Women's Basketball Goes for Ninth-Straight Home Win, Host Bryant Saturday
12/11/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
ORONO, Maine -- The University of Maine women's basketball team goes for its third home win of the season Saturday when it hosts Bryant at 1 p.m. The Black Bears have won nine-straight at home dating back to last season and are 15-2 at Cross Insurance Center since the start of 2014-15.
FOLLOW YOUR BLACK BEARS:
- TICKETS - Tickets are available by visiting GoBlackBears.com or at the Cross Insurance Center box office. Fans may also purchase tickets by phone at 1-800-745-3000.
- WATCH - Watch the Black Bears LIVE at AmericaEast.TV
- LISTEN - Don Shields will have the call on 94.1 WGUY-FM or at GoBlackBears.com
- LIVE STATS
A LOOK AT THE BLACK BEARS:
Maine, winners of four of its last five outings, was able to get back on the winning track with a convincing 59-41 victory at Dartmouth. The victory came after a 56-44 second half let down at Northeastern just two days prior. In the win at Dartmouth, the Black Bears were led by Mikaela Gustafsson's career-high 18 point showing. Sigi Koizar chipped in 15 points while Bella Swan added eight points and nine boards. Maine put the game away with a 21-8 scoring advantage in the fourth quarter and finished the game with a 44.7% mark from the floor.
The Black Bears are led by Koizar who has tallied double-figures in 10 of Maine's first 11 games. Koizar ranks third in the league at 16.9 points per game. The junior guard also ranks in the top 10 in the league in assists (6th-4.1), field goal percentage (10th-48.9), free throw percentage (4th-83.8) and leads the league in 3-point percentage as she is 27-for-54 (50.0%). Koizar tallied her 800th career point at Dartmouth. Liz Wood is averaging 9.3 points and ranks fifth in the league in rebounding (7.6) and second in steals (2.8). Mikaela Gustafsson, coming off a career-high performance, is chipping in 8.5 points and ranks sixth in the league from the floor (51.4%).
Maine is averaging 60.3 points per game and limiting opponents to a league-low 54.1 points. The Black Bears rank third in America East in field goal percentage (43.3) and 3-point shooting (30.4) while hitting at a 70.8% clip from the free throw line. Maine is tops in the league with 16.0 assists per game and fourth in the nation in total assists (176). Maine is averaging 6.5 makes from 3-point range.
SCOUTING BRYANT:
The Bulldogs enter this match-up on a four-game losing skid after most recently dropping an 88-78 decision at Providence on Wednesday evening. Bryant's lone two wins this season came against America East opponents in Vermont and UMass Lowell. Senior Tiersa Winder leads the Bulldogs in scoring at 15.3 points per game with 4.1 rebounds. Sophomore Ivory Bailey is adding 15.1 points, 6.3 rebounds and a team-high 2.5 assists. Breanna Rucker is averaging a double-double with 13.7 points and 12.3 rebounds.
Bryant is averaging 68.5 points per game and are allowing 75.3 ppg. The Bulldogs are shooting 38.6% from the floor, 31.5% from 3-point range and 72.5% from the free throw line. Bryant ranks seconds in the NEC with 41.8 rebounds per game and hold a +12.3 rebounding advantage over its opponents.
A GLIMPSE INTO THE SERIES:
Maine and Bryant will be meeting for the sixth-straight season as the Bulldogs enter holding a slim 3-2 advantage in the series following a 65-52 victory in last season's contest. Sigi Koizar (16) and Liz Wood (11) each tallied double-figures in last season's loss. Maine is 1-1 at home against Bryant with its last home win coming in 2013 by a score of 75-65. Maine won the first ever meeting in the series in 2010, 75-66. Sigi Koizar has tallied 16 points in each of her first two meetings with Bryant while Anna Heise enters play averaging 10.5 points in three meetings.
-UMaine-
