Orono, Maine -- The University of Maine women's basketball team (2-4) looks to snap a two-game losing skid when it takes on UT-Chattanooga (3-4) on Sunday, Nov. 27 at 6 p.m. in neutral site action at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Mass. Maine and Chattanooga will be meeting for the first time in history.
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A LOOK AT THE BLACK BEARS:
The Black Bears are looking to bounce back after dropping a 58-49 decision to Hampton on Tuesday. A game, which saw Maine jump out to an early 7-0 lead and carry a one-point lead into the half, got away from the Black Bears in the second half. Maine will now look to rebound after it has lost four of its last five, including a pair to top-10 ranked teams (Mississippi St./South Carolina).
Maine is packed by senior leader and preseason all-conference selection
Sigi Koizar. Koizar, who recently moved into ninth in scoring all-time at Maine, is averaging 13.7 points and most recently dropped 25 on Hampton. It was the 62nd time the senior has scored double-figures and the 21st time besting 20+ in a game. The Black Bears, who feature one of the youngest teams in all of Division-I, currently feature eight freshmen in their top-10 scorers list, with the other being a senior and the other (Sutton) being a redshirt sophomore transfer. Two-time America East Rookie of the Week
Laia Sole checks in with 9.5 points and 4.2 rebounds while fellow freshman
Blanca Millan is adding 7.2 points.
Tanesha Sutton is adding 7.0 points with a team-high 45-percent mark from the floor.
In an early sample size, including a pair of games against Top-10 opponents, Maine is averaging 53.7 points per game while surrendering 63.8. The Black Bears are shooting 36.2 percent from the floor and 75 percent from the free throw stripe. Maine, which has been highly successful from 3-point range over the past three seasons, is still working to find its mark from deep (25.4 percent). Maine is turning it over 15.3 times per game and also forcing 15.3 turnovers per game.
SCOUTING UT-CHATTANOOGA:
The Mocs return four starters and 12 letterwinners from a 2015-16 team which went 24-8, tying for first with a 12-2 mark in the SoCon and earning an NCAA berth in which it lost in the first round by a score of 60-50 to Mississippi St.
Like Maine, Chattanooga has begun the season with a tough schedule with losses to No. 19 Florida (72-61), No. 23 Indiana (79-76), No. 5 Louisville (63-47) and a most recent 71-55 setback to the always powerful mid-major, Wisconsin - Green Bay.
Queen Alford leads the Mocs, averaging 11.6 points per game. Alford, who is shooting 41.0 percent from the floor, has tallied double-figures in five of seven games. Jasmine Joyner controls the paint for Chattanooga. The 6'2" senior forward is nearly averaging a double-double with 10.0 points and 9.0 rebounds. Joyner, who leads the team in rebounds, is also notching team-highs in steals (1.7) and blocks (3.3). The Mocs have struggled at home (0-3) but enter action at the MassMutual Center 2-0 on the year in neutral site affairs. Chattanooga is shooting 40.0 percent from the floor and 77.6 percent from the free throw line.
The Mocs are coached by Jim Foster who's in his fourth year at UT-Chattanooga and 39th overall. Foster began the season ranked eighth on the NCAA all-time wins list (865).
ALL-TIME VS. SOCON:
Maine has a brief history with Southern Conference member schools. Maine, which has never played UT-Chattanooga before, has only played three games against schools representing the SoCon (Mercer, Wofford, UNC-Greensboro). Maine is 2-1 all-time against the SoCon. The Black Bears defeated Mercer (1994) and UNCG (2001). Maine lost its most recent meeting with a team out of the SoCon, dropping a decision to Wofford in 2012.
NEWCOMER SCORING:
Over its first six games, Maine has received 72.4% of its scoring from newcomers (7 freshman, 1 transfer) - with 59.3% of all scoring coming strictly from the freshman class. Seven of its eight top scorers are either freshmen or first-year players (Transfer-Sutton). Maine has received 233 of its total 322 points from newcomers.
FREE THROW SUCCESS:
Sigi Koizar leads the league from the free throw stripe and ranks 30th in the nation at 94.1 percent from the line. Koizar is 16-for-17 from the charity stripe and has knocked down 13-straight dating back to a miss in the opener against Purdue. As a unit, Maine leads the league and ranks 50th nationally from the free throw line (75.0%).
SOLE BURSTS ON TO THE SCENE:
In just her first two weeks of collegiate action, freshman forward
Laia Sole has raked in a trio of awards. Sole captured the first two America East Rookie of the Week awards and was honored a member of the Tipoff Tournament All-Tournament team.
-UMaine-
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