ualbany wbb great danes WBB - Game 29/Conference Game 16 @ Maine Black Bears, The Pit at Memorial Orono, ME Saturday, March 2, 2024, 1:00 PM

[cwdickens]

For the number 1 seed, the schedulers could not have made a better story up for a regular season conference ending. 

 

Mar 2 (Sat) 1:00 PM

AE

at 

Maine

Orono, Maine

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[cwdickens]

2023-24 Women's Basketball Standings

 

2023-24 Women's Basketball Standings

SCHOOL	CONF	CPCT.	OVERALL	PCT.	STREAK
UAlbany	13-2	.867	24-4	.857	W2
Maine	13-2	.867	20-9	.690	W2
Vermont	11-4	.733	19-10	.655	L1
Bryant	8-7	.533	15-13	.536	W3
Binghamton	7-8	.467	12-16	.429	L1
UMBC	6-10	.375	10-18	.357	L1
UMass Lowell	4-11	.267	4-23	.148	L5
NJIT	3-12	.200	11-17	.393	W1
New Hampshire	3-12	.200	9-19	.321	L6

Edited March 1 by cwdickens

[cwdickens]

Can we secure the number 1 seed?

UALBANY WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

 

Danes hope trip proves fruitful

 

By Pete Dougherty

Jim Franco/Times Union

UAlbany’s Kayla Cooper, shown vs. Vermont on Feb. 1, and the Danes travel to take on Maine on Saturday with first place in the America East at stake.

ALBANY — Most University of Maine home basketball games are played at Memorial Gymnasium, a 91-year-old, 1,300-seat facility on the Orono campus known as “The Pit.”

The University at Albany women’s team will visit there Saturday afternoon in hopes of not making a return trip later this month. “That would be nice,” coach Colleen Mullen said.

 

First place in the America East and No.1seeding for the conference tournament will be at stake when Maine (20-9,13-2) plays host to UAlbany (24-4, 13-2) in the final regular-season game for both teams. The winner is guaranteed home games throughout its America East tournament stay, including the championship game on Friday, March 15.

That would be the next possible meeting between the conference’s front-runners. Of course, each would have to win quarterfinal and semifinal games, but having the title tilt on home ground in front of what likely would be a capacity crowd certainly provides incentive to both.

“It would be nice to do (only) the one big long trip up there,” Mullen said. “It’s going to come down to that game. If we win, we’re in a good position. If we don’t win, if we take care of business at home, we’ll be headed back up there, but it would be nice to, number one, get the win, but, number two, be playing well as we head to our first quarterfinal game.”

Playing at home doesn’t guarantee victory for any team, although the Great Danes remember having to go to Vermont last March for the tournament final. The schools tied for first place in the regular season. Vermont got to host, based on tiebreakers, and won the game, 38-36.

Not that playing a championship on the road isn’t necessarily a death sentence. In the two previous years, also1-vs.-2 matchups, the visiting team prevailed, both times at Maine. UAlbany knocked off the Black Bears in 2022 at The Pit, and Stony Brook won there in 2021.

“It’s such a small gym,” said UAlbany senior Kayla Cooper, who was voted Most Outstanding Player in the 2022 America East tournament. “It can be a tough environment to play, just because they have fans up top. It’s like in a pit. I’m just used to it by now. If you let it affect you, it will, but I feel like it’s just another place to play.”

“It’s a tough environment,” Mullen said. “It’s loud. The football team comes. They’re heckling all the players, including myself, but it’s what college basketball’s about. To play in that type of an environment and (with) that type of intensity, it’s exciting for players.”

Aside from the conditions, UAlbany needs to be concerned about Maine, which before last season had won four America East regular-season championships in five seasons.

Junior forward Adrianna Smith is the reigning conference Player of the Year, and graduate guard Anne Simon, who leads the America East in scoring, won the same award two seasons ago.

The Danes defeated the Black Bears 54-47 Jan. 25 in Albany. Deja Evans, a 6-foot-2 freshman, had 17 points and eight rebounds in the game as UAlbany outscored Maine in the paint, 34-22.

“Anne Simon is just the best player in the league,” Mullen said. “Deja just stepped up and played a tough game. We had a well-rounded, well-balanced game, but it was the defensive side because we still turned the ball over quite a bit (17 turnovers). It’s going to be a great atmosphere, so it’s got to be more of the same in terms of our defensive effort.”

UALBANY AT MAINE

When: 1 p.m. Saturday

Where: Memorial Gymnasium, Orono, Maine

TV: ESPN+ (streaming)

[tnehurley]

BOGUS FLAGRANT!!

[jimbo]

Other than some home cooking questionable calls, the ladies are being outplayed so far. 

[tnehurley]

Turnovers, lack of offense. 

[jimbo]

The refs really want Maine to win. I seldom complain about officiating, but come on….

[tnehurley]

I repeat: turnovers, lack of offense.

[nysteve661]

Hard to win with Evans and Huerter going 2 for 21 from the floor.

[jimbo]

Yes, definite lack of O. 

[tnehurley]

Kayla Cooper 1st team all AE. Haegerstrand 3rd team all AE.

DeJa Evans: 3rd team all AE.  All Rookie Team.  All Defensive Team. Quite a 1st year!