Black Bears Set to Take Part in Navy Classic
12/1/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Game Notes -- Live Stats -- Video -- Audio
ORONO, Maine -- The University of Maine women's basketball team (3-3) will travel for the first time in four games as it visits the Naval Academy for the Navy Classic. The Black Bears will battle George Washington on Friday at 3:30 p.m. before playing the host team Navy on Saturday at 3:30.
Maine, currently 2-1 in its last three games, enters the Navy Classic fresh off a 73-37 win over Division III Maine Maritime Academy. The 36 point victory for Maine was its biggest over a regular season opponant since it defeated Robert Morris by 42, 96-54 on Dec. 29, 2002. Maine had 11 players score in the game as it was led by freshman Courtney Anderson's 10 point effort.
The Black Bears are off to their best start since starting 5-1 in its first six games in 2006. The Black Bears are led by sophomore guard Ashleigh Roberts who is averaging 10.8 points per game to go along with a team-high 5.3 rebounds. Senior co-captain Brittany Williams is averaging 11.2 points per game to go along with 3.2 rebounds. Williams has been a leader for Maine so far this season as she is leading the team with 31.5 minutes per game entering this weekend. The Black Bears have been getting solid production out of its freshman. Courtney Anderson is averaging 7.7 points per game as she is shooting 8-for-16 from beyond the arc, ranking second in the conference in that category at 55.6%. Fellow freshman Rebecca Knight recently started her first collegiate game in Maine's win over Troy. The Alfred, Maine native is averaging 3.5 points per game to go along with 3.3 rebounds per game. Four of the Black Bears' five freshmen have played in all six games thus far. As a unit, Maine is averaging 60.2 points per game while holding its opponents to 54.5 points per game, ranking them second in the conference in terms of defense. The Black Bears are shooting 41.4% from the field and 63% from the free throw line. The Black Bears are pulling down 39.7 rebounds per game compared to its opponents 36.2 boards per game.
George Washington, predicted in the preseason coaches poll to finish ninth in the 14 team A-10 conference, enter the Navy Classic with a record of 3-3. The Colonials kicked off the season with a win over UT Arlington before dropping its next three, including tough matchups with Virginia Tech and Auburn. George Washington rebounded with a 83-59 win against Radford before knocking off Old Dominion 58-52 in overtime. The Colonials are led by senior center Sara Mostafa who is tied for 16th in the A-10 in scoring at 11.7 points per game while pulling down 6.2 rebounds and becoming a force in the paint with a team-high six blocks. Junior guard Danni Jackson is also averaging double-figures in scoring at 11.7 points per game while dishing out 11 total assists with 11 steals. Forwards Tara Booker and Brooke Wilson are also having productive starts to the season as they are averaging 9.8 points and 6.8 points per game respectively. Booker currently leads the Colonials with 8.7 rebounds per game. The Colonials have been solid on the defensive side of the ball, holding opponents to 55.8 points per game and an A-10 leading low of 33.6% shooting from the field.
Maine enters the Navy Classic winless against George Washington as the Colonials are 4-0 all-time against the Black Bears. Maine last faced George Washington in on Dec. 17, 2005, a game won by the Colonials 57-47. The two team's first meeting came in the 1996 season opener on Nov. 22 where the Black Bears were defeated 68-65 at George Washington. Maine is currently 3-0 in its last three A-10 matchups with wins over Rhode Island, and a pair of wins over UMass. Three of Maine's next five games will be against A-10 opponents as it will play a neutral site game with George Washington before traveling to face UMass. The Black Bears will then meet up with Duquesne in the opening round of the Florida Tournament in Gainesville, Fla.
Navy, the defending 2010-11 Patriot League Championship, enter the Classic at 2-3 on the season and are coming off a 71-59 win over Air Force. Navy returns three starters from its Championship team including sophomore forward Jade Geif who is averaging team highs in points (13.2) and rebounds (8.8). Geif was named the Patriot League Rookie of the Year last season and was also named the conference tournament's most valuable player. Fellow sophomore Audrey Bauer is second on the team in scoring at 8.6 points per game to go along with 4.0 rebounds. The trio of sophomore studs are rounded out by sophomore guard Kara Pollinger who is notching 8.4 points per game to go along with a team-high 2.8 assists. The midshipmen as a unit are averaging 50.8 points per game while its defense ranks second in the Patriot League as they are only allowing 53.4 points per game. Navy enters the tournament shooting 34.2% from the field while pulling down 38.0 rebounds per, a +2.0 advantage over its opponents.
Maine and Navy have a short history as the current series is tied 1-1. The two teams first met in 1988, a 92-55 win for the Black Bears at the Bangor Auditorium in Bangor, Maine. The two teams last met in the opening round of last season's Dead River Company Classic, a 65-43 win by the Midshipmen who went on to win the Classic. Samantha Wheeler paced the Black Bear attack in the meeting last season as she tallied 11 points and seven rebounds. Amber Smith also had a solid game with 12 points and six rebounds to go along with a pair of assists and a pair of steals. The Black Bears trailed by just three at the half but were outscored by 19 in the seconds half. Jade Geif led the Midshipmen with 13 points and 11 rebounds.
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