Orono, Maine -- The University of Maine women's basketball team (13-8, 6-2) extended its win streak to four games and looks to make it five when it travels to take on UMass Lowell (3-18, 0-8) on Wednesday at 11 a.m. on ESPN3. The Black Bears, who are 8-0 against the River Hawks, are 3-1 on the road in league play.
A LOOK AT THE BLACK BEARS:
The Black Bears extended their season best win streak to four games after cruising past UMBC, 69-36, on Sunday afternoon. The win marked the least amount of points allowed by Maine since 2005 (Rider - 35) and also was the third-straight game in which the Black Bears limited an opponent to 50 or fewer points. Maine, which leads the league in three-point field goals per game (7.9), hit 14 from beyond the arc against the Retrievers, led by
Blanca Millan and
Julie Brosseau who each tallied four triples. Millan, who led Maine in scoring for the 11th consecutive game, Brosseau and
Tanesha Sutton each led the attack with 14 points. Sutton, who added five assists and five steals, narrowly missed a double-double with nine boards. Maine, which forced 24 turnovers in the win, posted just eight turnovers, marking the fourth-straight game in which the Black Bears have turned it over 10 or fewer times. During the current win streak, Maine has only trailed for 2:29 seconds.
Millan, who has now produced 20 straight double-digit scoring performances, leads the way on offense, ranking fourth in the league at 17.5 points per game. The sophomore, who ranks fifth in the league from the floor at 47.3 percent, has been equally impressive on the defensive end. Millan, who has recorded a steal in each of her last 27 outings, ranks 23rd in the nation with 59 steals and leads the conference at 2.8 per game. Sutton, averaging 10.8 points with double-digits in each of her last six, leads the Black Bears in rebounding (6.8) and assists (3.1). Sutton ranks in the top-10 among league leaders in rebounding, assists and steals (2.2).
Julie Brosseau is adding 11.8 points and has hit four or more triples in seven games this season. Millan (36.0) and Brosseau (34.4) rank second and third respectively among America East three-point threats.
The Black Bears have come on strong on the defensive end in league play. Overall, Maine ranks 24th in the nation as it is allowing just 56.2 points per game. Maine is forcing 18.0 turnovers on the year and has held four of its last six opponents to 50 points or less. On the offensive end, Maine is averaging 64.1 points and have been highly productive from beyond the arc. The Black Bears rank first in the league in three-point makes per game (7.9), total makes (165), total attempts (526) and are third in percentage (31.4). Overall, Maine has the second highest field goal percentage among league leaders (40.7) and check in with the second highest assist average (15.0).
SCOUTING UMASS LOWELL:
The River Hawks, who start three freshmen, are currently cemented in the midst of a 12-game losing skid, dating back to their last win on Dec. 7, a 66-60 decision at Saint Peter's. UMass Lowell, who is 2-7 at home, ranks last in the league in scoring defense (71.4 ppg) and check in 342 out of 349 Division-I teams in turnovers per game (21.2). Maine's three-point success will look to take advantage of a UMass Lowell three-point defense which ranks last in the America East, allowing opponents to cash in at a 33.6 percent rate.
Kayla Gibbs, who has nine double-doubles on the year, leads the way for the River Hawks. Gibbs ranks ninth in the league in scoring (12.3) and third in rebounding (9.3), nearly averaging a double-double. Gibbs, whose 58.9% mark from the floor is tops in the league, has been particularly impressive on the offensive glass where she ranks 14th nationally at 4.4 per game. Paula Lopez is adding 9.2 points and leads the River Hawks with 2.7 assists per game.
A GLIMPSE INTO THE UMASS LOWELL SERIES:
Maine and UMass Lowell will meet for the ninth time. The Black Bears are undefeated against UMass Lowell, entering action with an 8-0 record in the series. Since the River Hawks joined the America East in 2013, Maine is 4-0 on the road in the series. The Black Bears are averaging 71.8 points per game on the road against UMass Lowell. In the most recent meeting, Maine defeated the River Hawks 76-50 on Feb. 9, 2017 in Bangor after forcing 24 turnovers.
DURING THE STREAK:
The Black Bears enter today riding a four-game win streak; their longest streak of the season. During the streak, Maine has trailed for just 2:29 and are averaging just 7.8 turnovers per game. Defensively, Maine forced New Hampshire (18), Hartford (17) and UMBC (24) to 59 combined turnovers and currently hold a +10.0 turnover margin over its last four outings. Maine's defense has held three of its last four opponents under 50 points, two of which (UNH/Hartford) entered ranked in the top three in scoring offense, while also holding UMBC to just 36 points. The 36 points were the lowest scored against Maine since it held Rider to 35 points in 2005. Over its last three games, Maine's opponents are averaging just 45.2 points per game.
AMONG THE LEADERS IN DEFENSIVE EFFORT:
Maine, which is allowing just 52.6 points per game in America East action, continues to climb up the national scoring defense charts. The Black Bears currently check in at 24th nationally, out of 349 teams, as they are allowing just 56.2 points per game.
LEADING THE WAY:
Blanca Millan has led the Black Bears in scoring in each of the last 11 games. Over that span, Millan is averaging 17.6 points and 5.6 rebounds while shooting 43.9% to go along with 28 steals. Millan began conference play with back-to-back 20+ scoring efforts in is averaging 18.4 points per game and 5.6 rebounds in league play.
TAKING CARE OF THE BALL
Maine has limited its turnovers to single digits in three of its last four outings. In its win over Vermont, Maine had just four turnovers. It was the least amount of turnovers for the Black Bears in a single game dating back to the 1987 season. Maine is averaging just 7.8 turnovers per game over its current four-game win streak.
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