1 HARTFORD HAWKS // #FLYHIGH
NEED TO KNOW GAME DAY NOTES
BY THE #’S
21
Junior forward Sierra Smith grabbed a careerhigh 21 rebounds against Binghamton this past Saturday, marking the second-most in a single game in program history
20.5
Through six games, Hartford’s bench is averaging 20.5 points per game, holding a +10.7 scoring margin over its opponents’ second unit
1
Holding opponents to 24.1 percent shooting from deep, the Hawks rank first in the America East in three-point field goal defense and 28th in the nation
NOTES TO KNOW SETTING THE SCENE
After splitting the Binghamton series this past weekend, the Hartford women’s basketball team is back in action with a twogame set against UMass Lowell inside Chase Arena at the Reich Family Pavilion. Both Saturday’s and Sunday’s games will feature 1 p.m. tipoffs on ESPN+.
DEFENSIVE IDENTITY
The Hawks rank in the top five in a number of defensive categories in the America East. Through six games, Hartford is holding opponents to just 58.3 points per game on 35.7 percent shooting, both of which rank fourth in the league. In addition, the Hawks rank second in the conference in defensive rebounds (29.8 per game) and fourth in blocks (3.5 per game). Hartford’s three-point defense has also been relentless this season, holding opponents to a conference-best 24.1 percent clip from long range, which ranks 28th in the nation.
EVERYONE EATS
The Hawks do not have a player averaging double figures in scoring, despite averaging 55.2 points per game as a team. Breyenne Bellerand is Hartford’s scoring leader at 9.8 points per game, which rank 17th in the America East. Hartford has had a different player lead the team in scoring in each of its six games this season.
2 HARTFORD HAWKS // #FLYHIGH
SCHEDULE & RESULTS
HARTFORD HAWKS 3-3 OVERALL [3-3 AMERICA EAST] DEC. 22
MAINE *
ESPN+
L, 57-85
DEC. 23
MAINE *
ESPN+
L, 49-52
DEC. 28
NEW HAMPSHIRE *
ESPN+
W, 53-50
DEC. 29
NEW HAMPSHIRE *
ESPN+
W, 64-57
Jan. 2
at Binghamton *
ESPN+
W, 64-54
Jan. 3
at Binghamton *
ESPN+
L, 44-52
JAN. 9
UMASS LOWELL *
ESPN+
1 p.m.
JAN. 10
UMASS LOWELL *
ESPN+
1 p.m.
JAN. 16
UMBC *
ESPN3/+
1 p.m.
JAN. 17
UMBC *
ESPN3/+
1 p.m.
Jan. 23
at Vermont *
ESPN3/+
4 p.m.
Jan. 24
at Vermont *
ESPN3/+
2 p.m.
Jan. 30
at NJIT *
ESPN3/+
2 p.m.
Jan. 31
at NJIT *
ESPN3/+
2 p.m.
FEB. 13
STONY BROOK *
ESPN3/+
1 p.m.
FEB. 14
STONY BROOK *
ESPN3/+
1 p.m.
Feb. 27
at UAlbany *
ESPN3/+
2 p.m.
Feb. 28
at UAlbany *
ESPN3/+
2 p.m.
HARTFORD HAWKS // #FLYHIGH
3
MEET THE HAWKS
#1
#3
#5
JORDAN
JADA
NINA
JR » G » 5-8
SR » G » 5-5
SR » G » 5-9
PALISADES PARK, NEW JERSEY
NEW LONDON, CONNECTICUT
KITCHENER, ONTARIO
McLEMORE
LUCAS
FARKIC
#12
#11
#14
PAULA
MACKENZIE
SOPHIE
FR » F » 6-0
FR » G » 5-6
FR » F » 6-1
RIGA, LATVIA
MOREHEAD CITY, NORTH CAROLINA
SASSENAGE, FRANCE
MAURINA
REED
#15
BENHAROUGA
#21
#24
IRENE
CHARLETTE
MARISA
SO » G » 5-4
JR » F » 6-2
FR » F » 6-1
TRES CANTOS, SPAIN
BRONX, NEW YORK
MARLBOROUGH, CONNECTICUT
PRIMO
LEURS
4 HARTFORD HAWKS // #FLYHIGH
LEE
MEET THE HAWKS
#25
#30
#31
BREYENNE
KAELA
ABBY
SR » F » 5-10
SO » G » 5-8
SR » G » 5-11
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK
LEXINGTON PARK, NEW JERSEY
NASHUA, NEW HAMPSHIRE
DOTHARD
BELLERAND
JABRIA
#32
INGRAM
STREETER
#40 SIERRA
SMITH
JR » G » 5-8
JR » F » 6-0
UPPER DARBY, PENNSYLVANIA
MADISON, VIRGINIA
COACHING STAFF
MORGAN
MELISSA
COURTNEY HAILEE
DAVIDSON
BARRON
MADDIE
Head Coach 2nd Season
Assistant Coach 2nd Season
Assistant Coach 2nd Season
Assistant Coach 2nd Season
Director of Operations 2nd Season
VALLEY
HODGDON
SEARLE
HARTFORD HAWKS // #FLYHIGH
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THIS WEEKEND'S MATCHUP THE MATCHUP
HARTFORD HAWKS
vs
UMASS LOWELL RIVER HAWKS
(5-4, 4-2 AE)
(3-3, 3-3 AE)
SERIES BREAKDOWN
SERIES HISTORY Saturday marks the 15th time the Hawks and River Hawks meet on the hardwood. Despite dropping the last two contests, Hartford holds an 11-3 advantage in the all-time series, which includes a 5–2 record inside Reich Family Pavilion.
