College Sports

February 10. 2013 10:16PM

Allen Lessels' UNH Notebook: Women's hoopsters hit the road

BY ALLEN LESSELS
New Hampshire Union Leader

DURHAM -- THE University of New Hampshire women's basketball team, looking to make a move in America East, plays at Maryland, Baltimore County on Wednesday night.

The Wildcats won their third game in their last four on Wednesday night in Lundholm Gymnasium against Vermont, 67-45, in a homecoming of sorts for third-year head coach Maureen Magarity.

Magarity has been mostly away from the team since her first child, Charlotte, was born prematurely a few days before Christmas. Wednesday was her first day back on the sidelines.

She hopes to be able to coach home games from here on out leading into the league tournament.

"This has been tough," Magarity said. "Not only for me, but for the staff and the team and I appreciate how everyone's handled the situation. I think we're headed in the right direction."

Guard Kelsey Hogan, a junior out of Nashua who had been sidelined with a knee injury, scored a season-high 17 points to lead the Wildcats on Wednesday. She made all six of her field goals, four of them three-pointers.

"She's a tough kid," Magarity said. "If she can play, she will."

UNH improved to 9-13 overall with the Vermont win. The Wildcats, Stony Brook and Vermont are all tied for fourth place in the league with 4-6 records. UMBC is just behind at 4-7.

After UMBC on Wednesday, UNH is at Boston University, 10-1 in the league, on Saturday.

Track
THE MEN'S AND WOMEN'S track teams compete in the America East championships today and Tuesday at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston, hoping to improve on their results of a year ago.

Senior distance runners Cory Sinotte out of Manchester Central and throwers George Jumpp out of Manchester Memorial and Cameron Lyle out of Plaistow and Timberlane are among the UNH leaders on the men's side.

The men finished fourth in the championships last year.

Junior Anne Twombly of Exeter, who won the 800 meters at the recent URI Invitational, and senior Keely Maguire are two of the key performers for the women.

The UNH women finished sixth last year.

Football
Defensive tackle Jared Smith, a 6-foot-3 and 292-pound anchor of the defensive line for the UNH football team the last few seasons, is headed to the NFL Combine later this month in Indianapolis.

The Combine is scheduled for Feb. 23-26.

Smith had four sacks among his 40 tackles last season and helped UNH to an 8-4 record and ninth straight appearance in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision tournament.

Women's Hockey
THE WOMEN'S hockey game against Connecticut, originally scheduled for Sunday at noon and postponed by the storm, will be played tonight at 7 at the Whittemore Center.

UNH is 11-14-2 overall and 7-7-1 in Hockey East. UConn is 3-22-3 and 1-13-1.

The Wildcats were scheduled to play at Boston University on Friday night. That game was postponed to Feb. 20.

Men's Basketball
THE MEN'S basketball team, 6-16 overall and 2-8 in America East, plays UMBC at home on Wednesday night. UMBC is 6-18 and 4-7.

alessels@unionleader.com