The Friday Fives

Another week come and gone, fans. Conference play is now in full swing and we've seen some great games so far this season. Let's get the weekend started with another edition of the Friday Fives.

Top Plays



Marquee Matchups - 1/12

MBB: Hartford at Stony Brook, 2 p.m.

One of the biggest matchups of the early season -- Hartford is trying to go 4-0 to start conference play and Stony Brook is out to prove it is the top dog in the America East. This one will be fun.

WBB: Stony Brook at Hartford, 2, p.m.

Basketball is alive and well at both of these schools, as Stony Brook looks to continue its strong start in conference play with a win against a Hartford squad that was featured in national mid-major polls for much of the non-conference slate.

MBB: UMBC at Vermont, 3 p.m.

Both of these teams are out to prove something in this game -- for UMBC, it's about following up a win over New Hampshire with another against the preseason favorite, something that would be a huge statement for the Retrievers. For Vermont, it's about following up a tough road loss by winning on its home court, which the Catamounts do so well.

WBB: Binghamton at Boston U., 1:00 p.m.

The Bearcats began conference play by knocking off one of the preseason favorites in Hartford, can they do it again on the road against the Terriers? Boston U. has looked extremely impressive to open up conference play and certainly is striving for a regular season crown.

MBB: Maine at Albany, 7:30 p.m.

Albany bounced back after dropping the Vermont game with a big win over Binghamton. Now the Great Danes will have to deal with a Maine team that is lost a back and forth contest to red-hot Hartford. The Black Bears are serious contenders this year and these two teams are in for a battle.

Comfortable in Conference

Five players that are off to a great start in America East play. Keep in mind this not a "Top five". Just an observation through conference play to date.

Men

Mark Nwakamma (Hart): (3 games) 19.7 PPG (67.7% FG; 73.3% FT), 5 RPG, 1.3 BPG

Jameel Warney (SBU): (2 games) 15.5 PPG (80% FG), 6 RPG, 3.5 BPG

Justin Edwards (Maine): (3 games) 14.7 PPG, 5.3 APG, 1.3 SPG

Jimmy Gray (Bing): (3 games) 15.7 PPG (46.2% 3PG), 3.0 APG, 37.3 MPG

D.J. Irving (BU): (3 games) 17.3 PPG (78.6% FT), 3.7 APG, 2 SPG

Women

Ebone Henry (Alb): (2 games) 20 PPG (50% 3FG), 8 RPG,3.5 SPG, 3 APG

Rashidat Agboola (BU): (3 games) 16 PPG (51.3% FG), 8 RPG, 2 BPG

Cari Reed (UNH): (3 games) 14 PPG (100% FT), 9.3 RPG, 1.3 3PT-FG/G

Chikilra Goodman (SBU): (3 games) 13.5 PPG (66.7% FG), 5.7 RPG, 3 APG, 1.7 SPG

Shereesha Richards (Alb): (2 games) 15 PPG (76.5 FG), 8.5 RPG, 2.5 ORPG

Linked Up

A behind the scenes look at the academic side of things brought to you by the Stony Brook women's basketball team.

Stony Brook men's lacrosse midfielder Jeff Tundo is projected as the 29th pick of the fourth round in this year's MLL Draft according to Quint Kessenich's latest mock draft for Inside Lacrosse.

The Press and Sun takes a look at former Binghamton pitcher Scott Diamond as he gets ready to follow up his breakout 2012 with the Minnesota Twins.

Boston U. men's soccer player Michael Bustamante was invited to the 2013 MLS draft combine.

In case you missed it, men's basketball player Nake Sikma was last week's Hartford Mooyah Player of the Week.

Sixth Man Series: Albany Women's Basketball

To kick off our coverage of conference play in America East basketball, the Sixth Man series will be running over the next few weeks. We reached out to the student media at each of our nine institutions for guest posts on men's and women's basketball. Today, we have Phil Joseph, a student writer from Albany, talking about the women's team. A big thanks to Phil for participating!

For the UAlbany Women’s basketball team, 2012 was certainly a year to remember. And 2013 looks to be just as bright -- if not brighter -- for the Great Danes.

