America East Daily Word - January 20

Believe it or not, it’s almost lacrosse season.

You’re probably saying, “We haven’t even played the first half of the conference basketball season yet  and we’re already talking lacrosse?” 

We are talking lacrosse because Inside Lacrosse is talking about it. The magazine continues to break down America East squads as they prepare for the season. Having already dissected Vermont, Inside Lacrosse gave Albany and Stony Brook their turns today as we learned five things we should know about each team.

Stony Brook, under the direction of new head coach Jim Nagle, comes in ranked No. 29 in Inside Lacrosse’s preseason rankings. After a last second loss to Hartford in the America East title game last year, the Seawolves have a core of “well-rounded captains,” a transfer attack from Ohio State and a fresh attitude about the season ahead. Check out 

Stony Brook’s full preview from Inside Lacrosse, here.

Albany, meanwhile, comes in just one spot behind at No. 30 led by the Thompson Trio – Miles, Ty and Lyle. The latter is touted as one of the top freshmen in the country while Miles, Lyle’s brother, will run the Great Dane offense. And a season-opening game at Syracuse has all the Danes focused on starting 2012 with a “bang.” The rest of the Albany preview can be seen, here.

And if you want to catch up on the Vermont season preview, the write-up on the No. 35 Catamounts can be found, here.

When non-scholarship players earn significant playing time at a Division I program, there is almost always a great story attached to it. That is certainly the case with UMBC men’s basketball guard Ryan Cook. The Baltimore Sun ran a nice story about the player they call “Skittles” in Baltimore. Why? His tenacious defense that has him scurrying all over the court and “for craving the multi-colored candy.” After sitting out all of last season due to transfer rules and the first five games of this season, Cook is now starting for the Retrievers and earning serious minutes for Randy Monroe.

We had an extremely busy night on the hardwood Thursday – 16 America East hoops teams were in action – as we wind down the first wave of conference matchups.

We’ll start in Burlington for the ESPN3 broadcast of Albany and Vermont. Matt Glass delivered a “dagger” of a three-pointer with 30 seconds left to lift UVM over the Danes, 73-69. Read more from the Burlington Free Press and Times Union about one of the best games in conference play this year. The Vermont women played two players down at Albany and the Great Danes came away with a 65-47 win. Check out the highlights from this one…

Boston University swept New Hampshire on Thursday night with the men winning in Durham and the women doing the same in Boston. Darryl Partin scored 20 points for the Terriers as they collected their fifth straight win, 52-50 over UNH. Check out the recap from Foster’s Daily Democrat. The Terrier women defeated the Wildcats 79-39 at The Roof.

Elsewhere, Hartford earned a sweep of Maine and Binghamton split with UMBC as the women downed the Retrievers and the men fell at the RAC. The Hartford Courant hasmore from the Hawk men’s win and the WICZ has some highlights from the Events Center.

For the weekend’s complete schedule, check out AmericaEast.com.

Rivalry Renewed

2007 Championship Game

AExtra continues to preview the national broadcasts of America East basketball.

Albany vs. Vermont, 7 p.m. – ESPN3

Albany and Vermont have combined to win six (Vermont 4, Albany 2) out the last nine America East Championships with the two teams meeting twice to decide the league champion.

Both of the Great Danes’ title runs ended with victories over the Catamounts, in 2006 and 2007.

Thursday night’s action pits the league’s second-ranked scoring offense against the second-ranked scoring defense. Albany boasts one the conference’s most lethal scoring trios while Vermont is holding opponents to just over 62 points per game.

Combine the contrasting styles of play with the history between these two teams and expect a championship atmosphere in Burlington.

AExtra talked with UVM’s John Becker and UAlbany’s Will Brown about the game, the season and the rivalry.

Will Brown on practice the  last two days...

