Orono, Maine -- The University of Maine women's basketball team, off to its best conference start since 2003-04, travels to Hartford for a Wednesday evening rematch of last season's America East Championship in a showdown between the two remaining teams with undefeated marks in league play. A key in the meeting will be the turnover battle as Maine enters as the league leader in fewest turnovers (11.5) with Hartford forcing a league-best 23.4 per game.
Â
Â
Tale of the Tape
| Maine |
Category |
Hartford |
| 11-6/4-0 |
Record/Conference |
10-7/3-0 |
| 66.1 |
Points Per Game |
62.1 |
| 62.9 |
Opponent Points Per Game |
59.4 |
| +3.2 |
Scoring Margin |
+2.7 |
| 42.2 |
Field Goal Percentage |
37.0 |
| 32.3 |
3-Point Field Goal Percentage |
29.2 |
| 69.6 |
Free Throw Percentage |
65.9 |
| 31.4 |
Rebounds Per Game |
34.1 |
| -4.5 |
Rebound Margin |
-7.7 |
| 15.5 |
Assists Per Game |
11.1 |
| 11.5 |
Turnovers Per Game |
16.2 |
| 2.5 |
Blocks Per Game |
2.1 |
| 8.5 |
Steals Per Game |
12.3 |
LAST TIME OUT:
Blanca Millan posted a game-high 27 points to help lead the Black Bears to a 76-65 victory over visiting UAlbany on Saturday afternoon at the Cross Insurance Center. The win improved Maine to 4-0 in America East play, marking its best start in league play since 2003-04.
Millan, who moved past Bracey Barker and into 15th on Maine's all-time scoring list, started the day 8-of-9 from the floor before finishing the contest 10-of-14, with a 5-for-5 showing from the free throw line, to go along with five steals and four rebounds. Millan's 27 points marked her highest total against an America East opponent in her career.
Maine (11-6) was assisted on the offensive end by
Parise Rossignol who tallied her fourth-straight double-figure scoring performance with 20 points on 4-of-6 from three point range. Sutton, who has notched double-figures in six of her last seven outings, finished the day with 15 points, six rebounds and five assists.
The Black Bears went 16-for-30 from the floor in the first half before finishing the game 28-of-58 (48.3) with an 11-for-14 mark at the free throw stripe.
Maine, which entered the game sixth in the nation in turnovers per game (11.5), again won the turnover battle. The Black Bears forced 17 turnovers to their 11, outscoring UAlbany 22-8 in points off turnovers.
Both teams got off to hot starts on the offensive end, combining to go 12-for-17 from the floor with the Black Bears holding a 17-14 lead through six minutes of action.
A LOOK AT THE BLACK BEARS:
The Black Bears are off to their best start in league play since 2004 following their fourth-straight home victory, a 76-65 win over visiting UAlbany.
Blanca Millan and
Tanesha Sutton, who each averaged 21 points per game in two wins last week, and
Parise Rossignol have been impressive through Maine's first four league games. Rossignol leads the way in league play, averaging 17.0 points per game, with Sutton (16.3) and Millan (15.3) each adding double-digit averages. Rossignol is shooting 60.0-percent from the floor and 57.1-percent (12-21) from beyond the arc against league foes. Rossignol has just one turnover over her 106 minutes of America East play. In league play, Maine is averaging 72.5 points per game while holding a +21.5 scoring margin over its competition and averaging just 10.8 turnovers per game.
Overall, Millan leads the America East at 17.7 points per game on the year. Over the span of three games, Millan has jumped three former Black Bears on Maine's scoring list as she currently ranks 15th overall at 1,171 points. The junior has posted double-digits in six of her last seven. Defensively, Millan leagues the America East in steals per game (2.9) - a number which places her 32nd nationally. Sutton checks in fifth in the league in scoring at 14.5 points per game and also has notched double-digits in six of her last seven. Sutton leads the Black Bears in rebounding, ranking third in the conference at 7.2 boards per contest while her 49.0-percent showing from the floor is tops on the team and third in the league. Rossignol is the league's leader from beyond the arc, shooting 42.1-percent from long range to go along with 2.0 three-point field goals per game. Rossignol ranks 14th overall in scoring at 11.3 points per game.
As a team, Maine continues to be highly consistent with an impressively low number at 11.5 turnovers per game. The number ranks sixth best in the nation. The Black Bears have had nine performances of 11 or fewer turnovers this season, six of which being single digits including an eye-popping three turnovers in a win at Vermont. Offensively, Maine's 8.1 three-point field goals per game top the league leaders. The Black Bears rank second in America East at 66.1 points per game.