Megan Craig

UAlbany closes out 2012 with a 9-3 record, all in non-conference play. The 2012-13 season got off to a bittersweet start in the season opener at SEFCU Arena on Friday, November 9th, as the celebration of the America East Conference title was spoiled by 19 turnovers and poor shooting from the field -- despite a double-double from forward Julie Forster (16 points, 18 rebounds) -- in a 60-43 loss to Fordham. The Great Danes would bounce back on the following Tuesday with a 67-50 win over Long Island.

The Great Danes then traveled to Michigan for their first road trip of the season. They defeated Western Michigan, 68-54, in Kalamazoo. The Danes were led by senior guard Lindsey Lowrie, who had 17 points (including 5-9 from behind the 3-point line). Three days later, they fell to Michigan State in East Lansing, 67-35.

Albany returned home on November 24^th and defeated Dartmouth, 62-49, behind a career-high 27 points from sophomore center Megan Craig. This victory began a 6-game winning streak for the Great Danes. Four days later, the Danes dropped NJIT, 76-41, behind a strong game by senior Ebone Henry, who scored 21 points (in addition to 8 rebounds, 4 assists and a steal) off the bench.

Then it was on to the Albany Cup on December 1^st and the Great Danes went on to defeat their crosstown rival Siena Saints for the third consecutive year. Lowrie and Craig each had 12 points in the 65-48 victory at the Times Union Center. This game started a long road trip, but the traveling did not seem to slow down the Great Danes. They defeated La Salle in Philadelphia, 75-36, knocked off Canisius in Buffalo, 65-43, and beat Delaware State in Dover, 75-57.

Albany then went to California for the Long Beach Classic. It was there that its winning streak was snapped in a 71-68 overtime loss to Sam Houston State in the first round, despite a career-high 29 points from Henry. In this game, Forster became the program’s all-time leading rebounder. The Danes bounced back in a 67-47 win over Canisius in the third place game of the Long Beach Classic. Henry and freshman forward Shareesha Richards combined for 35 points to lead Albany in the victory.

Ebone Henry, the two-time reigning America East Defensive Player of the Year, is certainly having a fine season, leading the team in scoring with 14.0 points per game. Craig also contributes with 12.1 points per game and 5.3 rebounds per game. Forster leads the team in rebounding, averaging 8.9 per game and Lowrie continues to thrive from behind the three-point line, shooting 39.4 percent to lead the Great Danes, a team that is favored to repeat as America East Conference Champions. (Editor's note: stats updated to be current as of 1/10/13)

The Great Danes start off conference play against UMBC on January 2^nd, then face Binghamton on the 5^th. Then, Albany returns home to take on Maine (1/12), New Hampshire (1/16) and Hartford (1/19). They conclude January by traveling to Boston University (1/23), hosting Vermont (1/26) and heading to Stony Brook (1/30). February begins with the 16^th Annual Big Purple Growl against Binghamton (2/02), then UMBC (2/06). They hit the road for Maine (2/09) and Hartford (2/17). The Great Danes host Boston University (2/21), then travel to Vermont (2/24) and New Hampshire (2/27). UAlbany closes out the season on March 2^nd against Stony Brook.

Box Scores, Recaps and Highlights

Men's Basketball

at Hartford 68, Maine 61: Box/Recap/Highlights

• Top Performer
• Mark Nwakamma (Hart): 23 points (10-17 FG; 2-3 3FG; 1-4 FT), 7 rebounds, 8 assists
• Big Stat
• In a close game, which this was the whole time, every single bucket makes a difference. For Hartford, the contributions they got off of the bench made a huge impact in the win. Wes Cole and John Peterson combined for 13 points off of the bench compared to the Maine bench which only produced two points. 
• X-Factor
• This wasn't Justin Edwards best game of the year (3-11 FG), but the sophomore still found a way to net 17 points, mostly by getting to the free throw line. Edwards went 11-14 from the charity stripe, proving he can find a way to score when defenses shut him down from the field. Also give props to Jon Mesghna for his sharp shooting, which included a five of seven showing from downtown (17 total points).
• Local Media
• Hartford Courant
• Bangor Daily News

