Orono, Maine -- The University of Maine women's basketball team opens its 55th season of basketball on Saturday afternoon as it plays host to Toledo at the Cross Insurance Center at 1 p.m. The first 1,000 fans through the gates on Saturday will receive a special commemorative replica championship banner as we celebrate the 2018 championship season! Make sure to be in your seats early as the Black Bears will unveil the new banner in a special pregame ceremony!
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Single game tickets are available online at
TicketMaster.com or for purchase by visiting the Cross Insurance Center box office during normal operating hours. Season memberships and group tickets may be purchased through the University of Maine ticket office by phone at 207.581.BEAR or in-person at the Black Bears' box office, located at Alfond Arena.
The opener marks the third-straight season in which the Black Bears kick things off at home. Maine will be looking for its 32nd opening win, entering play with a 31-23 mark in season openers.
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A LOOK AT MAINE:
Maine returns four of five starters from last year's team which captured both the America East regular season and championship crowns. The title was Maine's league record eighth and its first since 2004. The 2017-18 Black Bears finished the year 23-10 overall and 13-3 in America East play. Maine will welcome back six of its top seven scorers, led by preseason all-conference selections Millan (17.5 ppg) and Sutton (12.1). Joining the returning nucleus will be 2017-18 America East Rookie of the Year
Dor Saar, 2017-18 America East Sixth Player of the Year
Parise Rossignol and junior forward
Fanny Wadling who started 32 of Maine's 33 games during the championship run.
Maine, which earned the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament via winning the America East title, went on to play No. 2 Texas in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament, falling to the Longhorns 83-54.
The 2017-18 Black Bears broke the school-record for three-point field goals made (256) and three-point attempts (779), leading the conference in each along with three-point percentage (32.9) and three-point makes per game (7.8). Maine also featured the league's top field goal percentage (42.0) and ranked second in assist rate (14.9).
Defensively, the Black Bears were extremely impressive through the year. Maine finished the campaign ranked 24th in the nation, and tops in the America East, in scoring defense as it limited opponents to just 56.6 points per game. The Black Bears held a total of 14 opponents under 50 points. Maine was 19-1 last season when holding opponents to 60 points or less.
A LOOK AT TOLEDO:
The Rockets advanced to their seventh-straight postseason a year ago, making it to the second round of the WNIT before falling at Michigan State, 68-66. Toledo capped the 2017-18 season at 18-15 overall after going 8-10 in Mid-Atlantic Conference (MAC) play. A year ago, the Rockets averaged 67.5 points per game while holding their opponents to 68.0 points.
Individually, the Rockets return four starters led by 2017-18 leading scorer Kaayla McIntyre who averaged 16.0 points and 7.7 rebounds a year ago. McIntyre is joined by senior guard Mikaela Boyd who averaged 12.1 points and team-highs in both rebounding (8.0) and assists (4.2) a year ago. In total, Toledo returns nine letterwinners while welcoming aboard five newcomers to the squad in 2018-19.
The Rockets are guided by three-time MAC Coach of the Year, Tricia Cullop who boasts a 220-111 in her 10 seasons at the helm of the Rockets' program.
SERIES WITH TOLEDO:
Maine and Toledo will be meeting for just the third time in history, but the second-time in as many years. Toledo leads the all-time series 2-0 after a 61-57 neutral site victory in the championship of the Miami Holiday Tournament on Dec. 30, 2007 and a 65-64 overtime vistory in Toledo a year ago. In that contest, Maine led by as many as 15, and never trailed in regulation, before falling in the extra frame. Toledo hit a late 3-pointer in overtime to take a three point lead before two free throws from Millan brought Maine within one. Maine was forced to foul with three seconds left. Toledo missed both free throws but a halfcourt shot at the buzzer by the Black Bears would miss the mark, allowing Toledo to escape with the victory.
Julie Brosseau poured in 26 points while
Blanca Millan added 16 points, five rebounds and four steals. Sutton (12) and
Kirsten Johnson (11) rounded out Maine's double-digit scorers.
The Black Bears are 9-7 all-time against the MAC. Maine's last win over a MAC school came on Nov. 28, 2009 when it defeated Buffalo in Orono, 58-53.
PRESEASON HONORS:
After capturing the 2017-18 America East Championship, the University of Maine women's basketball team has unanimously been selected first in the America East Preseason Coaches' Poll, as announced on Thursday, Oct. 18 by the league. Individually, junior
Blanca Millan and redshirt senior
Tanesha Sutton each were named to the America East preseason all-conference team. The Black Bears led the way with 64 points and eight first place votes, placing them first in the nine team league. Hartford earned one first place vote and 53 total points as the America East runners-up were slotted tied for second with Stony Brook, who also received 53 points in the poll. UAlbany (39) and Binghamton (34) rounded out the top five. Vermont was slated sixth with 28 points followed by New Hampshire (25), UMBC (19) and UMass Lowell (9). The poll is voted on by the league's nine head coaches. Coaches are not permitted to vote for their own teams.
HOME SWEET HOME:
The Black Bears have been impressive at home as of late. Maine is 47-5 on its home court in its last 52 outings, including a 30-3 mark in America East play o ver the past 33 league contests. The home mark includes a 21-game win streak, including a 13-0 home record in 2015-16. Last season, Maine went 12-2 at home and averaged 70.1 points per game with a +15.6 scoring margin while averaging 9.1 three-point field goals. In 2017-18,
Blanca Millan averaged 18.7 points while shooting 47.7% and averaging 3.3 steals at home. Under Coach Vachon, the Black Bears are 19-3 at home.
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