Preview: Women's Basketball Travels to Take on Northeastern
12/3/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
ORONO, Maine -- The University of Maine women's basketball team looks for its fourth-straight win as it travels to take on Northeastern in a Friday afternoon matinee.
Maine is coming off a convincing 82-42 victory over neighboring Division-III foe Colby back on Tuesday evening. Sigi Koizar led all scorers with 16 points while Chantel Charles chipped in 11 points. Liz Wood added eight points and 13 rebounds in a game which saw all 14 Black Bears who logged minutes tally a point.
FOLLOW YOUR BLACK BEARS:
A LOOK AT MAINE:
Sigi Koizar leads Maine's offense, ranking third in the league at 17.2 points per game and has now totaled double-figures in eight of Maine's nine contests. Koizar has been impressive in all aspects this season which is showing nationally as she ranks 10th in the country in points (155), 16th in field goals (53) and 30th in assists (36). Koizar leads the America East in assist to turnover ratio (1.71) and ranks fifth in assists per game (4.0). Koizar has been spot on from 3-point range, shooting a league-leading 51.2% from beyond the arc, 49.1% from the field and an impressive 87.1% (27-for-31) from the free throw line. Senior Liz Wood is averaging 10.3 points and ranks second in the league in rebounding (8.2). Wood's 74 rebounds are good for 21st in the nation while her 25 steals sit seventh-best in the country. Mikaela Gustafsson is off to a consistently solid start to the season, averaging 7.9 points and 4.1 rebounds while Chantel Charles, who has tallied double-figures in her last two games, is adding 7.3 points. Sophie Weckstrom is adding 8.1 points and 2.4 assists.
Maine is averaging 62.2 points per game and is allowing just 55.3 ppg, second-best in the league. Maine is third in America East from the free throw line (71.8%), second in field goal percentage (43.8%) and third in 3-point shooting (29.9%). Maine leads the league at 16.7 assists per game, ranking third in the nation with 150 total assists. The Black Bears' 6.7 makes from 3-point range per game are second best in the America East.
SCOUTING NORTHEASTERN:
The Huskies are off to a 4-2 start in head coach Kelly Cole's second year at the helm. Northeastern, which finished last season 4-25, is led by senior Samantha DeFreese who is nearly averaging a double-double with 17.2 points and 9.2 rebounds while shooting 57.1% from the floor. Freshman guard Jess Genco has burst onto the scene, posting 10.5 ppg, 4.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists in her first six games.
Northeastern is averaging 64.0 points per game while holding its opponents to 58.7. The Huskies are shooting 39.7% from the floor, 29.0% from 3-point range and 72.0% from the free throw line and outrebounding the opposition 40.3-37.2.
A GLIMPSE INTO THE SERIES:
The Black Bears will be meeting Northeastern for the 56th time in history. The 56 meetings ranks fifth in terms of most meetings between a team in Black Bears history as the Huskies are a former member of the America East conference. Maine owns the all-time series record 34-21. The Black Bears' last win at Northeastern came on Jan. 22, 2005; a 68-65 decision. Maine defeated Northeastern, 60-51, in last season's meeting. Sigi Koizar led Maine in the win with 15 points while Liz Wood added a double-double of 10 points and 12 boards. Wood enter's the match-up averaging 11.5 points and 10.5 points in two games all-time against Northeastern. The Black Bears are 9-2 in their last 11 meetings with Northeastern. Northeastern won the first ever meeting by a score of 87-64 in 1983.
-UMaine-