at UMBC 68, New Hampshire 57: Box/Recap/Highlights

• Top Performer
• Ryan Cook (UMBC): 21 points (7-11 FG; 1-4 3FG; 6-9 FT), 8 rebounds, 2 assists
• Big Stat
• UMBC shoots just about 40 percent from the field as a team for the year. But in this game the Retrievers were very efficient from the floor, shooting 51.1 percent for the game. UMBC also made a noticeable adjustment at the half, cutting down on the three-point attempts and getting better looks. As a result, the Retrievers closed out the game shooting 54.2 percent in the second half.
• X-Factor
• Brett Roseboro stuffed the stat sheet for UMBC, as the transfer big man continues to be a contributor. On six of 12 shooting from the field, Roseboro racked up 13 points to go with seven boards, three blocks and a steal.
• Local Media
• Seacoast Online

Stony Brook 62, at Binghamton, 37: Box/Recap/Highlights

• Top Performer
• Jameel Warney (SBU): 13 points (5-7 FG; 3-4 FT), 8 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 assists
• Big Stat
• While Warney was the top score with 13 points, Stony Brook had eight different players score, including double-digit efforts from Marcus Rouse (12 points) and Leonard Hayes (11 points). The Seawolves continue to bring a balanced attack as conference plays rolls along.
• X-Factor
• Tommy Brenton continues to control games without the number of shots that a star usually takes. Brenton only had four points, but he also led Stony Brook in assists (5) while only committing one turnover -- a typically efficient game for the senior. The Seawolves all-time leading rebound also pulled down eight boards and had a pair of steals.
• Local Media
• Newsday
• Press and Sun

Women's Basketball

at Boston U. 58, Vermont 30: Box/Recap/Highlights

• Top Performer
• Chantell Alford (BU): 11 points (4-11 FG; 3-6 3FG), 6 rebounds, 6 steals, 2 blocks, 1 assist
• Big Stat
• The Boston U. defense was outstanding in this one, holding Vermont to just 24.4 percent shooting for the contest. Only Tierra Shumpert (12 points) was able to to get comfortable on offense for the Catamounts.
• X-Factor
• Rashidat Agboola followed up her great weekend with another solid game last night. The forward chipped in 13 points on five of 10 shooting to go along with seven boards, two assists, a steal and a block.
• Local Media
• Burlington Free Press

at Stony Brook 56, Binghamton 34: Box/Recap/Highlights

• Top Performer
• Chikilra Goodman (SBU): 16 points (7-9 FG; 2-2 3FG), 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 assist
• Big Stat
• The Stony Brook defense limited Binghamton to just four assists on 12 field goals for the game, taking the Bearcats completely out of their offensive flow. While limiting those scoring opportunities, the Seawolves also forced 19 turnovers from Binghamton.
• X-Factor
• Jessica Previlon threw up a double-double (10 pts, 10 reb) on five of eight shooting from the field and the forward continues to be a force on the glass.
• Local Media
• Newsday
• Press and Sun

at New Hampshire 63, UMBC 62: Box/Recap/Highlights

• Top Performer
• Morgan Frame (UNH): 20 points (8-11 FG; 4-6 FT), 12 rebounds, 2 assists
• Big Stat
• After shooting a respectable 40 percent in the first half, New Hampshire took it up a notch by shooting 60.9 percent in the second half as it outscored UMBC 37-32. Frame was essential to this run, as was guard Cari Reed (14 points, 5-7 FG).
• X-Factor
• UMBC's backcourt trio of Bria White (22 points), Brittany Crowell (17 points) and Raven Harris (13 points) all had excellent games. However each of them played the full 40 minutes, which is a possible explanation for the 38.7 percent shooting performance in the second half.
• Local Media
• Foster's Daily Democrat

Hartford 52, at Maine 37: Box/Recap

• Top Performer
• Nikkia Smith (Hart): 15 points (7-10 FG; 0-1 3FG; 1-1 FT), 8 rebounds, 3 steals, 1 assist, 1 block
• Big Stat
• Maine's Danielle Walczak got her buckets (15 points on 6-13 FG), but the rest of the team shot just 29.6 percent, as Hartford's defense was able to put the clamp down.
• X-Factor
• Hawks' guard Alyssa Englert played a solid game, combined eight points (3-6 FG) with five assists and no turnovers and she ran the offense seamlessly.
• Local Media
• Bangor Daily News

Linked Up

The Boston U. women are sixth in Graham Hays' ESPN.com Mid-Major Top-10.

