For the third time this season, UMaine forward Adrianna Smith was named America East Player of the Week on Monday. Anna Chadwick/Morning Sentinel
University of Maine junior forward Adrianna Smith has been named the America East women’s basketball Player of the Week for the third time this season.
Smith, who has earned the honor seven times in her career, averaged 20.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists and three steals in two wins.
In Maine’s 68-49 win over UMass Lowell on Thursday, Smith finished with 25 points, eight rebounds and five assists. In a 70-58 win over Bryant on Saturday, Smith posted her 16th double-double of the season with 16 points and 13 rebounds. She also had eight assists.
The Black Bears (15-8, 8-1 America East) return to action at 2 p.m. Saturday when they host the University of New Hampshire.
TOP 25: Caitlin Clark and Iowa climbed back to No. 2 in The Associated Press Top 25 as the star guard moved within striking distance of the NCAA career scoring record.
It’s the second time in a few weeks that the Hawkeyes have been second in the poll, a spot that hasn’t been kind to teams the past month. UCLA, Iowa and Kansas State all took turns in the second position since Jan. 8 and none of the schools could hold that ranking for more than a week at a time.
While No. 2 has been a revolving door lately, South Carolina has maintained a strong grip atop the poll, once again the unanimous No. 1 team from a 35-member national media panel.
The Gamecocks (21-0) will host Missouri and No. 11 UConn this week.
No. 3 North Carolina State, No. 4 Colorado and No. 5 Ohio State followed Iowa. It’s the Buckeyes’ best ranking this season.
Notre Dame and Cumberland native Anna DeWolfe are ranked 10th, while Indiana and Gorham native Mackenzie Holmes fell to No. 14.
MEN’S HOCKEY
UMAINE: Goalie Albin Boija has been named the Hockey East Defender of the Week.
Boija recorded his first career shutout in the Black Bears’ 1-0 win over UMass on Saturday night. Boija stopped 15 shots against the Minutemen to improve to 4-1-1 this season.
The Black Bears, who dropped from sixth to seventh in the latest USCHO Division I poll, host No. 10 Providence on Friday and Saturday night.
FOOTBALL
WASHINGTON: Steve Belichick has agreed to be the defensive coordinator for new coach Jedd Fisch at Washington, a person with knowledge of the move told The Associated Press.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because no announcement has been made. The move was first reported by 247Sports.
The son of NFL coaching great Bill Belichick will take a role in college for the first time following 12 seasons working on the staff of the New England Patriots with his dad. Steve Belichick, 36, was the defensive play caller for the Patriots for the past five seasons. He was also a secondary/safeties and outside linebackers coach with the Patriots during his tenure.
Steve Belichick and his brother Brian had both been offered spots to stay on the coaching staff in New England with new coach Jerod Mayo if their father didn’t land another head coaching position. Brian Belichick had coached safeties with the Patriots since 2020.
Instead, Steve Belichick will reunite with Fisch, who served as the quarterbacks coach with New England during the 2020 season.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
TOP 25: Reigning national champion Connecticut, Purdue and North Carolina remained atop The Associated Press Top 25 poll for the third consecutive week, while South Carolina cracked the rankings for the first time in nearly seven years.
The Huskies earned 45 of 61 first-place votes to remain at No. 1 for the fourth straight week, while the Boilermakers topped the ballots of 16 other voters.
The top of the poll remained set after a big week that included four top-10 matchups over the weekend, with Purdue winning at Wisconsin and UNC beating rival Duke. The week also included Kansas beating Houston, which vaulted the Jayhawks up four spots to No. 4 and dropped the Cougars one spot to No. 5.
Tennessee, with South Portland’s JP Estrella, fell one spot to No. 6 after losing at home to the now-No. 15 Gamecocks but followed that with a win at Kentucky in the weekend’s other top-10 tussle. The Wildcats tumbled seven spots to No. 17 after losses to the Vols and Florida.
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