Inside the Top Performances of the Year So Far: Women's Basketball

Yesterday we took a look at some of the top individual performances of the season so far in men's basketball. We relived Justin Edwards' 30 point game, Jordan Reed pulling down 18 rebounds and more. Today, we'll take a look at what's happened in women's basketball so far. Let's get it all started with another 30 point game.

The 30-Club

Chantell Alford has been torching opponents all season. But in game number two, a near victory over West Virginia, Alford had her best performance to date, netting 30 points on the strength of six three-pointers. The senior guard accounted for more than half of Boston U.'s 57 points and kicked in nine rebounds to top off her night. Her performance nearly carried the Terriers a signature win (one of those would come later on versus St. John's), but the Mountaineers were able to erase a five-point halftime deficit to pull out a win on the road.

From Downtown

Just four days ago Lindsey Lowrie went bonkers from outside the arc to help Albany win its fifth straight game. The conference's second-leading three-point shooter (making 2.9 per game), Lowrie connected seven times in 13 attempts to account for all 21 of her points. Lowrie led the Great Danes in scoring and matched Canisius' three-point makes by herself. It was an easy win for Albany and a highlight in what has been an excellent season for Lowrie so far.

The Charity Stripe

Vaneeshia Paulk had a conference best 15 free throw attempts earlier this season versus Canisius and she made the most of the opportunity. Netting 11 of those 15 attempts, Paulk led the Bearcats in scoring and set a career-high in points with 17 overall. Paulk also hauled in six rebounds, but in the end it wasn't enough for Binghamton to get past Canisius.

Chairwoman of the Boards

Coming into the year as a preseason all-conference selection, we knew that Julie Forster could rebound. She racked up eight double-doubles a season ago. In her first game of the 2012-13 season, Forster came out swinging. Racking up 18 boards, including six offensive, Forster also turned in 16 points while playing all 40 minutes for Albany. Unfortunately for the Great Danes, an off shooting night led to a season-opening defeat. However, they seem to have since recovered.

Precision Passing

Two guards this year have notched double-figures in assists so far. Mo Moran most recently and Lauren Chase in her third game of the year both had 10 assists in winning efforts. For Moran, her dimes came in a big victory over cross-town rival Harvard. Not only that, but the senior guard only turned the ball over three times, running the offense with great efficiency and assisting on nearly half of Boston U.'s field goals.

Chase's effort was a part of a point guard double-double, as the sophomore also led UMBC in scoring with 22 points. That night, Chase did everything you could ask your point guard to do: she got her teammates involved, she scored, she got to the free-throw line (10 for 11) and she got in the passing lanes (two steals). The effort helped the Retrievers win their first game of the year.






Linked Up

The America East has teamed up with Enthuse for a fan loyalty rewards program.

With seven boards last night, Stony Brook senior Tommy Brenton became the program's all-time leading rebounder. Congrats!

John Fantino of the Burlington Free Press previews tonight's men's basketball matchup with Dartmouth.

New Hampshire athletes ran a successful toy drive.

In case you missed it, the Hartford men's basketball team (along with many other teams) participated in a campus talent show.