The Boston Herald has a feature on the climbing Terriers women's basketball team.

Maine basketball is looking to play home games at the new Cross Insurance Center in Bangor.

Check out this picture of the first Stony Brook men's basketball team, taken 50 years ago.

Bob Lipman, the voice of New Hampshire football, has been named the New Hampshire Sportscaster of the Year.

The Sixth Man Series: Binghamton Men's Basketball

To kick off our coverage of conference play in America East basketball, the Sixth Man series will be running over the next few weeks. We reached out to the student media at each of our nine institutions for guest posts on men's and women's basketball. Today, we have Ari Kramer from Binghamton talking about the men's team. Ari is the man behind the Bearcats Basketball Blog and you can also follow him on Twitter (@BinghamtonBBall). A big thanks to Ari for participating!

There’s no way around the truth: 2012-13 has been, and will continue to be, a rebuilding year for Binghamton, which went 2-29 a season ago.

Jimmy Gray

The Bearcats have had their share of struggles under new head coach Tommy Dempsey, winning just two games — one of which was against Division III Marywood — and entering Wednesday night’s matchup with Stony Brook on a nine-game skid.

But even though the 2-13 record indicates that not much has changed since last year, Binghamton has made some solid progress since the preseason.

“I think when we started we were just throwing so much at them that it was hard,” Dempsey said. “I’ve said before that although the results haven’t been there, I think the quality of basketball both defensively and offensively has improved.”

The emergence of freshman Jordan Reed has been critical for the Bearcats on both ends of the floor. With explosive leaping ability and a relentless motor, the 6-foot-3 guard leads the team with 16.6 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. He has not been the most efficient scorer, but he has reached double-figures in each of the 13 games he has played — something the offensively-challenged Bearcats certainly have not taken for granted.

Senior Jimmy Gray is the only other Bearcat averaging double-digits in scoring, posting 11.3 points per game as the team’s point guard. Dempsey initially wanted Gray to alternate with junior transfer Rayner Moquete at the one and two, but plans have changed.

“As I’ve gotten to know my team better, I think it’s very important that we have the ball in Jimmy’s hands,” Dempsey said.

Gray has been the team’s best distributor, averaging 3.8 assists per game and frequently connecting with Reed for alley-oops. But in general, Dempsey said his team’s distributing has been “brutal.” The Bearcats rank No. 329 nationally with just 43.8 percent of their made field goals coming off assists. That’s partially due to Reed, who primarily scores by taking his man off the dribble, but Dempsey said his players don’t always see and execute the proper passes.

“I would really like to see our assist numbers grow because I think your assist numbers are a direct reflection of the quality of shots that you’re getting,” he said.

The Bearcats have garnered the reputation of a relentless team that refuses to quit — they play with energy even in the face of a blowout. Against Cornell, Binghamton trailed by 22 points in the second half. Last year’s Bearcats probably would have dazed through the final 14 minutes of such a game, but this year’s team did not surrender, fighting all the way back before losing by two. Though they don't always stage a comeback, the Bearcats almost always play hard until the final buzzer.

Knowing they have improved and played hard does not necessarily remedy the lack of wins, according to Dempsey. Wins boost morale — coming close doesn’t after a few times.

“Being experienced as a head coach, this team is getting better,” Dempsey said. “But I think, as players, sometimes you need to see some wins to believe that.”

Box Scores, Recaps and Highlights

at Boston U. 63, Vermont 53: Box/Recap/Highlights

• Top Performer
• Dom Morris (BU): 17 points (7-11 FG; 3-5 FT), 10 rebounds, 1 assist
• Big Stat
• Vermont fell to just 2-6 when it allows more than 60 points. It didn't look like it would be that way after the first half, when Vermont led 24-22, but Boston U. caught fire in the second half. The Terriers shot 54.5 percent from the field and racked up 41 points in the final 20 minutes.
• X-Factor
• Sandro Carissimo hit a bit of a dry spell towards the end of the non-conference slate, going five straight games without reaching double figures in scoring. He had 17 points in the loss last night and has now scored 10 or more points in three of his last four games (12 ppg). The Catamounts are counting on that kind of production from their veteran. 
• Local Media
• Burlington Free Press
• Boston.com 

Linked Up

Two former New Hampshire men's basketball players are making a difference in the Boston community.