LAST MEETINGS UMass Lowell swept the season series in 201920. Narrowly defeating the Hawks, 68-63, in West Hartford, the River Hawks took the series finale by a 64-56 decision. Jada Lucas averaged 14.0 points and 4.0 rebounds against the River Hawks last season.
Division I Series..................... Hartford leads, 11-3 At Hartford.............................. Hartford leads, 5-2 At UMass Lowell......................... Hartford leads, 6-1 At Neutral Venue.............................................. N/A Current Streak........... UMass Lowell, two games Last Meeting.... UMass Lowell, 64-56 (2/15/20)
STAT BREAKDOWN
STREAK
W2
55.2
POINTS PER GAME
52.2
58.3
POINTS ALLOWED
61.9
2.7
REBOUND MARGIN
-3.3
.376
FG%
.335
.357
FG% DEFENSE
.409
.283
3-PT FG%
.274
.241
3-PT FG% DEF
.253
.613
FT%
.641
8.8
ASSISTS/GAME
9.7
19.0
TO/GAME
19.0
5.8
STEALS/GAME
7.8
3.5
BLOCKS/GAME
2.6
L1
6 HARTFORD HAWKS // #FLYHIGH
UMASS LOWELL'S ROSTER UMASS LOWELL RIVER HAWKS
5-4 OVERALL [4-2 AE] # Name
Yr. Pos. Ht.
Hometown
2 Kalkidan Mamo
So.
G
5-4
Cambridge, Mass.
3 Jaliena Sanchez
So.
G
5-6
Springfield, Mass.
4 Linda Svenne
Sr.
G
5-9
Riga, Latvia
5 Kharis Idom
Jr.
G
5-8
Orlando, Fla.
11 Leilani Rodriguez
Fr.
G
5-5
Worcester, Mass.
13 Kaylen Banwareesingh
So.
G
6-0
Bronx, N.Y.
14 Erin Lofaro
Fr.
F
5-11
Marlboro, N.Y.
20 Sydney Coombs
Fr.
F
6-3
Newmarket, N.H.
21 Jaini Edmonds
Fr.
G
5-9
Worcester, Mass.
23 Niya Johnson
R-Sr. G
5-6
Brooklyn, N.Y.
25 Denise Solis
So.
F
6-1
Windsor, Conn.
32 Shamyjha Price
So.
G
5-7
Pittsburgh, Pa.
33 Tiahna Sears
Sr.
F
5-10
Bunbury, Australia
Head Coach: Tom Garrick, Third Season (Rhode Island ’88) Assistant Coaches: Denise King, Stefanie Murphy, Taryn Johnson
SCOUTING REPORT Through nine games this season, UMass Lowell holds a 5-4 record overall and a 4-2 record in America East play. The River Hawks swept their last series against NJIT this past weekend, downing the Highlanders 58-53 on Saturday before turning around to score a 53-47 on Sunday.
#25 DENISE SOLIS A Connecticut native, Solis is averaging a teamhigh 9.6 points and 1.4 steals per game. She is also averaging 5.9 rebounds per game.
WHO TO WATCH
HARTFORD HAWKS // #FLYHIGH
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LAST TIME OUT HARTFORD at BINGHAMTON
Hartford is coming off a two-game split at Binghamton this past weekend. The Hawks downed the Bearcats, 64-54, in the series opener to extend their seasonbest winning streak to three games. Hartford’s run came to an end Sunday, though, as Binghamton claimed a 52-44 victory in the series finale. Senior Breyenne Bellerand led the offense with a career-high 16 points in the victory, while junior Jordan McLemore scored 10 points to pace the Hawks in the defeat.
GAME HIGHLIGHTS
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HARTFORD HAWKS // #FLYHIGH
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FEATURED HAWK BREYENNE BELLERAND
Breyenne Bellerand is a senior forward that made her Hartford debut against Maine on Dec. 22. The Brooklyn native spent three seasons at James Madison before transferring to Hartford. Becoming eligible for the 2020-21 season due to a waiver from the NCAA, Bellerand has made a solid impact for the Hawks. Through six games, her 9.8 points and 1.3 steals per game leads Hartford.
GET TO KNOW...
10 HARTFORD HAWKS // #FLYHIGH
FEATURED HAWK
IN THE HOT SEAT...
