ALBANY, N.Y. - The UAlbany women's basketball team is ready for a split weekend hosting Vermont and visiting UMBC.
Starting the week with their International Students' Night/Spread Respect Game on Thursday (Feb. 1), the Great Danes will head to UMBC for a Saturday afternoon contest on Saturday (Feb. 3).
GAME INFORMATION
Vermont at UAlbany
DATE: Thursday, February 1
TIME: 7:00 PM
SITE: Broadview Center - Albany, N.Y.
RECORDS: UAlbany 18-2, 7-0 America East | Vermont 14-7, 6-1 America East
SERIES RECORDS: 27-23, UAlbany leads
STATS:
UAlbanySports.com
STREAM:
ESPN+
INT'L STREAM:
AE.TV
TICKETS:
UAlbanySports.com
UAlbany at UMBC
DATE: Saturday, February 3
TIME: 1:00 PM
SITE: Broadview Center - Albany, N.Y.
RECORDS: UAlbany 18-2, 7-0 America East | UMBC 7-12, 3-4 America East
SERIES RECORDS: 28-14, UAlbany leads
STATS:
UMBCRetrievers.com
STREAM:
ESPN+
INT'L STREAM:
AE.TV
TICKETS:
UMBCRetrievers.com
All UAlbany students are welcome to enjoy all UAlbany Athletics events for FREE with their student ID. Come out and support the Great Danes with the scan of a card - tactile or mobile.
UAlbany game notes (Vermont) |
Vermont game notes | UAlbany game notes (UMBC)
*records as of January 31
A WEEK IN REVIEW
- Last week, the Great Danes returned home to face Maine and New Hampshire.
- In a contest of the undefeated teams, UAlbany beat the Black Bears, 54-47, on Thursday.
- Freshman Deja Evans led with 17 points and a career-high six blocks.
- Graduate student Helene Haegerstrand tallied a team-high nine rebounds.
- Two days later, the Great Danes defeated New Hampshire to make it 14 consecutive wins for UAlbany.
- Haegerstrand led with 12 points while shooting 5-6 from the field in the Saturday contest.
- Senior Kayla Cooper totaled a team-high seven rebounds.
GREAT DANE REWIND
- Just three weeks after entering the CollegeInsider Mid-Major Top-25 Poll, UAlbany has increased its ranking from an original #22 to #21, #19, and now, an 18th ranking.
- Working on defense throughout the entire season, the Great Danes lead the nation while holding their opponents to an average 50.9 points per game.
- Seven games into conference play, the Great Danes hold an 18-2 record with seven America East wins.
- Going 4-2 in November, UAlbany found victories over Merrimack (11.6), Sarah Lawrence (11.13), St. Bonaventure (11.16), and Cornell (11.22) with losses to Fordham (11.10) and Stanford (11.26).
- Meeting a goal to go undefeated in December, the Great Danes added wins over Siena (12.2), CCSU (12.6), Marist (12.9), Dartmouth (12.12), Stonehill (12.16), UMass (12.20) and Navy (12.30).
- In the first month of conference action, January, UAlbany continued to go unbeaten with games against Bryant (1.4), NJIT (1.6), Binghamton (1.13), UMass Lowell (1.18), Bryant (1.20), Maine (1.25), and New Hampshire (1.27).
- Kayla Cooper leads the Great Danes with 16.0 points per game and 7.5 rebounds per game. The guard also owns a team-high 32 steals.
- Following Cooper with 7.3 rebounds per game, Deja Evans totals a team-high 26 blocks.
- Graduate student Sarah Karpell serves as the team's playmaker with 65 assists.
- Two shooters hold three-point field goal percentages over 40% - junior Meghan Huerter (47.9%) and junior Lilly Phillips (44.4%).
UNDEFEATED DECEMBER
- The Great Danes powered through December without one loss.
- Seeing seven opponents, five at home, UAlbany was able to defeat each one by at least 10 points.
- Working as a team in each game, the Great Danes worked for several accomplishments throughout December.
- Four student-athletes earned double-digit points in two different contests:
- Four of the remaining five games had three student-athletes with double-digit points:
- CCSU (Dec. 6) - Cooper (14), Haegerstrand (14), Huerter (10)
- Dartmouth (Dec. 12) - Huerter (20), Haegerstrand (18), Cooper (16)
- Stonehill (Dec. 16) - Cooper (16), Evans (13), Huerter (11)
- Navy (Dec. 30) - Evans (26), Cooper (23), Haegerstrand (12)
- Three Great Danes tallied 20-point performances - Cooper (23 vs Marist (12.9) & 23 vs Navy) & Evans (26 vs Navy)
- Cooper has compiled three double-doubles (14 points & 12 rebounds against CCSU; 23 points & 13 rebounds against Marist; 16 points & 11 rebounds against Stonehill) while Evans added one in the final game of 2023 (26 points & 17 rebounds).
