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Women's Basketball Set for America East Tournament
March 6, 2006
Complete Release in PDF Format
Scouting Albany Albany enters the 2006 America East Tournament as the No. 9-seed. The Great Danes finished the regular season 7-20 overall and 3-13 in the conference. They are entering the tournament fresh off a 63-55 victory over UMBC on Saturday at home. Albany is led in scoring by Jen Schumacher, who has averaged 10.9 points a game. Joy Sterling is the team leader in rebounds at 6.5 a night, while Sherri Mikus has dished out a team-best 85 assists and averaging 8.5 points a contest. Gia Sanders has had a solid all-around season for the Great Danes. Sanders is averaging 7.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game, while swatting away a team-high 49 shots this season. She has also swiped 39 steals and handed out 22 assists. The Great Danes are averaging just 53.8 points per game this season, while allowing opponents to net 63.6 a night. Maine's Seeding Maine enters the 2006 America East Tournament as the No. 8 seed in the field. Maine Going For Program's 600th Win Thursday Maine will be going for its 600th win in program history on Thursday versus Albany. Research done in the offseason by former Black Bear Athletic Director Stu Haskell found that women's basketball was a varsity sport at the school from 1920-31. Maine's first official win in the sport was a 27-15 victory over New Hampshire back in the 1922-23 season. Maine-Albany At Neutral Sites This Season Maine is 2-1 in neutral site games this season, while Albany is 2-2. The Black Bears fell to Mississippi (72-52) in the first round of the Hurricane Holiday Classic on Dec. 28, but rebounded to win their next two. Maine downed North Carolina A&T (78-68) in the consolation of the tournament on Dec. 29, and then defeated Holy Cross (77-67) on Jan. 2 at the Cumberland Civic Center in Portland, Maine. Albany's neutral-site contests included a win over Niagara (54-47) in the opening round of the St. Bonaventure Shootout (Nov. 19), followed by a 59-49 loss to the host-school the following night (Nov. 20). The Great Danes competed in the Contra Costa Times Classic in Berkeley, Calif. (Dec. 3-4), where they lost to UNLV in the first round (78-56) and then defeated Columbia in the consolation (58-54). Four Black Bears Averaging Double-Figures In Scoring At Neutral Sites Four Black Bears, including Ashley Underwood, Bracey Barker, Katie Whittier and Abby Schrader, are averaging in double-figures in points in three neutral-site games this season. Underwood is averaging 15.3, while Barker, Whittier and Schrader are averaging 13.7, 12.7 and 10.3 points, respectively. Maine-Albany Conference Tournament History Maine is 1-0 all-time versus Albany in the America East Tournament. As the No. 1-seed in the 2004 conference tournament, the Black Bears handed fourth-seeded Albany a 62-49 loss in the semifinals. Julie Vielleux poured in a team-high 15 points in the contest, while Heather Ernest recorded a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Maine In Opening-Round Games In Conference Tournament Maine is 15-5 all-time in its opening games of the conference tournament. The Black Bears won 10-straight conference-tournament opening games from 1990-2000. Bears Go Far When Winning Opening-Round Game Maine has advanced to the conference tournament championship the last 14 times it has won its opening game of the tournament. The years include 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2003 and 2004. Who's Got Next? The winner of Thursday's first round game between No. 8-Maine and No. 9-Albany will take on regular-season champion Hartford on Friday at 6 p.m. The Black Bears are 3-2 all-time in the conference tournament versus Hartford. Black Bears Perfect All-Time Against Albany Albany is the lone America East school that Maine owns a perfect record against all-time. Maine has won the 11 previous meetings, including a pair of wins this season. The Black Bears downed Albany, 60-52, back on Jan. 11 in Orono, and then picked up their first-conference road win of the season on Feb. 12 with a 61-52 victory. Schrader Named AE Co-Player Of The Week After Playing Albany Last Time
Abby Schrader was named the America East Co-Player of the Week back on Feb. 13, one day after she recorded a double-double with 19 points and 15 rebounds in Maine's 61-52 win at Albany.
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