A LOOK AT HARTFORD:
The Hawks, who enter action with a 5-2 mark at home, are winners of their last five including a 61-32 home victory over Vermont last Saturday. Hartford boasts an impressive defense which checks in second in the league allowing just 59.4 points per game. The Hawks rank eighth in the nation in steals per game (12.3) and sixth best nationally in turnovers forced (23.4).
Lindsey Abed ranks seventh among America East scoring leaders, averaging 13.2 points per game. Abed's 37.1-percent mark from three-point range is a team-best while she checks in second-best among league leaders at 2.5 three-point field goals per game. Sierra DaCosta ranks ninth in the America East at 12.7 points per game with team-highs in field goal percentage (43.5) and assists (2.5). Ella Awobajo leads Hartford at 5.4 rebounds per game to go along with 10.8 points.
SERIES WITH HARTFORD:
Maine and Hartford will meet for the 76th time in history with the Black Bears holding a 47-28 advantage in the all-time series. Maine has won each of its last seven against the Hawks, including a 71-53 win in last year's America East Championship game. In that game, Maine featured five scorers in double-figures, led by Millan's 22 point effort. Dating back to 1985, Maine is 21-13 all-time on the road in the series. The Black Bears have won seven-straight road games against the Hawks, including last year's 59-44 Maine victory.
Millan has tallied double-digits in all five of her career meetings with Hartford and enters averaging 18.6 points per game against the Hawks. Sutton has notched double-digits in three of her five outings in the series, averaging 10.4 points against Hartford.
SEASON NOTES:
WHAT A START TO LEAGUE PLAY:
Maine has started conference play with a bang. The Black Bears are 4-0 in the league for the first-time since 2004. Maine is averaging 72.5 points per game against league foes while shooting 41-percent from three-point range. Defensively, Maine is holding league opponents to a 51.5 points per game average and has a +21.0 margin. In its second conference game, Maine routed UMBC, 84-44. The 40-point margin of victory marked Maine's largest since 2002 (96-54 vs. Robert Morris) and largest over a conference foe since 1997 (Drexel - 42). Maine has won all four of its opening conference games by double-digits.
FEATURED SCORERS:
The Black Bears currently have two scorers ranked in the top-5 among America East leaders in leading scorer
Blanca Millan (1st) and
Tanesha Sutton (5th). Taking a look at conference only stats, Maine is the only school with three players ranked in the top-10 of the league's leaders in scoring (Rossignol - 4th, Sutton - 6th, Millan - 8th).
TURNOVER EFFICIENCY:
Maine has been extremely impressive with its ball control this season. The Black Bears currently rank sixth in the nation, averaging just 11.5 turnovers per game as a team. Maine's 1.35 assist-turnover ratio is 11th best among the nation's leaders. In nine of its 17 games, Maine has turned the ball over just 11 times or fewer, with five of those performances ending with single-digit turnover totals. Maine had a season-low three turnovers in its win at Vermont.
A SCORING EFFORT FOR THE RECORD BOOKS:
On Dec. 8, 2018, the Black Bears defeated Brown by a 102-96 final in overtime at the Cross Insurance Center. That win marked the highest combined point total for a Black Bear women's basketball game in history (198). It also marked the second time an
Amy Vachon coached team hit the century mark, and the first 100 point effort for Maine against a Division I team since a 110 point effort in 1997 against Drexel.
MILLAN QUICK TO 1,000 AND CLIMBING THE CHARTS:
On a three-point field goal in the first quarter at Harvard (12/4),
Blanca Millan became the 20th Black Bear in history to reach 1,000 career points. Millan did so in her 75th career game, making her the seventh fastest in UMaine history to eclipse the mark. With 27 points against UAlbany, Millan moved into 15th on Maine's all-time scoring list. She currently stands just six points away from passing Heather Briggs for 14th all-time (1,176).
MILLAN TALLIES 30, ASSISTED BY SAAR:
Blanca Millan poured in a career-best 36 points in Maine's win over Brown. The total marked the first-time a Maine player had bested 30 points in a game since
Sigi Koizar tallied 30 on Feb. 20, 2016. In that same game,
Dor Saar notched a career-high 11 assists - the first time a Black Bear had bested 10 assist sin a game since Koizar's 10 against North Dakota State on Nov. 22, 2015.
