The Friday Fives: 2/15/13

We're taking in day two of the America East swimming and diving championships today, so we'll do a short version of the Friday Fives. Make sure you scroll down below for some must-click links, including some more on the big addition to the conference. There are plenty of great basketball games on this weekend and don't forget that spring sports -- yes spring -- have started up. We have baseball, softball and lacrosse action for you this weekend as well.

Top Plays

 


Marquee Matchups

MBB: Vermont at Stony Brook, Fri 7 p.m.

With the Catamounts just a half game back of the Seawolves for first place in the conference, you know emotions will be high coming into this one. Add in that Stony Brook will want to protect its home turf after falling to Vermont on the road earlier, and this one should be awesome.

BSB: Maine at Auburn, Fri 1 p.m.

Baseball season is officially here and that is a good thing because it means spring isn't far away. Make sure to keep tabs on the Black Bears this weekend as they head down to Auburn to play four games against the SEC staple.

WLAX: UMBC at America, Sat 12 p.m.

Women's lacrosse continues to heat up as the Retrivers take on one of their locals rivals. This season-opening contest will give everyone a taste of the co-head coach philosophy down in Baltimore.

MLAX: Maryland at Hartford, Sat, 1 p.m.

In another big early season lacrosse matchup, the Hawks will play host to perennial national powerhouse Maryland. Hartford will get a chance to show its stuff early on against this ACC contender.

WBB: Albany at Hartford, Sun 2 p.m.

Albany is still undefeated in conference play and looking very strong. The Hawks will have one more shot to knock off the Great Danes before the tournament and you know both coaches will have their squads ramped up and ready to go.

Linked Up

The big news yesterday came from UMass Lowell. In case you missed it, here's Bob Ryan on the newest member of America East and here is our video recap of the press conference. A big welcome to the River Hawks!

Also make sure to check out our what folks are saying about our newest member on social media!

Newsday writes about the impact Tommy Brenton will have in tonight's big men's basketball tangle between Stony Brook and Vermont. Speaking of that game, here's our promo.

Press Box Online previewed the upcoming season for UMBC women's lacrosse.

Day one of swimming and diving is in the books. Check out highlights from yesterday's action!

Conference Wrap: 2/13/13

We've reached the midway point of a very busy week in the America East. Albany was crowned the champion in men's and women's track and field last night and we've made the trip up to Maine for swimming and diving championships which will start tomorrow. Along the way, some huge basketball matchups are taking place throughout the week. A pair of good one went down last night, so let's get a recap of those games and take a look at the track and field championships.

Box Scores, Recaps and Highlights

Track & Field

Men's Results/Women's Results/Highlights

Albany set records for highest team score in both the men's and women's championships with strong second day efforts. Alexander Bowen shattered the America East record in the high jump and is positioning himself for a strong showing nationally. For the women Kathryn Fanning won two events and tied with three other athletes for most total points at the meet. 

Elsewhere around the meet, UMBC's Mercedes Jackson set a new record in the 60 meter dash with her time of 7.36 in the prelims and went on to win the finals in both the 60 and 200. Corey Conner from Maine had a huge victory in the 5000 and an equally impressive victory in the 3000, making the grueling distance events look effortless. Amanda Deller of UMBC also won a pair of events, as she swept the throws. For the men, Dennison Long of UMBC took home wins in the 60 and 200 meter dash events. Alfonso Scannapieco of Albany defended his titles in two events, the heptathlon and the pole vault. His coach, Roberto Vives, called the combination "unusual" but Alfon, as his teammates call him, made it look very easy.

Men's Basketball

Boston U. 64, at Vermont 59: Box/Recap/Highlights

• Top Performer
• John Papale (BU): 19 points (7-12 FG; 3-5 3FG; 2-2 FT), 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
• Big Stat
• In what was a close game throughout, Boston U. was able to shut down Vermont from beyond the arc in the second half. The Catamounts shot 1-11 from downtown over the final 20 minutes, while Boston U. nailed five triples.
• Supporting Cast
• Maurice Watson Jr. (14 pts) and Dom Morris (12 pts, 10 reb) were both key in the victory for the Terriers. For Vermont, Brian Voelkel (11 pts, 12 reb) racked up a double-double while Trey Blue and Clancy Rugg each had 12 points.
• Local Media
• Burlington Free Press

at Stony Brook 73, Binghamton 47: Box/Recap/Highlights

• Top Performer
• Dave Coley (SBU): 15 points (6-12 FG; 1-3 3FG; 2-2 FT), 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals
• Big Stat
• The Stony Brook defense held Binghamton to just seven assists on the night, taking the Bearcats out of their offensive flow. The Seawolves also forced 17 turnovers, led by three players who each had a pair of steals.
• Supporting Cast
• Anthony Jackson and Carson Puriefoy each racked up 12 points in the win, while Tommy Brenton hauled in 14 rebounds to help Stony Brook control the boards. For Binghamton, Jordan Reed continued his excellent rookie campaign with another double-double, this time notching 14 points and 10 rebounds.
• Local Media
• Newsday
• Press and Sun

Linked Up

The second installment of the America East Black History Month series was released today, including Albany, Binghamton and Stony Brook.

