Eight Game Win Streak Alive & Well

The Boston University senior class is making sure it makes its mark on the 2008-09 season. For the fifth straight game, at least three of the four seniors--Kristi Dini, Christine Kinneary, Amarachi Umez-Eronini, and Jesyka Burks-Wiley--finished with double figure points. It was also the 15th time this season, in an 84-57 rout of UMBC at Case Gym. All four of those seniors are in America East's top-13 scorers this season, led by Burks-Wiley's 18.6 ppg, which is one major reason the Terriers are undefeated in 8 games and are 7-0 in conference play.

Wednesday night against the Retrievers, who were led by junior Carlee Cassidy's game-high 33 points, Burks-Wiley finished with 21 points, 6 rebounds, a block and a steal. Kinneary stuffed the stat sheet with 13 points, a career-high 8 rebounds, 8 assists and 3 steals. Umez-Eronini put up 17 points, while sophomore Kerry Cashman also got in on the scoring with a career-high 11 points. The efficient Terrier offense shot 50% or better in both halves, and wound up going 33-for-64 (.516) for the game.

Across the Northeast in Vestal, N.Y., Binghamton and New Hampshire battled it out in the Events Center. The Bearcats won their third straight home game, topping the Wildcats, 76-59. The teams moved into a tie for 5th-place with 3-3 conference records. Four Bearcats netted double-figure points, including senior Laura Franceski who had a solid night with 11 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 blocks and a steal. The senior forward from Moscow, Pa. moved into third-place all-time in America East with 198 career blocks, one ahead of Delaware's Colleen McNamara (1991-95). Next up for Franceski: Northeastern's Katasha Artis with 220 rejected shots to her name. Binghamton's rookie point guard Andrea Holmes also continued to shine in conference play, finishing with 11 points, while adding 8 rebounds and 8 assists. The Wildcats, in the meantime, were led by juniors Candace Williams and Amy Simpson. Williams recorded her league-leading 7th double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds, and Simpson registered 17 points.

SUNY Shootout

Both Binghamton and Stony Brook scored season highs in points in a 91-86 affair at the Events Center that went the Bearcats' way. Binghamton moved to 2-2 in conference play, tied for 4th in the league standings, while Stony Brook fell to 0-3.

Binghamton freshman Andrea Holmes exploded for a collegiate best 32 points, including an 11-for-13 effort at the charity stripe. It is now the 7th 30-point performance around the league so far this season, and the second in America East play. Junior Erica Carter also hit a career high, 21 points, on 7-of-12 shooting from the field and a perfect 4-of-4 on the free-throw line. The Bearcats sunk 10 three-pointers for the game, including Holmes going 3-for-3 from downtown. Senior Laura Franceski continued to have her presence known on the inside, swatting away 5 shots.

Stony Brook got a great performance out of sophomore Misha Horsey, who netted 24 points to go with 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals. Classmate Kirsten Jeter went for 18 points, 7 boards, 2 assists, a block and 2 steals. The difference in the game came down to the free-throw line, as the Seawolves only had 13 attempts to Binghamton's 34. Foul shots accounted for 27 of the Bearcats' points as opposed to 10 of the Seawolves' point total.

Action picks up again on Wednesday, while player and rookie of the week will still be announced Monday despite the MLK Day holiday.

Big East Foes Have No Mercy

A pair of Big East opponents did not treat America East squads kindly Wednesday night. 12th-ranked Louisville, and All-American Angel McCoughtry's triple-double, defeated Hartford in Kentucky, 42-70. In the meantime at the Events Center, Villanova came away the victor against Binghamton, 55-37.

The only game Thursday night is Vermont at Harvard. The tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. It is the second of three straight America East opponents the Crimson will face.

Terriers Take Out Crimson

Boston University cruised by Harvard Tuesday night 80-61. Jesyka Burks-Wiley finished with 23 points, five rebounds, one assist and one steal and Aly Hinton chipped in with 11 points, nine boards, two assists, two steals and a block. Boston earned its 13th straight win at Case Gym, moving into a tie for 10th on the NCAA Division I chart for home court win streaks.

New Hampshire was further down the green line at Boston College, but couldn't get overcome the difference in size, falling, 85-43 to the Eagles. Albany fell to NJIT, 58-47, and Maine dropped a close game to Hofstra on Long Island, 60-56, despite Amanda Tewksbury's season-high 16 points.

Wednesday night brings two more games against Big East opponents. Hartford is at Louisville and Binghamton plays host to Villanova. The Bearcats' game will be televised regionally by Time Warner. Both of those games tip-off at 7 p.m.

Cassidy Third In Scoring Nationally

This week's NCAA national DI rankings came out this afternoon and there are some America East players making a significant impact in some of the categories. UMBC junior Carlee Cassidy is ranked third nationally in scoring with 23.9 points per game.