"I thought we defended well enough to win [at Boston U.] but it was the first time since our George Mason game I felt we didn’t score enough points to win.  We were out of sync offensively and we got very impatient and couldn’t get in a rhythm. Now, we’ve just been trying to get as familiar as possible with Vermont, getting our guys to understand their personnel and their schemes."

John Becker on bouncing back against Maine…

"It was great to see our guys respond lie that against very good Maine team. We played much better defensively, had good balance at the offensive end and it was great to bounce back after the UNH game. Our fans really got the guys going, it was a great atmosphere and a big win for us."

Will Brown on what to expect from Vermont…

"What impresses me the most [about Vermont] is how efficient they are offensively. They get more lay-ups than any other team in the league, they don’t shoot a lot of jump shots and they try to get the shot they want every single time down the floor. They are also very good at pounding the offensive glass and limiting you to one shot. I have a feeling this going to be one of those games where we try to get out and force tempo and they’ll try to slowly dissect us, pound the ball inside and get lay-ups."

John Becker on preparing for Albany’s high-powered offense…

Brendan Bald

"We have to have great team defense. A lot like Maine, which is talented  offensively at the guard position, I see a lot of similarities between the two teams. Suero is putting up the biggest numbers but we’ve played against Aronhalt and Black and we know how good they are. We’re going to have to continue what we started against Maine on Monday and have another focused team effort against a very talented Albany team. "

Will Brown on the spirited rivalry…

"I don’t expect that to change [Thursday night]. We have been involved in some important games over the years. Patrick Gymnasium – they always have good crowd support and they always play well at home – and I expect both teams to give a great effort."

John Becker on the rivalry…

"Anytime we play Albany our players and our fans are up for the game. They are a very good team, they’re really scoring the ball and I expect a really tough and competitive game on Thursday.

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The latest chapter in the Albany-Vermont rivalry goes down on ESPN3 Thursday night from Patrick Gym in Burlington."

America East Daily Word - January 19

While Thursday night’s ESPN3 game between Vermont and Albany is grabbing the major headlines, there are other games on the docket this evening with plenty of intrigue attached. 

The Hartford and Maine men matchup in Orono should be a spirited contest in a rematch of a quarterfinal game in last season’s tournament. The Hawks took all three meetings with the Black Bears last year including that quarterfinal game and have won three of four overall to sit just ahead of Maine in the league standings. This matchup goes down in “The Pit” in Orono and the Bangor Daily News has some pregame coverage. 

Another game to watch out for on the men’s side is Boston U. at New Hampshire. Boston U.’s last loss before rattling off 11 straight to close out last season came to New Hampshire in Durham. The Daily Free Press elaborates on that loss and how the Terriers aim to not let it happen again. New Hampshire, meanwhile, closes out a stretch of games against the top four teams in the conference standings with tonight’s tilt. 

The Boston U. versus New Hampshire women’s game in Boston has also shaped up to be an exciting one. Mo Moran and company are the only conference unbeaten standing while New Hampshire has played well against the likes of Hartford and UMBC. Expect a quality game from The Roof tonight. The Daily Free Press has more. 

And then we’ve got the Catamounts and Great Danes on ESPN3 in what many in the Albany camp are calling a “must-win” game. The headlines out of the New York state capital deal with Gerardo Suero bouncing back after a rough showing in Boston on Monday. The junior transfer is still fourth in the country in scoring. UVM understands the importance of this one, as well, sitting just percentage points behind the Danes in the standings. The Times Union and Troy Record have all the pregame coverage from Albany and, per usual, John Fantino has the Burlington Free Press coverage.

For the complete schedule and live coverage links, head over to AmericaEast.com.

Let’s take a step away from the playing surface now and congratulate UMBC senior Curtis Schickner on being named the Vice Chair of the National SAAC last week. In this impressive role, he’ll be more visible on a national level and will serve on NCAA legislative groups to share his insight from an America East student-athlete perspective. A pitcher on the Retriever baseball team, Schickner is also the America East representative to National SAAC.