Get ready for tonight's ESPN3 game between the women of Hartford and Maine with our promo!

Check out the America East squads in the new Mid-Major Top 25.

New Hampshire hired a new women's soccer coach.

Under The Radar: Women's Basketball Part III

We're at the Reggie Lewis Center today in Boston, but let's take a few minutes to finish up the Under The Radar series. Today we're going to wrap up the women's portion with a look at New Hampshire, Stony Brook and Vermont. Conference play is coming to a close and February is already half way gone (seriously), so make sure you keep an eye on these players come tournament time.

New Hampshire Wildcats

The Wildcats have been up and down this year with the duo of Morgan Frame and Cari Reed leading the way. Kelsey Hogan has missed time, though she has been effective when she's on the court, but New Hampshire's under the radar player is a sophomore forward who has been coming into her own during conference player.

Kaylee Kilpatrick is averaging eight points per game on the year, a solid number. However over her last five game, Kilpatrick has notched that total up to 10.6 points per game, including game of 19 and 16 points. The second-year player led New Hampshire in scoring twice during that stretch and is developing into a dangerous third or fourth option for the Wildcats. If Hogan is healthy and everyone else clicks, watch out come tournament time.

Stony Brook Seawolves

The Seawolves are a greatly improved team this year and defense is one of the big reasons why. Though they don't have one dominant leading scorer, Stony Brook boasts a deep array of contributors on offense. One of those contributors in Chikilra Goodman.

The junior guard is one of the best rebounders in the league, despite spending most of her time in the backcourt. Currently her 6.7 rebounds per game rank seventh in the America East. Her contributions on the glass have been invaluable, especially when she still runs the offense to the tune of 3.8 assists per game, which ranks third in the league. Goodman's athleticism in the backcourt has been a huge asset for Stony Brook this year, and if it is going to make a run in the tournament, she'll have to continue playing a high level.

Vermont Catamounts

Niki Taylor

The Catamounts youth is starting to come of age this season, with several underclassmen playing key roles. One of those underclassmen is Niki Taylor. A York, Maine native, Taylor has been a dependable contributor for the Catamounts night in and night out. One area in particular that Taylor has excelled is on the glass. The sophomore ranks 15th in the league in rebounds at 5.3 per game, but on the offensive glass she ranks fifth in the league with 2.8 per night.

Taylor has also been one of the best free throw shooters in the conference at 80.3 percent. When your best interior player is also your best free throw shooter, you have a huge asset. The ball can remain in Taylor's hands at crunch time and the Catamounts don't miss a beat. Look for her to have a big finish to the season.

Linked Up

Get caught up on the indoor track & field championships with our video recap of day one!

Perfect Game published its preview of America East baseball.

Newsday writes that Stony Brook baseball has its sights set on a return to the College World Series.

Check out the promo for tonight's ESPN3 game that pits Boston U. against Vermont.

The UMBC women will host their Play4Kay game on Wednesday.

AEC Rewind: 2/11/13

Hopefully everyone is all dug out by now. We got hit hard here in Boston and as you can imagine, dealing with massive amounts of snow in a city is quite the challenge. It's a big week here at the America East with championship for indoor track & field and swimming & diving on tap. But there's no better way to start the week than by looking back at some hoops action from the weekend.

Box Scores, Recaps and Highlights

Men's Basketball

D.J. Irving

Boston U. 79, at Binghamton 58: Box/Recap

• Top Performer
• D.J. Irving (BU): 27 points (10-18 FG; 7-11 3FG), 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals
• Big Stat
• The Terriers lit it up in the first half, shooting 16 of 32 from the floor including nine triples. That hot shooting led to a 42-28 halftime lead, which they would never look back from despite only shooting three for 13 from three in the second half.
• Supporting Cast
• Dom Morris (13 pts) and John Papale (12 pts) helped the high-octane Boston U. attack to win. For Binghamton, freshman Jordan Reed racked up 17 points thanks to a nine for nine showing from the charity stripe.

at Hartford 60, Stony Brook 55: Box/Recap/Highlights

• Top Performer
• Mark Nwakamma (Hart): 23 points (10-14 FG; 1-1 3FG; 2-3 FT), 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
• Big Stat
• Hartford's ability to shoot the three became the difference in this game, especially as it shot 7-11 from distance in the second half. Stony Brook has held its opponents to 31.7 percent three-point shooting on the year, so that second half performance of 63.6 percent shooting from the Hawks was a big momentum shift.
• Supporting Cast
• Jameel Warney poured in a career-high 21 points for the Seawolves to lead the way. Tommy Brenton (11 pts) and Anthony Jackson (10 pts) also reached double-figures. For the Hawks, Evan Cooper nailed three of his six triples to finish with 11 points.
• Local Media
• Hartford Courant
• Newsday

at Maine 66, Albany 52: Box/Recap/Highlights

• Top Performer
• Sam Rowley (Alb): 19 points (8-12 FG; 3-3 FT), 15 rebounds, 5 steals, 4 assists
• Big Stat
• A 22-6 run early in the first half helped the Black Bears eventually build a 31-18 halftime lead. Shooting six for 11 from beyond the arc in the opening 20 was big help, as was the defense hold Albany to just 28 percent from the floor.
• Supporting Cast
• Justin Edwards (16 pts) led a group of four Maine players that reached double figures. Valjerarevic (13), Fraser (11) and McAllian (10) made up the rest of that quartet. For Albany, Mike Black chipped in 16 points in the loss.
• Local Media
• Bangor Daily News
• Albany Times Union