Binghamton's Laura Franceski is 5th in blocks (3.3 bpg), Hartford's Diana Delva is 5th in field goal percentage (63.8%), and Boston University's Kristi Dini is 5th in three-pointers (3.3 treys per game).

Additionally, the Retrievers' 78.8 points per game is 14th in the country. That's ahead of some of the nation's elite teams such as #3 Stanford, #10 Baylor, #11 Duke, #12 Louisville, #17 Virginia #18 Ohio State and #19 TCU. UMBC will try to continue that trend when they play host to winless Coppin State tonight at 7 p.m. Stony Brook is the only other team in action tonight. They play Yale at Pritchard Gym at 6 p.m.

Wildcats Win #1 On The Season

University of New Hampshire won its first game of the 2008-09 season, an 89-61 decision at Colgate Friday night. Five different Wildcats hit double figures, including junior Amy Simpson with a game-high 24 points. UNH shot 61.8% from the field and hit 14 treys for the game.

Five teams are in action Saturday. Hartford hosts St. Joseph's for a 1 p.m. game on NESN. The Hawks will try to extend their home win streak to 29 games. Also, Binghamton is at La Salle for a 1 p.m. tipoff, Holy Cross and Vermont face-off in Patrick Gym at 1:00, Northeastern is at Stony Brook for a 2 p.m. game, and UMBC hosts Towson beginning at 7 p.m.

Boston U. Comes Back To Win

The Terriers, who faced a double-digit deficit in the second half, rallied to defeat Northeastern, 71-68, at Matthews Arena in a cross-town rivalry. Senior Jesyka Burks-Wiley notched a double-double with 23 points and 10 rebounds, while classmate Kristi Dini hit five treys and a foul shot for 16 points on the night.

Hartford continued on a 10-day road trip in Columbus, Ohio, dropping a 63-45 contest to the #20/21 Buckeyes. Also on Tuesday night, Binghamton fell to Duquesne at home, 68-56.

Before teams break for the Thanksgiving holiday, Vermont hosts Providence at 4 p.m. on Tuesday and Albany treks to Hamilton to play Colgate at 5 p.m.

Vermont Uses 3OTs to Defeat Dartmouth

Vermont defeated Dartmouth in the consolation round of the TD Banknorth Classic, 82-77, taking three overtime periods to do so. Junior May Kotsopoulos finished with a game-high 24 points, along with five assists and three steals. Junior Courtnay Pilypaitis netted 21 points, while senior Amy Rosenkrantz finished with her first double-double of the season with 12 points and 11 rebounds.

Maine picked up its first win of the season, a 54-45 victory over UMass at the Augusta Civic Center. Kristin Baker filled her stat sheet with 16 points, five rebounds, six assists and a steal.

Also around the America East, Binghamton dropped Bryant at the Events Center, 68-61, led by Darryll Peterson's career-high 16 points. Boston U. fell to Portland at the KCRG-TV9 Tournament in Iowa City, Iowa, 62-74, to fall to 2-2 on the season.

Hartford Stuns #5/6 Duke

The Hartford Hawks defeated the Duke Blue Devils Friday night, 53-51. Junior Lisa Etienne scored a game-high 15 points, while also recording 7 steals, 6 rebounds and 2 assists. The victory marks the fourth straight year Hartford has defeated a ranked opponent, and the highest-ranked team to fall victim to the Hawks.

UMBC also picked up a tournament win Friday night, defeating Northern Illinois at the Seton Hall Tournament, 88-73. Binghamton fell to Portland State in their home opener, 62-52.

The Hawks will play the host DePaul Saturday night at 8:30 p.m. ET to decide the tournament Champion, while the Retrievers also play for a tournament trophy against Seton Hall at 3 p.m. Boston University is in Iowa and will face the Hawkeyes at 1 p.m. Saturday in the KCRG-TV9 Hawkeye Classic, Vermont hosts Quinnipiac at 1 p.m. in the first round of the TD Banknorth Catamount Classic, Albany host Richmond at 1 p.m., and Stony Brook continues its five-game road trip at Princeton at 6 p.m.

Boston U. Wins Big Over Siena

Jesyka Burks-Wiley scored a game-high 20 points to lead Boston University to an 84-62 win over Siena in its home opener . Amarac Umez-Eronini added 18, while Kristi Dini tallied 14 points, five rebounds and four steals for the Terriers, who canned half of their 3-point attempts (9-of-18). In other action, Kristin Baker stuffed the stat sheet with 11 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, but Maine fell at Central Connecticut State, 65-57.

Three America East squads take floor on Friday. Hartford takes on No. 5/6 Duke in the first game of DePaul's tournament at 6:30. Binghamton hosts Portland St. at the Events Center in its home opener at 7, while UMBC faces Northern Illinois in the Seton Hall Basketball Classic at 8.