ALBANY, N.Y. - The UAlbany women's basketball team closes 2024 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
 
GAME INFORMATION
 
UAlbany at #6 LSU
DATE: Sunday, December 29
TIME: 2:00 PM ET
SITE: Maravich Center - Baton Rouge, La.
RECORDS: UAlbany 10-2, 0-0 America East | #6 LSU 14-0, 0-0 SEC
SERIES RECORD: 0-0, first meeting
STATS: StatBroadcast
STREAM: SEC Network+
INT'L STREAM: Not available
TICKETS: LSUSports.net
 
*records as of December 28
 
LAST TIME OUT

• On Friday, December 20, the Great Danes battled Wisconsin throughout four quarters.
• Three Great Danes earned double-digit points - graduate students Kaci Donovan (14), Lilly Phillips (13), and Kayla Cooper (12).
• Cooper led the defense with five steals and eight rebounds.
• Freshman Delanie Hill tabbed a team-high four assists.

 
GREAT DANE REWIND

• After beating St. Bonaventure on December 14, UAlbany secured the best 10-game start in Division I history (9-1). 
• The team's first loss of the season came in its crosstown matchup at Siena (12.7). It's most recent contest was its second loss - Wisconsin (12.20).
• Going undefeated in November, UAlbany earned a double-digit season-opening victory against Rhode Island (11.8) while adding head coach Colleen Mullen's first win over a Power Four (Five) at Syracuse (11.20). Additional wins in November were against Dartmouth (11.13), Sacred Heart (11.16), Cornell (11.23) and RPI (11.27). 
• The Great Danes added wins against Stonehill (12.1), Boston U (12.10), and Merrimack (12.16).
• Kayla Cooper leads with 17.8 points per game, 8.3 rebounds per game, and 32 assists.
• Junior Gabriela Falcão owns a team-high 14 blocks.
• Kaci Donovan (12.9) and Lilly Phillips (10.1) make it three total Great Danes averaging at least 10 ppg.
• Jessica Tomasetti currently leads the team with 21 steals. 
• Seven out of eight athletes who have seen time in all games are shooting over 40% with four shooting over 45% from the field. 
• As a team, the Great Danes are shooting .460 from the field, with a 36.8% accuracy from downtown, and .769 from the line.

 
MILESTONE WATCH

• Senior Laycee Drake (nine away) is closing in on 100 career assists while Kayla Cooper has to earn one more assists for 200 in her career.
• Lilly Phillips is nearing 100 career steals (nine away) and 100 career three-pointers (three away).

 
MAKIN' HISTORY

• The Great Danes are nearing the end of a spectacular performance in the non-conference season, fueled by the leadership of head coach Colleen Mullen.
• After defeating St. Bonaventure on Saturday (12/14), UAlbany sealed the best 10-game start in Division I program history with just one loss. 
• Previously, the best 10-game start in Division I program history was 8-2, including one season under head coach Colleen Mullen. Five teams earned the 8-2 start: 2012-13, 2013-14, 2015-16, 2017-18, 2023-24.

 
ABOUT #6 LSU

• The Tigers are undefeated through 14 games.
• Ranked third on the USA Today/WBCA Coaches Poll, LSU is ranked sixth on the AP Poll.
• LSU opened the season with three 50+-point victories over Eastern Kentucky (11.4), Northwestern State (11.8), and Charleston Southern (11.12).
• After a 14-point win over Murray State (11.15), the Tigers hosted Troy (11.18) and Tulane (11.20).
• LSU added a one-point win over Washington (11.25) before beating #20 NC State on November 27.
• The Tigers continued their undefeated streak through December with wins over NC Central (12.1), Stanford (12.5), Grambling (12.8), UL-Lafayette (12.15), Seton Hall (12.17), and UIC (12.19).
• Flau'Jae Johnson leads the team with 20.9 points per game and 43 assists.
• Three additional Tigers are averaging over 10 points per game - Aneesah Morrow (18.3), Mikaylah Williams (16.4), and Kailyn Gilbert (10.8).
• Four active Tigers are shooting over 50% - Jersey Wolfenbarger (.651), Sa'Myah Smith (.641), Morrow (.524), and Johnson (.519).
• Morrow leads the team with 14.0 rebounds per game and 39 steals.
• Smith rounds out the stat leaders with 18 blocks.
• As a team, LSU is shooting .492 from the field, including 36.4% accuracy from downtown, with a .737 free throw percentage.

 
SERIES AGAINST THE TIGERS

• This will be the first meeting between LSU and UAlbany.

 
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 fourth consecutive year.
• Coaches Colleen Mullen and Dwayne Killings, along with select student-athletes, will join ESPN Radio 104.5 The Team's Dan Bahl and Michael Johnson Jr. 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 Killings, 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 remains at the top of the league with two losses in 12 games. 
• Bryant (7-4), Binghamton (7-5), and UMBC (6-5) follow with winning records.
• New Hampshire and Maine each have seven losses. The Wildcast hold the slight advantage with five wins to the Black Bears' four.
• Vermont is close with a 5-9 record.
• NJIT and UMass Lowell round out the conference with a 2-10 record each.

 
AROUND THE AMERICA EAST

• UAlbany's Kaci Donovan was named the Player of the Week on Monday.
  • Donoovan averaged 17.0 points and 2.5 rebounds per game while shooting 52 percent in a 1-1 last week.
  • Finished with 20 points, three rebounds, and four threes in a 15-point win over Merrimack.
  • Currently tied for league-lead in 3 PT FG (28) and ranks second in 3 PT% (42.4).
• UAlbany's Delanie Hill was selected as the Rookie of the Week on Monday.
  • She averaged 7.0 points, 2.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per game in a 1-1 week.
  • Played 31 minutes with six points, four assists, and two steals in a 10-point loss to Wisconsin. Great Danes led 47-44 after three quarters.
• Vermont's Keira Hanson ranks fifth nationally in three-point field goal percentage 
  • Hanson is shooting 50% from three going 28-for-56 from three.
  • Tied for first in league with 28 threes and is 79-for-199 (39.7%) in her career from three-point
  • 2023-24 Sixth Player of the Year

 
*written by the America East; as of December 23
 
AMERICA EAST CONTESTS THIS WEEK

• Saturday
  • Bryant at Coppin State, 1:30 pm
  • Maine at FDU, 4 pm
• Sunday
  • Maine at Coppin State, 1 pm
  • Bryn Athyn at UMBC, 1 pm
  • UAlbany at LSU, 2 pm
  • Bryant at FDU, 3:30 pm
• Monday
  • New Hampshire at Stonehill, 4 pm
  • Geneseo at Binghamton, 5 pm
  • NJIT at LIU, 7 pm

 
UP NEXT: After celebrating the new year, the Great Danes will open conference action against Vermont at Broadview Center (Jan. 2).
 
Keep up with all of the latest news, highlights, and insights on UAlbany women's basketball by following the team on X, Instagram, and Facebook.