- Consistently improving from outside the arc, four Great Danes have shot 50% or above on multiple occasions:
- Meghan Huerter (5) - .500 (2-4) vs Siena, .750 (6-8) vs Dartmouth, .500 (3-6) vs Stonehill, .714 (5-7) at UMass, .500 (2-4) vs Navy
- Lilly Phillips (3) - .667 (2-3) at CCSU, .600 (3-5) vs Stonehill, .667 (4-6) at UMass
- Helene Haegerstrand (3) - .600 (3-5) vs Marist, .500 (4-8) vs Dartmouth, .500 (2-4) vs Navy
- As a team, UAlbany has shot at least 50% in four contests (Siena, Dartmouth, Stonehill, and UMass) with three games shooting 50% or higher from outside the arc (Dartmouth, Stonehill, and UMass).
HAPPY AT HOME
- Continuing at home for the second half of the 2023-24 conference season, the Great Danes have yet to be defeated at home.
- After a record-breaking home opener against Sarah Lawrence at the "home away from home" Daniel P. Nolan Gymnasium, UAlbany has defeated all of its opponents in Broadview Center.
- With a 14-game win streak, the Great Danes have totaled 10 home wins during the 2023-24 season alone.
- The Great Danes have lost just three games at home since the start of the 2021-22 season.
- Going undefeated at home in non-conference play, Maine took the second-to-last regular-season home game in February 2022.
- Flipping the book for the 2022-23 season, UAlbany fell to Colgate and Cornell at "home" (Saint Rose and HVCC, respectively) while Broadview Center was undergoing its transformational overhaul.
- The Great Danes have not fallen in a home contest since December 3, 2022 (Cornell).
AUTOMATIC SHOOTING
- The Great Danes lead the America East in nearly all shooting categories: scoring offense (66.4), scoring defense (50.7), scoring margin (15.7), field goal percentage (.447), field goal defense (.359), three-point field goal percentage (.393), three-point field goal defense (.258), and free-throw percentage (.752).
- UAlbany has leaders across all the shooting categories:
MILESTONE WATCH
- Kayla Cooper is six assists away from 150 career assists.
- Meghan Huerter is 11 three-pointers away from 100 in her collegiate career.
- Helene Haegerstrand is 48 points away from 1500 career points.
- Haegerstrand is also 11 rebounds away from 500 total career rebounds.
PLAY AS A TEAM, WIN AS A TEAM
- The Great Danes have utilized great teamwork to fuel their success so far this season.
- In 20 contests, the Great Danes have had six different players lead the team in points.
- As a team, UAlbany ranks first in the conference in 11 stats:
- 66.4 points per game
- 50.7 points allowed per game
- 15.7 scoring margin
- .447 team FG percentage
- .359 opponent FG percentage
- .393 3PT FG percentage
- .258 opponent 3PT FG percentage
- .752 free-throw percentage
- 29.0 opponent rebounds per game
- 6.7 rebounding margin
- 2.33 turnover margin
BETTER BACK-UP
- UAlbany's bench has scored 15.6 points per game this season (311 total).
- Meghan Huerter leads the way, shooting .479 for three (first on the team) with a top-five 8.3 points per game and 3.3 rebounds per game.
- Fellow junior Abby Ray is third on the team in offensive rebounds (29) and is fifth in assists with 27.
- Recording 13 steals, fifth on the team, and four blocks, tied for fourth on the team, Gabriela Falcão has had an impact on defense.
ABOUT VERMONT
- The Catamounts have gone 14-7 with a 6-1 conference record.
- Winning three of their first four contests, Vermont saw wins over Miami (OH) (11.6), Quinnipiac (11.17), and Saint Rose (11.19) and a loss to Providence (11.10).
- After three consecutive losses (UNC (11.24), Western Kentucky (11.25), and Delaware (11.26)), the Catamounts tallied three consecutive wins over Dartmouth (11.30), Holy Cross (12.3), and Army (12.6).
- Giving the team an 8-6 non-conference record, Vermont closed the 2023 calendar year with wins over Duquesne (12.16) and Sacred Heart (12.20) and losses to Manhattan (12.9) and Princeton (12.29).
- Splitting their first week of conference action - a win over New Hampshire (1.4) and a loss to Maine (1.6) - the Catamounts have tallied five consecutive wins over UMBC (1.11), NJIT (1.13), Binghamton (1.18), UMass Lowell (1.25), and Bryant (1.27).
- Emma Utterback and Anna Olson lead the team with 15.4 and 11.4 points per game, respectively.
- Olson also leads with 6.1 rebounds per game and 19 blocks.
- Delaney Richason is tied with Olson with 19 blocks.
- Utterback is nearing 100 assists with a team-high 95.
- Bella Vito owns a team-high 26 steals. Utterback follows with 22.
SERIES AGAINST THE CATAMOUNTS
- UAlbany leads the all-time series, 27-23.
