UAlbany Women's Basketball Begins Road Week vs. the MAAC at Fairfield on Wednesday
UAlbany Game Notes
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FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The UAlbany women's basketball team is looking to get back into the win column, playing the first of two road MAAC games on Wednesday, December 9th against Fairfield at 7 p.m.
The game will be broadcast live on Fairfield's athletics website and can be viewed with a subscription fee. For those looking to attend the game at Alumni Hall, tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and $5 for youth.
Wednesday's game features two opponents that were predicted to with their respective conferences in the preseason coaches polls. UAlbany, the preseason favorite to win the America East, fell on the road to Army West Point 65-62 on Saturday to stand at 5-2 overall. Fairfield, which is predicted to win the MAAC, is on a three-game losing streak after a 72-57 home defeat to Marist and comes in at 3-3 overall and 0-2 in league play.
UAlbany and Fairfield have played twice in school history, with each winning a game to be at 1-1. It is the first meeting since Jan. 2, 2011 when Fairfield won at home 55-26. This is Fairfield's only game against an America East foe, while UAlbany will play crosstown rival and MAAC-member Siena on Saturday.
RICHARDS TIES AE PLAYER OF THE WEEK RECORD: Shereesha Richards has earned 16 America East Player of the Week honors in her collegiate career, tying the America East record for most Player of the Week awards in a career. She earned the tying weekly honor after a pair of 28-point performances against Providence and Army West Point.
She is tied in that category with Cindy Blodgett, who had 16 with Maine in the mid-1990s. In total, Richards has 21 America East weekly awards, including five Rookie of the Week honors as a freshman in the 2012-13 season.
UALBANY AND SIENA TO BATTLE FOR ALBANY CUP: This year, UAlbany and Siena will return to the Times Union Center on Saturday, December 12th for the Albany Cup. UAlbany has won the Albany Cup every year under Katie Abrahamson-Henderson's tenure.
Including a 27-2 spurt, UAlbany outscored Siena 49-27 in the second half for at 76-57 victory at the Times Union Center to earn its fifth-consecutive Albany Cup last season. Next year, the Albany Cup will be held at the SEFCU Arena.
SCOUTING THE UALBANY GREAT DANES: UAlbany is one of three women's basketball programs in Division I that has the top two scorers in a conference. Senior forward Shereesha Richards is leading the team with 22.4 points a contest, while junior guard Imani Tate is earning 19.9 points a game, adding 3.3 steals per game, 15th in Division I. Running the floor is junior Zakiya Saunders, who has 6.3 assists a contest, 20th in Division I, adding 7.3 points a game.
SCOUTING THE FAIRFIELD STAGS: Junior guard Kelsey Carey is the team's leading scorer and only person who averages double digit points a game with 15 a contest, shooting 60.6% from the field. Nearly averaging a double-double a game, 6-foot-2 redshirt sophomore forward Samantha Cooper earns 9.8 points and 9.5 rebounds a contest. Redshirt junior forward Casey Smith averages nine points a game and was named to the Preseason All-MAAC Team.
WATCH YOUR BACK: UAlbany stands first in the America East and 29th in Division I in steals per game with 11.7. Imani Tate is 15th in all of Division I with 3.3 steals per game, totaling 23 on the season. In all, UAlbany has four players in the top five in the America East, including Erin Coughlin, who is third with 2.3 steals a contest, Shereesha Richards in at fourth with 2.2 per game and Zakiya Saunders is tied for fifth with a pair a game.
RICHARDS CLIMBING AMERICA EAST SCORING LADDER: Shereesha Richards stands with 1,825 points in her collegiate career, ranking 13th in America East women's basketball history in scoring.
Former Maine standout Cindy Blodgett is the league's all-time leader in scoring with 3,005 points from 1994-98.
America East All-Time Scoring List
1. Cindy Blodgett, Maine (1994-98): 3,005 points
... 11. Joann McKay, Vermont (1984-88): 1,833 points
12. Mykeema Ford, Stony Brook (2003-07): 1,831 points
13. Shereesha Richards, UAlbany (2012-): 1,825 points
STREAKS: Shereesha Richards was held without points in UAlbany's contest against Michigan State on November 21st, 2012 as a freshman, since then she has scored in the last 99 games.
Imani Tate is also on a scoring streak, earning points in each of her last 43 games. She scored in every game during the 2014-15 season and last was held without points on March 1st, 2014 vs. Stony Brook.