In case you want some more Binghamton analysis, the Binghamton Basketball Blog has a preview of tonight's game versus Stony Brook.

Hartford is hosting a pair of Educational Game Days, bringing in over 1,500 elementary school children to the game today versus Maine.

The Stony Brook women's lacrosse team is Lacrosse Magazine's No. 18 team coming into the season.

Albany has signed a world-ranked tennis player from Spain.

What's Next?

The men from Hartford and Maine got an early start in Hartford today, with the Hawks coming away victorious 68-61.

Men's Basketball

New Hampshire at UMBC, 7 p.m.

Stony Brook at Binghamton, 7 p.m.

Women's Basketball

Vermont at Boston U., 5 p.m.

UMBC at New Hampshire, 7 p.m.

Binghamton at Stony Brook, 7 p.m.

Hartford at Maine, 7:30 p.m. 

The Sixth Man Series: UMBC Men's Basketball

To kick off our coverage of conference play in America East basketball, the Sixth Man series will be running over the next few weeks. We reached out to the student media at each of our nine institutions for guest posts on men's and women's basketball. Today, we have Dan Levin, a student writer at UMBC, talking about the men's team. A big thanks to Dan for participating!

Senior guard Ryan Cook

When the head coach of your men’s basketball team resigns just two days before the official start of practice, it’s not hard to imagine the team collapsing even before they hit the floor. But former assistant and acting Head Coach Aki Thomas has kept the Retrievers from doing just that and despite the losing record, this team has the potential to be very good.

During the non-conference slate we’ve seen two different Retriever teams. The team we saw in overtime losses to American and Central Connecticut State is extremely competitive and has the talent to make a run in the America East. Freshman point guard Aaron Morgan has at times played above his years and the biggest issue there has been the back up where sophomores Joey Getz and Jarrel Lane continue to battle injuries.

Junior transfer Brett Roseboro holds down the middle for UMBC and after struggling out of the gates, has really gotten his game legs under him. Roseboro sat out last year after transferring from St. Bonaventure and the year before didn’t get much playing time behind Andrew Nicholson who was drafted by the Orlando Magic. Now getting serious playing time in every outing, Roseboro has three double-doubles in his last five games.

Preseason all-conference player Chase Plummer has had a rough start to the year and UMBC needs him to get going especially on the offensive end. Picking up his slack is senior Ryan Cook who leads the America East with 17.8 points per game and stands eighth with seven rebounds per game. (Editor's note: Cook is now third in scoring with 16.2 ppg and 11th in rebounding with 6.3 rpg).

A fairly veteran team that remains young at key positions (point guard), UMBC has the ability to make a serious run in America East play especially with Roseboro in the middle. If Plummer can play at the level we saw last season, look out for the Retrievers come March.

Box Scores, Recaps and Highlights

Men's Basketball

Albany 71, at Binghamton 59: Box/Recap/Highlights

• Top Performer
• Sam Rowley (Alb.): 21 points (8-9 FG; 5-5 FT), 13 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal
• Big Stat
• Albany's front court was phenomenal in this game, especially on a night when Mike Black and Jacob Iati (3-22 FG) struggled from the field. The Great Danes starting duo of Rowley and John Puk combined for 34 points and Luke Devlin came off the bench and chipped in 12 points as well.
• X-Factor
• It may get lost in the shuffle, but what a game by Taylor Johnston of Binghamton. The lefty came out of the gates on fire, including three treys in the opening five minutes. Johnston ended the night with a career high 22 points.
• Local Media
• Press and Sun
• Albany Times Union
• Troy Record

Linked Up

Speaking of Sam Rowley, he was mentioned as a top performer on ESPN.com last night.

Check out the newest UMBC Coaches' Corner with women's basketball coach Phil Stern.

Former New Hampshire men's basketball coach Jim Boylan has been named the interim coach of the Milwaukee Bucks.

UMBC Athletics' Hall of Famer and former men's lacrosse player Dan Marohl has been named one of three captains for the Baltimore Bombers of the North American Lacrosse League (NALL).

Stony Brook football player Kevin Norrell will play in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl. 

