Women's Basketball Sets Sights on Fourth-Straight Win Sunday at 2 PM
12/5/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
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ORONO, Maine -- The University of Maine women's basketball team (4-3) looks for its fourth-straight win, and third-straight at home, when it hosts Harvard (4-3) at Cross Insurance Center Sunday, Dec 7 at 2 PM. Maine is currently 3-1 at home and is averaging 62.5 points on its home court.
A LOOK AT THE BLACK BEARS...
Maine looks for its fourth-straight win, and third-straight at home, after back-to-back thrilling victories. Maine captured the Thanksgiving Tournament Championship with an overtime win over Boston College on Dec. 30 before more recently battling back from down 17 to defeat Central Connecticut State 72-58 on the road. Liz Wood and Sigi Koizar (23 pts & 21 pts, respectively) each tallied over 20 points in the victory while Sophie Weckstrom hit five second-half 3-pointers to finish with 15 points.
Koizar (15.7) and Wood (15.1) rank fifth and sixth in the league in scoring. In Maine's current three-game win streak, Wood is averaging 21.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists while Koizar checks in at 16.3 points and 5.7 rebounds while shooting 60.7-percent from the floor. Overall, Koizar ranks third in the league with a 54.7-percent mark from the floor while Wood ranks fifth in assists and the duo are ranked for third in steals (2.3).
Wood and Koizar are supported by a strong cast as the Black Bears feature significant depth. Weckstrom is averaging 6.7 points and ranks 12th in the league at 30.6-percent from beyond the arc while going 8-for-8 from the free throw line. Anna Heise is chipping in 6.1 points and 2.4 rebounds in the paint while shooting 53.3-percent from the floor while Lauren Bodine is averaging 4.7 points and has knocked down 11 3-pointers. Mikaela Gustafsson is adding 3.9 points while Bella Swan ranks fourth on the team with 3.1 rebounds.
Maine is averaging 62.0 points per game and ranks second in the league in defense, allowing 60.9 points. Maine is fourth in the league from the floor (41.6%) and third from 3-point range (32.0%). The Black Bears are second in the league in assists (14.0), third in steals (8.7) and second in 3-pointers made (7.7).
SCOUTING HARVARD...
The Crimson enter the contest 4-3 and have alternated wins and losses through their first seven games. Last time out, Harvard picked up a road win at UMass by a score of 75-62. The Crimson led by just one at the half but pulled away, outscoring UMass 42-30 in the second half. Harvard is averaging 69.0 points per game and are strong on the boards as it is averaging 41.0 rebounds per game.
Harvard features three scorers averaging double-figures led by senior Temi Fagbenle. Fagbenle is averaging a double-double with 15.6 points per game and a team-high 12.3 rebounds, while shooting a team-high matching 51.3-percent from the floor. Fagbenle is assisted by Erin McDonnell who is adding 13.6 points and 7.6 rebounds while junior Annmarie Healy is checking in at 12.9 points and 6.6 rebounds.
A GLIMPSE INTO THE SERIES...
Maine and Harvard will be meeting for the 12th time in history as the Black Bears hold the all-time advantage 6-5. The two teams last met in 2010, a 73-43 victory by the Crimson. Harvard has won four-straight in the series. Maine's last victory came in 1989; a 59-55 victory at Harvard. The Black Bears last defeated Harvard at home in 1988; a 89-77 victory in a contest played in Augusta, Maine. The Black Bears defeated Harvard in a true home game in 1984 by a score of 86-56, the first ever meeting in the series.
A COMEBACK FOR THE AGES...
On Dec. 3 at Central Conn. St., the Black Bears trailed by 17 with 3:40 left in the first half. Maine closed the half on a 5-0 run and opened the second with a 16-0 sprint to take a 40-36 lead. The Black Bears went on to outscore CCSU 48-22 in the second half to take a 72-58 victory. Maine overcame two double-digit deficits last season to win (-13 vs. North Dakota St. and -10 vs. Bryant). Prior to the comeback against CCSU, Maine's most recent largest comeback was when it trailed at New Hampshire by 16 and won 65-61 in 2010.
THE 20 SPOT and a WINNING STREAK...
Sigi Koizar and Liz Wood have put up four 20+ points scoring totals in Maine's last three games. Koizar has tallied 20+ in her last two games while Wood went off for 25 against Brown and tallied 23 at CCSU. Over the three game win streak, Koizar is averaging 16.3 ppg and shooting 60.7% from the floor while Wood is chipping in 21.3 points and hitting at a 59.1% mark. As a team, Maine has boosted its scoring average from 58.8 ppg to 62.0 over the last four. In its last three games, the Black Bears are averaging 66.3 points per game.
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