America East Daily Word - January 18

Last winter, things didn’t work out for Morgan Frame at Division II St. Anselm College.

But now, after sitting out the first eight New Hampshire games, things couldn’t be working any better for Frame, who now dons a Wildcat uniform.

Frame is averaging nearly 18 points per game since becoming a regular in Maureen Magarity’s lineup just before Christmas. In just her second game for UNH, she scored 35 points and grabbed 12 rebounds – off the bench. That’s deserving of a feature article.

Steve Solloway of the Portland Press Herald in Maine agreed. The Maine native and former Miss Maine Basketball, Frame was featured in an article by Solloway on Wednesday recapping her brief time at St. Anselm and breaking down her immediate impact on New Hampshire.

Magarity has noticed the impact of Frame and so has senior Denise Beliveau.

"I'm so proud of (Frame)," Beliveau said in the article. "She gave us all a lot of confidence when she was able to start playing."

Solloway calls Frame a “lean and athletic dynamo with a limitless supply of headbands…and nail polish.”

Don’t let her painted fingers and bright headbands fool you, though. When she steps on the court, in the words of her head coach, “she’s a beast.” 

You can read the full article about Frame, here.

We’ll stay on the hardwood, now, and check out the only game on the docket last night – UMBC versus Hartford on the men’s side. It rained threes for the Hawks as they connected on 11 triples and came away with a 74-57 win over the Retrievers. The Hartford Courant wraps up Hartford’s third conference win of the season and check out some highlights.

The Major League Soccer Supplemental Draft took place yesterday, as well, and UMBC’s Andrew Bulls was selected by the Columbus Crew in the fourth round. A three-time All-America East player, Bulls finished his Retriever career with 33 goals and 30 assists.

America East continues its basketball television schedule tomorrow evening when the Albany men head to Vermont to take on the Catamounts. That game will be broadcasted on ESPN3. Check out the video promo.

Albany vs. Boston U. - A Look Back

Albany and Boston U. squared off in the first America East basketball game televised on the CBS Sports Network on Monday. Let's take a look back and some of the sights and sounds from the Terriers' win at Agganis Arena.

America East Daily Word

We had a busy night on the hardwood last night with seven games on the docket and some good ones at that. Today’ Daily Word will take you through those games – recaps and highlights – and bring you up to speed on the latest in America East hoops.

Let’s lead things off in Albany in a battle between two women’s teams undefeated in conference play. Boston U., sitting at 4-0, made the trek west on I-90 to take on the 5-0 Great Danes.

Albany stormed out of the gates and went into the locker room leading the Terriers by five. Boston U., however, made some key runs in the second outscoring the Danes by nine in the frame to get out of Albany with a 58-54 win.

“They played until the end,” Albany coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson said postgame about her team’s effort. “If you are going to play at our house, at our gym, if you ever play Albany you are in for a fight.”

Mo Moran led Boston U. with 17 points while Ebone Henry paced Albany, also with 17 points.

The Times Union wrapped this one up from Albany and you can take a look at some highlights, here.

Elsewhere on the women’s circuit last night, Maine picked up its first conference win of the year handing Vermont a 70-60 loss in Orono. Vermont played without the services of reigning conference player of the week Lauren Buschmann while Maine had four players score in double figures. The Burlington Free Press and Bangor Daily News recap the action in Orono and you can watch some highlights, here.

New Hampshire continued its winning ways thanks to a nice night from Denise Beliveau (18 points) as the Wildcats earned a 10-point win at home against Stony Brook. Foster’s Daily Democrat has more.

Another big game on the women’s side was an afternoon matinee between UMBC and Hartford in Baltimore. UMBC had to rally from an early 13-point deficit but took care of business late against the Hawks.

Vermont, Stony Brook and Boston University all picked up wins last night on the men’s side. UVM shot past Maine at Patrick Gym in Burlington, 79-65. John Fantino has the story and CatamounTV has the highlights.