- Current head coach, Colleen Mullen, owns a 5-5 record against Vermont during her time with UAlbany. Each win has been at home and each loss has been on the road.
- The Catamounts and the Great Danes met three times throughout the 2022-23 season.
- Splitting with Vermont in the regular season, each team won their home contests.
- UAlbany visited the Catamounts for the 2023 America East Championship. In the defensive contest, Vermont won, 38-36, despite the Great Danes outshooting the Catamounts, 19-8, in the fourth quarter.
ABOUT UMBC
- The Retrievers are 7-12 with a 3-4 conference record.
- Earning four wins during the non-conference slate, UMBC defeated Gettysburg (11.8), Bryant & Stratton (12.5), American (12.20), and Saint Francis (12.29) with additional games against Towson (11.6), Colgate (11.11), Loyola (Md.) (11.15), Oregon State (11.22), Maryland Eastern Shore (11.26), Lafayette (11.29), Manhattan (12.3), and Morgan State (12.9).
- Continuing what proved to be a four-game win streak, the Retrievers opened conference play with wins over Binghamton (1.4) and Bryant (1.6).
- Before their most recent game, a win over NJIT (1.27), UMBC fell to Vermont (1.11), UMass Lowell (1.13), Maine (1.18), and New Hampshire (1.20).
- Anna Blount leads the team with 11.8 points per game, 6.6 rebounds per game, and 10 blocks.
- Trinity Palacio (46 assists) and Jaliena Sanchez (27 steals) assist in transition with their respective team-highs.
SERIES AGAINST THE RETRIEVERS
- The Great Danes lead the series, 28-14.
- Current head coach, Colleen Mullen, owns a 6-3 record against UMBC during her time with UAlbany.
- The Great Danes swept the Retrievers in the 2022-23 season.
- Seeing them at home in the first contest, the Great Danes won with a double-digit point margin, 61-53, on January 4. Going on the road on February 15, UAlbany defeated UMBC, 74-67.
DRIVE THE LANE WITH UALBANY HOOPS
- UAlbany will continue its partnership with ESPN Radio 104.5 The Team and City Line Bar & Grill for the third consecutive year.
- Coaches Colleen Mullen and Dwayne Killings, along with select student-athletes, will join ESPN Radio 104.5 The Team's Dan Bahl every Monday from 6-7 pm live from City Line Bar & Grill for a weekly segment entitled 'Drive the Lane with UAlbany Hoops'.
- Fans are invited to come to City Line Bar & Grill to join Coach Mullen, Coach Kills, the student-athletes, and the ESPN Radio 104.5 The Team crew.
- Food and drink specials will be available on a weekly basis as the teams embark on their new seasons and talk hoops every Monday.
AMERICA EAST STANDINGS
- UAlbany leads the conference with an undefeated record in seven contests.
- Vermont and Maine are tied for second with a 6-1 record.
- In a three-way tie for the top four, Bryant, UMBC, and UMass Lowell each hold a 3-4 league record.
- Binghamton and New Hampshire have each tallied two conference wins. The Bearcats hold the slight edge with five losses to the Wildcats' six.
- NJIT rounds out the conference still looking for their first conference win.
AROUND THE AMERICA EAST
- UAlbany has won 14 straight games, tied for the 3rd longest win streak in the nation.
- UAlbany has also won 20 straight home games and its last home defeat was 12/3/2022 to Cornell.
- UAlbany is 1st nationally in scoring defense. (50.9)
- Vermont's Emma Utterback was named #AEHoops Player of the Week on Monday
- Utterback averaged 15.5 points, 4.0 assists, and 2.0 steals per game in a 2-0 week.
- She has helped UVM rank 7th nationally in scoring defense (52.8) and the Catamounts haven't allowed more than 55 pts during their 5-game win streak.
- Adrianna Smith is ranked 3rd in the nation with 15 double-doubles.
- Smith has six double-doubles in 7 conference games.
- Smith leads #AEHoops in both scoring (20.7) and rebounding (12.1) in league play. She's also 6th in assists (3.0).
AMERICA EAST CONTESTS THIS WEEK
- Thursday
- Bryant at UMBC, 6 pm
- UMass Lowell at Maine, 6 pm
- Vermont at UAlbany, 7 pm
- Binghamton at NJIT, 7 pm
- Saturday
- UAlbany at UMBC, 1 pm
- Maine at Bryant, 2 pm
- Vermont at Binghamton, 2 pm
- UMass Lowell at New Hampshire, 3 pm
UP NEXT: Heading into a one-game week, the Great Danes will host Binghamton for their Commitment to Education game on Thursday (Feb. 8).
For more information on the University at Albany women's basketball team, follow the squad's official social media accounts shown below.
Twitter - @ualbanywbb
Instagram & Threads - @ualbanywbb
Facebook – facebook.com/UAlbanyWBB
