No. 1 University of Hartford
Outlook: Hartford should have no trouble three-peating as America East champions. The Hawks lost only one conference game this year – at Vermont, in overtime. They have the conference’s stingiest defense by more than ten points per game and lead the America East in average scoring margin, with a +9.7-point mark. The Hawks have won 13 games in a row and don’t expect that streak to stop in this tournament.
Player to watch: Junior forward Danielle Hood is the leader of the two-time defending champions. Hood is fourth in conference scoring (15.8 points per game) and is also fourth in field-goal percentage and eighth in blocked shots per game.
No. 2 Stony Brook University
Outlook: Stony Brook should advance to the America East title game this year. The Seawolves haven’t lost to a conference team not named Hartford all season. Unfortunately for Stony Brook, all roads to the NCAA tournament will lead through the Hawks this season. The Seawolves’ offense has been prolific in conference play, topping America East, scoring 71.7 ppg.
Player to watch: Senior guard Mykeema Ford. The 5-foot-8 guard is a scoring machine. The leader of the Seawolves’ offense, Ford averaged 21.7 ppg in conference play this year, leading the team by more than four points per game. Ford can also dish the rock, averaging 3.44 assists per game in conference play.
No. 3 University of Vermont
Outlook: At the beginning of the season, Vermont looked as if it could challenge Hartford’s dominance. The Catamounts started off the conference season 4-0, including a win over the Hawks. But Vermont finished the season 3-5. Luckily for the faltering Catamounts, they drew the University of Maine, who they defeated both times they played them this season.
Player to watch: Freshman guard Courtnay Pilypaitis. The toast of the freshman class in the America East, the 6-foot Canadian is not only the conference’s best freshman, but one of its best players. Pilypaitis is seventh in the conference in scoring, averaging 13.3 ppg in conference play and also ranks third is assists with four per game. If Vermont is to break out of its rut, Pilypaitis will be the one who needs to lead them.
No. 4 Binghamton University
Outlook: The host of the tournament, Binghamton is on a three-game losing streak. However, in the Bearcats’ defense, two of those games were against Hartford and Stony Brook, and the other was against the Terriers, when they lost on a last-second shot at BU. Binghamton gets a chance at revenge when it opens against the Terriers in what should be the closest game of the first round. Binghamton is a slight favorite, but either team could take this one.
Player to watch: Junior center Laine Kurpniece. The 6-foot-2 native of Latvia has been dominant in America East play. Even though she usually comes off the bench, Kurpniece has put up double figures in each of her last 11 games and is averaging 12.2 points per game in conference play (10th) to go with 6.2 rebounds (eighth). Look for her to have a big game against BU, which has trouble with powerful post players.
No. 5 Boston University
Outlook: The Terriers have been a difficult team to figure out all season. They should have beaten Stony Brook earlier in the year, but then they went out and dropped a game to the University of New Hampshire. The Terriers drew a tough matchup in the first round, playing a Binghamton team at home that they could barely beat in Boston. The Bearcats’ size could be trouble.
Player to watch: Senior guard Katie Meinhardt. The fifth-year senior is playing in her last tournament. Meinhardt has made the finals every year she has been a Terrier and will undoubtedly try her best to make sure BU gets there again. Her 12.7 ppg this season leads the team and is the highest mark she’s put up in her career. If she shoots well, BU can win.
No. 6 Maine University
Outlook: Maine has been a middle-of-the-pack team all year, but two losses to end the season against Hartford and Stony Brook dropped them down to the sixth seed. Unfortunately for Maine, it has to play Vermont, which it lost to twice in the regular season. Expect more of the same, as Maine does not match up well with the Catamounts and is on a skid, losing four of their last five.
Player to watch: Senior guard Ashley Underwood. The 5-foot-8 Maine native will not want her team to go down in the first round in her last America East tournament. Underwood has averaged 17.1 ppg in conference play and can really shoot the 3. She has knocked down an average of 2.69 3-pointers per game in conference play. If she can shoot the lights out, Maine may be able to upset Vermont.
No. 7 University of Maryland-Baltimore County
Outlook: Not good. UMBC got stuck with the seventh seed, the ranking all the middle-of-the-pack teams at the end of the year were looking to avoid. Now the Retrievers are looking at a first round match-up against Stony Brook, which they have lost to by 15 and 12 points this season.
Player to watch: Senior forward Sharri Rohde. Another senior who won’t want to bow out of the tourney early, Rohde probably won’t be able to change the game’s inevitable outcome. Her 12.6 ppg in conference is good for ninth in the America East, and her 5.8 rebounds per game is good for 13th. But unless she has a monster game, the Retrievers will fall to Stony Brook.
No. 8 University at Albany
Outlook: Albany’s reward for winning the play-in game: a match-up with the top-seeded Hartford Hawks. Don’t expect this one to be close, as Hartford has been dominating America East for two years now, while Albany was toward the bottom of the standings all year.
Player to watch: Junior forward Kristin Higy. Higy led Albany in conference scoring with 11.8 ppg, good for 11th in America East, while her 5.9 rebounds per game have her ranked 10th. And she doesn’t miss often: her .503 shooting percentage ranked her sixth in the conference.