Vermont 67, at UMBC 55: Box/Recap

• Top Performer
• Clancy Rugg (UVM): 18 points (6-9 FG; 1-2 3FG; 5-7 FT), 10 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 assist, 1 steal
• Big Stat
• Vermont controlled the pace of this game and one bit of evidence was the big edge it held on the glass. The Catamounts hauled in 42 rebounds to UMBC's 24. Additionally, Vermont held the Retrievers to 55 points and improved to 13-0 this season when its opponents score few than 60 points.
• Supporting Cast
• Trey Blue notched 16 points for Vermont while Brian Voelkel matched a career-high with 16 boards. For UMBC, Brian Neller and Joey Getz both had 12 points.
• Local Media
• Burlington Free Press

Women's Basketball

Julie Forster

Albany 86, at Maine 54: Box/Recap

• Top Performer
• Julie Forster (Alb): 25 points (11-18 FG; 1-2 3FG; 2-2 FT), 11 rebounds, 3 assists
• Big Stat
• The Albany defense was relentless again, forcing 24 turnovers and holding Maine to 36.2 percent shooting on the day and 20 percent from beyond the arc. Ebone Henry led the way with four steals.
• Supporting Cast
• Lindsey Lowrie hit four triples en route to a 14 point day and Henry chipped in 13 to go with her four steals. For the Black Bears, Ashleigh Roberts had a big day, netting 20 points on six for 11 shooting.
• Local Media
• Troy Record
• Bangor Daily News

Boston U. 73, at Binghamton 51: Box/Recap

• Top Performer
• Rashidat Agboola (BU): 13 points (4-7 FG; 5-8 FT), 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block
• Big Stat
• The Terriers had a big edge inside, scoring 30 points in the paint to Binghamton's 14. A big part of that was the performance from their starting frontcourt duo of Agboola and Whitney Turner, who hcipped in 14 points. 
• Supporting Cast
• Boston U. had five scorers reach double-figures, which included Agboola and Turner as well as  Kristen Sims (11 pts), Danielle Callahan (11 pts) and Chantell Alford (10 pts). For Binghamton, Sherae Swinson nearly reached a double-double with nine points and 11 rebounds.
• Local Media
• Press and Sun

Hartford 60, at Stony Brook 44: Box/Recap

• Top Performer
• Amber Bepko (Hart): 20 points (7-11 FG; 3-5 3FG;  3-4 FT), 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 rebound
• Big Stat
• Hartford had only three players attempt 10 or more field goals and all three shot 40 percent or better. The three -- Bepko, Ruthanne Doherty and Nikkia Smith -- shot 50 percent combined to lead the Hawks to a 42.3 percent shooting performance overall.
• Supporting Cast
• Doherty helped out the Hawks 14 point, five steals and five boards. For Stony Brook, Dani Klupenger hit four triples en route to 14 points. Those four from beyond the arc also made Klupenger just the fifth Seawolf in history to notch 100 career three-pointers.

at UMBC 71, Vermont 55: Box/Recap/Highlights

• Top Performer
• Raven Harris (UMBC): 21 points (7-16 FG; 0-1 3FG; 7-7 FT), 5 rebounds,  3 assists, 3 steals, 3 blocks
• Big Stat
• UMBC held a big edge in points in the paint (22-10) and also turned 20 Vermont turnovers into 19 points. The Retrievers had 10 steals as a team, led by Raven Harris who ranks in the top 15 in the country in steals per game.
• Supporting Cast
• Harris teamed up with Brittany Crowell (16 pts) to prove over half of UMBC's scoring. Kristin Coles also had her first double-double of the season with 12 points and 13 boards. For Vermont, Tierra Shumpert led the way with 13 points while Niki Taylor also added 11.
• Local Media
• Burlington Free Press

Linked Up

We've got a bunch of stories on the Albany women's basketball team today. Here's a pair of Ebone Henry stories, one from the Troy Record and one from the Times Union. There's also a Q&A with Julie Forster from the Times Union.

There's also a trio of Stony Brook stories for you today. In case you missed it, Stony Brook's journey to Hartford this weekend was a wild one and Newsday recapped it. Newsday also takes a look at the upcoming homestand for the Seawolves. In soccer news, Leonardo Fernandes scored a goal in his first preseason match as a professional.

Check out the latest episode of Catamount Weekly from Vermont.