Women's Basketball Set to Host 19th Annual Dead River Company Classic
11/23/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Game Notes -- Live Stats -- Video -- Audio
ORONO, Maine -- The University of Maine women's basketball team will play host to the 19th annual Dead River Company Classic running from Friday, Nov. 25 through Saturday, Nov. 26.
Brown and Evansville will open up tournament play on Friday at 4 p.m. before the Black Bears hit the hardwood in a 6 p.m. contest against Troy. The two defeated teams will match up on Saturday at 12 p.m. before the pair of winners from day one will battle for the Dead River Classic Championship at 2 p.m.
Maine is exactly .500 in its Dead River Company Classic career as it enters Friday night at 18-18 in tournament play. The Black Bears have won three Dead River Company Classic Championships. In 1995-96 Maine defeated Villanova 70-62 for the Black Bears' first tournament championship. The next came in 2004-05 when Maine knocked off St. Joseph's 54-36. The Black Bears' most recent championship came in 2006-07 when they defeated Clemson 80-78.
The Black Bears enter the tournament at 1-2 with its most recent contest coming in a home opening loss to Bryant 65-53. This is now the fifth year in a row that Maine has started out the season at 1-2 in its first three games. The Black Bears are led by sophomore guard Ashleigh Roberts who is averaging 13.7 points per game, ranking her seventh in the conference, as she has scored in double-figures in each of Maine's first three games. Senior captain Brittany Williams is also averaging double-figures as she is scoring 12.0 points per game to go along with 4.0 rebounds. Williams' 54.3% field goal percentage is tops in the conference. Freshman Courtney Anderson has provided Maine with solid minutes early as she is averaging the third highest minutes per game at 22.7. Anderson is averaging 6.7 points per game as she is 4-for-10 from beyond the arc. Her 3.0 assists per game rank her 10th in the conference. Corinne Wellington leads the Black Bears inside, averaging 5.7 points from the post to go along with a team-high 5.3 rebounds. As a unit, the Black Bears rank second in America East in field goal percentage (40.3%) and are also second in the league in field goal percentage defense, holding teams to 35.8% shooting. Maine also ranks second in the conference in defensive rebounding at 28.0 per game.
A LOOK AT THE DEAD RIVER FIELD
This will be the first ever meeting between Maine and Troy. Troy started the season off at 0-3 after dropping its first three games to Winthrop (80-66), Furman (75-57) and Belhaven (56-53). The Trojans are led by senior guard DeAngela Sword, a pre-season Sun Belt Third Team All-Conference selection, is also averaging double-figures as she has netted 14.3 points per game to go along with 7.3 rebounds per. Junior guard Sarah McAppion is also averaging in double-figures with 11.0 points to go along with 3.0 rebounds. As a whole, Troy is averaging 61.5 points per game while shooting 37.4% from the field and 75.0% from the free throw line. The Trojans were selected to finish last in the six team Sun Belt east division pre-season coaches poll.
If the Black Bears meet up with Brown it will be the tenth meeting between the two progams with Maine holding the all-time series record at 5-4. Maine and Brown last met in 2008, also in the Dead River Company Classic, a game that was won by Brown 65-52. Brown went on to lose to West Virginia in the championship of the Dead River Classic that season, 66-49. The Black Bears last defeated Brown on Nov. 24, 2006, a 63-51 win for Maine in the opening round of the 2006 Dead River Company Classic. Junior Second-Team All-Ivy League selection Sheila Dixon currently paces the Bears as she is averaging 15.5 points per game while also leading the team in rebounding at 7.0 per game. Hannah Passafuime is also averaging 15.5 points per game. Brown opened the season 1-3 with its first win coming over America East member Albany, 65-53. The Brown Bears were selected to finish fifth in the eight-team Ivy League conference.
If it comes down to it, the Black Bears will also match up with Evansville for the first time in program history. The Purple Aces enter the tournamnet in search of their first win as they dropped their first three contests to Murray State, Cincinnati and Bowling Green. Evansville, selected to finish ninth in the 10 team Missouri Valley Conference, enters the tournament averaging 49.7 points per game while shooting 31.9% from the field and knocking down 63.3% of its free throws. Junior forward Samantha Heck currently leads the Lady Aces' scoring attack with 10.7 points per game to go along with 5.3 rebounds. Senior combo guard Briyana Blair is netting 9.0 points per game and leads the team in rebounding at 6.7 boards per contest.
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