What's Next?

Just one game tonight as Vermont will travel to Boston U. for a 7 p.m. start in men's basketball.

AEC Rewind

Alasdair Fraser

The first full weekend of conference basketball is in the books, and what a beautiful thing it is. There's just something about conference play, with everything on the line each game, that is special. We had some excellent games this weekend and some even better performances. Let's take a look back at each game in today's AEC Rewind.

Men's Basketball

Hartford 77, at Boston U. 74: Box/Recap/Highlights

• Top Performer
• Nate Sikma (Hart): 19 points (5-11 FG; 3-8 3-PT; 6-6 FT), 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, 1 steal.
• Big Stat
• Hartford won this game at the foul line, going a perfect 17 for 17 from the charity stripe. On the other side, the Terriers missed four free ones. 

at Maine 81, UMBC 66: Box/Recap/Highlights

• Top Performer
• Alasdair Fraser (Maine): 17 points (7-12 FG; 1-2 3-PT; 2-5 FT), 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks.
• Big Stat
• Maine's entire starting lineup finished the game in double figures, out scoring UMBC's starters 70-39. Also give props to Black Bear point guard Xavier Pollard for running the offense efficiently, racking up seven assists while committing no turnovers.
• Local Media
• Bangor Daily News

at Stony Brook 65, New Hampshire 49: Box/Recap

• Top Performer
• Jameel Warney (SBU): 18 points (7-8 FG; 4-7 FT), 4 rebounds, 4 blocks.
• Big Stat
• While Stony Brook only had one scorer in double figures, it had 10 different players get into the scoring column, compared to seven for New Hampshire. Of those 10 players, four of them scored at least nine points.
• Local Media
• Newsday

at Vermont 70, Albany 45: Box/Recap/Highlights

• Top Performer
• Trey Blue (UVM): 15 points (7-10 FG; 1-1 FT), 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block.
• Big Stat
• Vermont came out on fire, shooting 62.5 percent from the floor in the first half to lead 35-19. Combined with the excellent shooting, Vermont's defense was again stellar, as it moved to 7-0 when holding its opposition under 60 points.
• Local Media
• Burlington Free Press
• Albany Times Union

Women's Basketball

Boston U. 45, at Hartford 39: Box/Recap/Highlights

• Top Performer
• Rashidat Agboola (BU): 26 points (11-21 FG; 4-5 FT), 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks.
• Big Stat
• Boston U. had a great defensive effort to win despite making a season low two three-pointers. The Terriers make nearly near per contest on the year, so getting the win on an off-shooting day was huge.

Albany 72, at Binghamton 47: Box/Recap/Highlights

• Top Performer
• Shereesha Richards (ALB): 18 points (8-10 FG; 2-3 FT), 6 rebounds, 1 steal.
• Big Stat
• Albany held the Bearcats to just 29.6 percent shooting in the second half, which was key to extending the lead, as Binghamton trailed by just nine points going into the half.
• Local Media
• Troy Record
• Press and Sun

at UMBC 54, Maine 50: Box/Recap

• Top Performer
• Bria White (UMBC): 15 points (6-15 FG; 1-3 3-PT; 2-3 FT), 4 rebounds
• Big Stat
• White gave the Retrivers a big boost off of the bench, outscoring the Maine bench by herself 15-13. Raven Harris also had five steals to disrupt the Blackbear offense.
• Local Media
• Baltimore Sun
• Bangor Daily News

Stony Brook 48, at New Hampshire 44: Box/Recap

• Top Performer
• Chikilra Goodman (SBU): 18 points (7-8 FG; 4-8 FT), 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals.
• Big Stat
• New Hampshire had just four made field goals in the second half thanks to the swarming Seawolves defense. Stony Brook was also able to make due without making a single three pointer on the day.
• Local Media
• Newsday

Linked Up

Binghamton freshman Jordan Reed is playing a major role early in his career.

Top Drawer Soccer has a piece on a Hartford recruit and his hopes for his time as a Hawk.

For Stony Brook lacrosse player Rhys Duch had three goals and three assists for the Washington Stealth last night in the NLL.

New Hampshire field hockey junior Megan Bozek earned a gold medal with the U.S. women's indoor field hockey team in Austria.