MILLAN DOUBLE-FIGURE STREAK:
After starting the season with double-figures in each of Maine's first five games,
Blanca Millan has tallied double-digits in 14 of Maine's first 17, including back-to-back 20+ point efforts against Bryant (23) and #20 Duke (25), a 21 point showing at North Carolina, 26 points at Harvard and 27 against UAlbany. Millan's season-best effort came in a career-high 36 point showing against Brown. Dating back to last season, Millan has posted double-digit scoring totals in 44 of her last 48. In all, Millan has finished in double-digits in 61 of her 84 career contests.-
DEFENSE = VICTORY:
Over the past two years, Maine is 27-1 when holding its opponent to 60 or fewer points. The Black Bears are 35-4 in the Vachon era when limiting teams to 60 or less. This season, Maine is holding league opponents to just 47.0 points per game in America East play.
MILLAN CLIMBING THE ALL-TIME STEALS CHART:
Millan has tallied 200 steals over her time at UMaine. Her five steals against Brown moved her ahead of Melissa Heon and into seventh all-time at Maine. Millan currently stands 15 steals away from sixth all-time at Maine - a mark held by Cathy Iaconeta (224).
SUTTON ON THE BOARDS:
Tanesha Sutton currently leads Maine, and ranks third in the conference, at 7.2 rebounds per game. On Dec. 30 against Chattanooga, Sutton tallied her eighth career double-double, also tallying her 500th career rebound along the way. Taking a look at Maine's all-time rebounding standings, Sutton is 18 boards behind Ashleigh Roberts for 20th all-time (552).
HOME SWEET HOME:
The Black Bears have been impressive at home as of late. Maine is 52-6 on its home court in its last 58 outings, including a 33-3 mark in America East play over the past 36 league contests. Under Coach Vachon, the Black Bears are 24-3 at home. This season, Maine is 5-1 at home with the lone loss being a three point decision to then No. 20 Duke. Maine is averaged 77.5 points per game at home. Millan is averaging 20.8 points at home while Rossignol is adding 17.0 at the Cross Insurance Center in 2018-19.
RECORD NIGHT IN NORTH CAROLINA:
The Black Bears matched an all-time, single-game record for three-point field goals with 16 makes in their win at North Carolina.
STORMING BACK TO WIN THE CLASSIC:
In both of its games at the Navy Classic (vs. NC A&T and vs. Penn), Maine trailed both at the half and with five-minutes to go. However, Maine was able to comeback in both games, winning each and capturing the Navy Classic title.
ANNE SIMON SIGNS NLI:
On Nov. 21, it was announced that Anne Simon signed her National Letter of Intent to join the Black Bears for the 2019-20 season. Simon, a 5'8" guard from Sandweiler, Luxembourg, was a three-year captain for her Luxembourg National Team. Simon averaged 16.4 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists at the 2018 European Championship. During her career at the National Team level, Simon has averaged 10.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists.
TAPLEY COMPLETE JUNIORS PHASE OF MARINE OFFICER CANDIDATE SCHOOL:
In the summer of 2018,
Sierra Tapley completed the Juniors phase of Marine Officer Candidate School (OCS) at Quantico Marine Base in Quantico, Va. Tapley reported to Quantico on May 26 and completed the course on July 6. Tapley plans to complete a six week course next summer known as "Seniors", often described to be more difficult than Juniors due to the advanced physical standards and increased responsibility. Upon completion, she will graduate OCS with a goal of completing a six month period of training known as "The Basic School".
INTERNATIONAL VIBE:
As has been the norm over the last few seasons for the Black Bears, Maine features numerous players from around the globe on its roster including players from Turkey (Alper); Israel (Saar); Spain (Millan), Germany (Barra), Slovakia (Bolozova) and Sweden (Wadling).
VACHON INDUCTED INTO HALL OF FAME:
On Oct. 5, 2018, UMaine women's basketball head coach
Amy Vachon was inducted into the 2018 University of Maine Sports Hall of Fame class. Vachon, who graduated from UMaine in 2000, was a two-time captain for the Black Bears, helping guide Maine to four-straight NCAA Tournament appearances. Vachon currently still holds the UMaine record for most assists in a single-season (234) and the UMaine and America East record for career assists (759). Vachon was also inducted in the State of Maine Sports Hall of Fame in 2016.
-UMaine-