Stony Brook rebounded from its loss to Boston U. over the weekend to collect a win at home against UNH. Tommy Brenton and Al Rapier powered the Seawolves.



And on national television, Boston U. used a pair of runs to get past Albany, 70-57. D.J. Irving scored 17 points and handed out 6 assists to lead the Terriers to their fourth straight win. Check out the recap from the Boston Herald.

We’ve got one game on tap tonight as Hartford hosts UMBC in 7 p.m. tip from West Hartford.

Danes and Terriers Battle on CBS Sports Network

AExtra continues its previews for the national broadcasts of America East basketball.

Albany vs. Boston University – 7 p.m., CBS Sports Network

The league’s two top scorers go head-to-head tonight.

And that showdown between Albany’s Gerardo Suero and Boston U.’s Darryl Partin will be in front of a national television audience.

Boston U. has won the last five against Albany but the Great Danes were without the likes of the nation’s fourth-leading scorer. And tonight, Suero and company head into Agganis Arena to take on Partin and the Terriers.

Winners of seven of their last nine, Albany battles a Boston University team that has won three straight and 13 in a row against conference opponents at home.

We talked with Terrier head coach Joe Jones and Albany bench boss Will Brown about what is sure to be an exciting one on Comm. Ave. tonight.

Joe Jones on a tough win against Stony Brook on Saturday…

“I was really happy and pleased. Stony Brook is one of the toughest teams in our league. They really compete and battle on the glass, like no other. So, although they outrebounded us, I was  really pleased with our effort.”

Will Brown on his team’s defensive effort against Maine…

“We knew on paper that Maine as well as us were two of the best offensive teams in the league, so I thought it would come down to stops and we got stops down the stretch when it mattered. But we’ve still got to continue to get better on defense and that’s really all we’ve been working on in practice.

Joe Jones on preparing for Albany’s offense…

“First of all, the kid Suero, I’m speechless. After watching him on film, I’m speechless, he’s terrific. But Aronhalt and Black are really dangerous players. I really think they have a chance to have all three of those guys all-league players this year…We’ve really got try hard to keep them out of the lane but they also shoot the ball well, so we’ll have our hands full there’s no doubt.

Will Brown on what to expect from Boston U…

“Coach Jones has got four starters back from an NCAA Tournament team so it’s a veteran group and anytime you’ve got three seniors logging heavy minutes in Hazel, Griffin and Partin and you’ve got a great floor general in Irving, you’re going to win an awful lot of games. I think we have to do a really good job keeping Irving out the lane and making Partin work for his buckets and then do a good job on the glass…I think it’s a game we are very capable of winning but we also know BU is very good and we have to play very well to win.

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You can watch all the action between two of the hottest teams in America East on CBS Sports Network starting at 7 p.m.

Not sure what channel that is in your area? Use the CBS Sports Network channel finder to find out.

Remembering Dr. King's Time at Boston University

AP Photo/Charles Knoblock

He was a man with a dream that changed the world.

And one current America East campus helped him shape that dream.

The son of a minister from Atlanta, Martin Luther King Jr. received his PhD in systematic theology from Boston University in the spring of 1955. While studying at the Comm. Ave. campus, King could often be found playing basketball with one of his good friends, Cornish Rogers.

The Boston Globe published a great piece today about the relationship between Rogers and King and their time together at Boston U. Rogers recalls how King played hoops in his leather dress shows and how people followed him all over the campus.

"He was always well dressed, and I’m not sure he even owned sneakers," Rogers said in the article. “But we’d be out on the court and you could hear his hard leather shoes clicking along...click-click-click across the wooden floor."

You can read Kevin Paul Dupont’s article, here.

Boston University will host several events to honor its noted alumnus including today’s remembrance ceremony which is one of the largest ceremonies held in Boston and Wednesday’s panel discussion to commemorate his legacy.

All the events held at Boston University can be found, here.