BREYENNE
BELLERAND IF BREYENNE COULD PICK A TV SHOW TO BE HER LIFE, IT WOULD BE A LESS DRAMATIC VERSION OF “GOSSIP GIRL” THE WORST STYLE CHOICE SHE EVER ROCKED WAS A RED LEATHER DIAMONDSTUDDED JACKET ACCORDING TO BREYENNE, THESE THREE EMOJIS BEST DESCRIBE HER:
IF SHE WERE TO KEEP THREE APPS ON HER SMARTPHONE, THEY WOULD BE THE ALARM CLOCK, INSTAGRAM AND NETFLIX IF SHE WAS AN OLYMPIC ATHLETE, BREYENNE WOULD COMPETE FOR THE BASKETBALL TEAM THREE WORDS THAT SHE USES TO DESCRIBE COACH VALLEY ARE CARING, BOLD AND OPTIMISTIC
HARTFORD HAWKS // #FLYHIGH
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HARTFORD HAWKS // #FLYHIGH
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HARTFORD STATISTICS & STANDINGS INDIVIDUAL STAT LEADERS
CLICK HERE FOR ALL 2020-21 STATISTICS
SCORING Breyenne Bellerand 9.8 per game REBOUNDING Sierra Smith 8.5 per game ASSISTS Nina Farkic 2.7 per game STEALS Breyenne Bellerand 1.3 per game MINUTES Nina Farkic 30.8 per game FIELD-GOAL PERCENTAGE Sierra Smith 46.7% (14-of-30) 3-PT FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE Jada Lucas .38.1% (8-of-31)
AMERICA EAST STANDINGS
Maine Stony Brook Vermont UMass Lowell Hartford UAlbany Binghamton UMBC New Hampshire NJIT
OVERALL AE W-L PCT W-L PCT 6-1 .857 5-3 .625 4-2 .667 5-4 .556 3-3 .500 2-4 .333 2-6 .250 2-6 .250 2-7 .222 2-8 .200
3-1 .750 3-1 .750 4-2 .667 4-2 .667 3-3 .500 1-1 .500 2-4 .333 2-4 .333 2-4 .333 2-4 .333
HARTFORD HAWKS // #FLYHIGH
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ALUMNI FEATURE WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
ALYSSA ENGLERT BY THE #’S
1
Graduating from WaylandCohocton Central School in 2010, Englert left as the all-time program leader in points (1,482), assists (480) and steals (332)
31
Englert was a mainstay in the Hawks’ lineup during her four-year career, appearing in at least 31 games in three of those four seasons in West Hartford
182
Leading the team in assists in back-to-back seasons, Englert tallied 92 assists as a junior and 90 as a senior to total 182 dimes over her final two years as a Hawk
Before making her college choice, Alyssa Englert knew she had to make a decision based on more than her basketball playing career: the standout guard out of WaylandCohocton Central School had to make a life decision. Graduating from Wayland-Cohocton as the program’s all-time leader in points, assists and steals, the Dansville, N.Y., native had a standout senior year that was capped by earning MVP honors in the 2010 Ronald McDonald All-Star Game. Not short on suitors, Englert set her sights on Hartford, choosing coach Jen Rizzotti’s program after one visit and learning about the University of Hartford’s Physical Therapy program. Making an immediate impact as a freshman for the Hawks, Englert appeared in 31 games, averaging 11.1 minutes off the bench during the 2010-11 season. She even saw time in Hartford’s 2011 America East Championship win over Boston University, tallying a seasonhigh two steals en route to the Hawks’ sixth NCAA Tournament appearance. After a solid sophomore campaign Englert enjoyed a breakout season as a junior. She made 28 starts in 33 games at point guard,
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ALUMNI FEATURE leading the team with 92 assists on the year. Returning as a senior captain for the 2013-14 season, Englert made starts in 26 of 31 games and averaged a career-high 5.8 points and 2.9 assists per game en route to being named the 2014 America East Fans’ Choice Player of the Year. A four-time member of the America East Academic Honor Roll and two-time member of America East Commissioner’s Honor Roll, Englert found a way to stay active in the Hartford community while being a standout on the court and in the classroom. In 2014, she was named to first-ever America East Helping Hands Team, an honor recognizing one male and one female student-athlete from each America East institution for their dedication to bettering their communities through service. In 2014, Englert was honored at the Final Four as she was one of five Division I players to win the prestigious Allstate WBCA Good words Team Award. Along with the other Good Works Team members and former WNBA star Tamika Catchings, she participated in a community service event at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in partnership with the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. After earning her undergrad degree in 2014, she stayed at the University of Hartford to earn her Doctorate in Physical Therapy in 2017. Today, Englert serves a physical therapist for Hartford HealthCare in West Hartford. Jeff Dooley, the voice of the Hartford Hawks, had a chance to catch up with the former women’s basketball standout. To hear more about Englert’s journey, and her time as a Hawk, check out the interview below.
ONCE A HAWK, ALWAYS A HAWK
HARTFORD HAWKS // #FLYHIGH
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17 HARTFORD HAWKS // #FLYHIGH