than usual.

After a recent slide, the UMaine men’s basketball team still sits comfortably in third place, one game behind Boston University. The Black Bears offense hasn’t slowed down, averaging a league best 70.5 points per game. What has slipped, is their defensive effort.

“We got to make stops on the defensive end,” senior forward Troy Barnies said. “The last couple games we haven’t been playing defense as well as we wanted to, and its meant losses for us.”

Catamounts Continue to Climb in Mid-Major Top 25

Since a loss to Maine on January 18, the Vermont Catamounts have reeled off nine consecutive wins and clinched a share of the America East Regular-Season title. This impressive performance has continued to generate notice in the Collegeinsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll, as the Catamounts have moved all the way up to No. 19 in the latest edition. With a 21-5 record, the Catamounts have been outstanding throughout the 2010-11 season, but will face a big test tonight when they travel to face Maine at 7:30. A victory for Vermont would lock up the America East Regular-Season title and give the team the No. 1 seed for the upcoming America East conference tournament.

Wildcats On A Roll Heading Into Bracketbusters

As the regular season winds down, the UNH men's basketball team finds itself in an unlikely position: fighting for a top four spot in the America East conference. Just over a month ago, all seemed lost for the Wildcats. Senior shooting guard Alvin Abreu was already done for the season with a torn ACL when rising star and sophomore Ferg Myrick tore his patellar tendon towards the end of a game versus Boston University. Myrick would also have to sit the rest of the season.

UNH, who already struggled to score in the first place, was all of a sudden without two of its leading scorers just two games into conference play. The 'Cats had already dropped both of those games and then lost four out of their next six contests without Myrick. 

But the team refused to give in on the season. Behind its usual staunch defense and the explosive scoring of senior guard Tyrone Conley, UNH has won four out of its last six games and sit at fifth place in a tightly contested contest for fourth place in the America East.

Trio of Milers Break 4:00

The Boston U. Track & Tennis Center will be the site of the 2011 America East Indoor Track & Field Championship meet February 18-19. On February 12, though, the venue played host to a race that set the stage, and a quick pace, for what may be one of the more exciting events at the upcoming championship.
 
Boston University hosted the Valentine Invitational Meet on Saturday at the Track and Tennis Center. At the meet, three America East men swept the podium in the mile run while posting sub-four-minute times. Binghamton senior Erik van Ingen set the pace with a time of 3:57.11, more than a full second faster than Maine junior Riley Masters, who clocked in at 3:58.17. Boston U. freshman Rich Peters took third place with a time of 3:58.26.

Each of the three runners set school records with their blistering times while also qualifying for the NCAA Championship Meet in College Station, Texas, March 11-12.


Watch more video of 2011 BU Valentine Invitational on flotrack.org

For complete results from the Valentine Invitational, click here.

Boston University Bracketbusters Preview

The America East conference tournament is only a few weeks away and teams are busily jockeying for position. The Boston University men’s basketball team has hit its stride with four straight wins and is second in the standings.

While no one can deny that the remaining conference contests are crucial, the Terriers must focus their attention for a few days on Bracket Buster opponent Canisius. The Golden Griffins have an overall record of 13-11, and are 7-7 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

The most intriguing difference between these two teams is the offense. The Terriers mainly rely on senior John Holland and junior Darryl Partin to lead the team in scoring, while the Golden Griffins have a much more balanced attack. Four players on Canisius average 11 points per game, with a fifth player averaging 9.9 ppg.

Great Story from Boston University

This is a tremendous video piece on Elliot Driben, who has seen over 5,000 Boston University games:

Vermont Pushes Winning Streak to 9

Vermont solidified its spot at the top of the America East standings, and earned at least a share of the America East Regular-Season championship with a 60-51 win over Binghamton. Here are some clips from the game:

Hartford Rolls, Boston U.'s Struggles Continue

WEST HARTFORD, Conn.-- The University of Hartford handed conference-giants Boston University their second-straight loss on Sunday, a 66-59 triumph for the hosts, who have now won five straight.

Hartford (11-14, 8-4) never trailed in a game in which they out-rebounded the Terriers (13-11, 10-2) by 19, by far their best rebounding differential of the season. BU allowed 45 boards en route to their second loss in five days, before which they were 10-0 in the America East.

Ruthanne Doherty lead the way for the Hawks with her third career double-double, grabbing 11 rebounds to go with her team-high 14 points. The only flaw in her game was her free throws, going 6-for-15 from the stripe while the rest of the team only missed one.

“In practice I’m confident, but in the games it’s a mental thing,” said Doherty of her struggles at the line. “I just have to get past that mental block.”

Boston University extends winning streak to 4

Boston University carried over its momentum from the Big Apple Battle with a comeback victory over Hartford. Head coach Pat Chambers, senior guard John Holland and junior guard Darryl Partin spoke after the 61-50 win:

Stony Brook Knocks Off Maine in OT Thriller

America East fans were treated to a thriller between Stony Brook and Maine, as the Seawolves picked up a 71-69 (OT) victory. The nationally televised game certainly lived up to its billing and here are some highlights from the great game: