Orono, Maine -- The University of Maine women's basketball team continues America East league play on Saturday, Jan. 5 at 1 p.m. when it welcomes UMBC to the Cross Insurance Center. The Black Bears, who have won seven consecutive home games against America East opponents, look to start league play 2-0 for the first time since 2016.
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Tale of the Tape
| Maine |
Category |
UMBC |
| 8-6/1-0 |
Record/Conference |
7-6/0-0 |
| 64.4 |
Points Per Game |
62.5 |
| 66.0 |
Opponent Points Per Game |
59.8 |
| -0.6 |
Scoring Margin |
+2.7 |
| 41.0 |
Field Goal Percentage |
40.2 |
| 30.4 |
3-Point Field Goal Percentage |
33.7 |
| 67.4 |
Free Throw Percentage |
75.8 |
| 31.1 |
Rebounds Per Game |
38.7 |
| -6.0 |
Rebound Margin |
+1.1 |
| 15.1 |
Assists Per Game |
14.1 |
| 11.9 |
Turnovers Per Game |
16.5 |
| 2.9 |
Blocks Per Game |
2.5 |
| 8.5 |
Steals Per Game |
6.5 |
LAST TIME OUT:
The University of Maine (8-6, 1-0 AE) began America East conference play with a 67-46 victory over visiting New Hampshire (3-11, 0-1) on Wednesday evening at the Cross Insurance Center.
Tanesha Sutton led the way, tallying her second double-double in as many games with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
The Black Bears dominated play inside, finishing with a 37-18 advantage on the boards. Maine's rebounding total included 13 offensive boards which led to a 20-3 advantage in second chance points.
Parise Rossignol added 18 points on an extremely efficient 8-of-9 from the floor in 24 minutes of action while
Blanca Millan chipped in 13 points and five rebounds while recording the 200th steal of her career. For Millan, it marked her fourth consecutive game in double-digits and 12th double-figure scoring output of the season.
Fanny Wadling, who missed Maine's previous 10 games due to injury, returned to the floor, recording four points, three rebounds and two assists.
Defensively, the Black Bears tallied 10 steals, forcing 16 total New Hampshire turnovers. New Hampshire's 46 points matched the least points Maine has allowed this season. With the defensive effort, Maine improved to 32-4 under Coach Vachon when holding the opponent to 60 points or fewer.
A LOOK AT THE BLACK BEARS:
The Black Bears snapped a four-game losing skid with a convincing, 67-46 victory over New Hampshire on Wednesday evening to begin league play 1-0.
Tanesha Sutton tallied her second double-double in as many games with 15 points and 10 boards while
Parise Rossignol went 8-for-9 from the floor, finishing with a team-high 18 points.
Blanca Millan chipped in 13 points and also recorded her 200th career steal in the win. Maine dominated play inside, outrebounding UNH 37-18, with 13 of its boards coming on the offensive end to lead it to a 20-3 advantage in second chance points.
Millan continues to lead the America East in scoring, averaging 18.1 points per game. Millan, who has tallied double-figure point total in each of her last four outings, currently stands six points away from surpassing Stacey Porrini for 17th on Maine's all-time scoring list (1,128). Millan, who has tallied 20 or more points six times this season, ranks fourth in the league in field goal percentage (42.2), fifth from three-point range (28.0) and is the America East leader at 2.9 steals per game; 35th best in the country.
Tanesha Sutton, who has tallied double-doubles in each of her last two outings, ranks sixth in the league in scoring (14.0) and tops in rebounding (7.6) while checking in as the league's current runner-up at 46.6-percent from the floor. Sutton, who tallied her 500th career rebound against Chattanooga, has also posted double-digit scoring efforts in each of her last four games.
Dor Saar runs the point for Maine and checks in second-best among league leaders in assists (5.4) and assist to turnover ratio (2.14), tallying five or more assists in nine games this season. Rossignol, fresh off her highest point total against America East competition (18), rounds out Maine's double-digit scorers, checking in 16th best in the league at 10.1 points per game.
Maine's offense ranks second in the America East at 64.4 points per game and tops in three-point field goals, hitting 7.8 per contest. The Black Bears continue to take care of the ball on the offensive end, ranking sixth in the nation at just 11.9 turnovers per game.
A LOOK AT UMBC:
The Retrievers began the season 6-0 but enter conference play with just one win in their last seven outings. UMBC is led by Janee'a Summers who leads the Retrievers in scoring (12.5) and rebounding (6.5). Summers is the America East leader from the free throw stripe at 87.2-percent (34-39). Te'yJah Oliver is also averaging double-figures at 11.4 points per game with a 41.0-percent showing from the floor. Paul Rubio leads UMBC in assists at 2.9 per game to go along with 5.3 points. Dominika Skrocka leads the America East in three-point shooting at 43.2-perceent (35-81) and is and adding 8.2 points per game.
UMBC ranks third in the league in scoring (62.5) and second on defense, allowing 59.8 points per game with a league-low 36.2-percent mark in field goal defense. The Retrievers boast the America East's highest three-point percentage (33.7), averaging 7.8 makes from beyond the arc, and best free-throw mark (75.8). UMBC also leads the league in rebounding, averaging 38.7 per game.
SERIES WITH UMBC:
Maine has won three-straight against the Retrievers and lead the all-time series, 19-12. The Black Bears swept the two-game series a year ago, winning 64-50 on the road before cruising by the Retrievers 69-36 at home behind 14 points each from Sutton and Millan. The 36 point total by UMBC was the lowest point total against Maine since it limited Rider to 35 in 2005. Maine outscored UMBC 31-5 in points off turnovers, as the Retrievers gave the ball away 24 times. The Black Bears defeated UMBC, 65-43, in the opening round of the 2018 America East tournament. Millan paced Maine with a 21 point effort while Sutton chipped in a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Rossignol came off the bench to add 15 points. Maine is 11-4 at home against UMBC and have won five in a row on its home court in the series.
SEASON NOTES:
COLLEGE INSIDER MID-MAJOR TOP 25 POLL - No. 17 (1/2/19)
The Black Bears have been ranked in every edition of the College Insider Mid-Major Poll this season. Following a five-game win streak, Maine peaked in the poll at No. 12 on Dec. 5, hanging strong at the position for two-straight weeks. The Black Bears have been the highest ranking America East school in the poll this season and are currently the only America East school ranked in the latest edition of the poll, released on Jan. 2. Maine currently sits at No. 25 in the newest poll.
TO BE THE BEST, YOU'VE GOT TO BEAT THE BEST:
The Black Bears challenged themselves with one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the country. Through its first 13 games, Maine had gone up against the 56th toughest schedule in the nation, out of 349 total Division I squads. Maine's competition is currently posting a 0.616 win percentage (101-63). Maine's rating percentage index (RPI) currently sits at 66 nationally. RPI is used to rank teams based upon a team's wins and losses and its strength of schedule. Maine's 13 non-conference games included contests against 10 teams who appeared in the 2017-18 postseason in one form or another.
TURNOVER EFFICIENCY:
Maine has been extremely impressive with its ball control this season. The Black Bears currently rank sixth in the nation, averaging just 11.9 turnovers per game as a team. Maine's 1.28 assist-turnover ratio is 16th best among the nation's leaders. In seven of its 14 games, Maine has turned the ball over just 11 times or fewer, with four of those performances ending with single-digit turnover totals.
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:
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 25 points against Chattanooga, Millan moved into 18th on Maine's all-time scoring list. She currently stands just six points away from passing Stacey Porrini for 17th all-time (1,128).
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.
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.
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 12 of Maine's first 14, including back-to-back 20+ point efforts against Bryant (23) and #20 Duke (25), a 21 point showing at North Carolina and 26 points at Harvard. 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 42 of her last 45. In all, Millan has finished in double-digits in 59 of her 81 career contests.
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 24 steals away from sixth all-time at Maine (224).
SUTTON ON THE BOARDS:
Tanesha Sutton currently leads Maine, and ranks first in the conference, at 7.6 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 33 boards behind Ashley Roberts for 20th all-time (552).
DEFENSE = VICTORY:
The Black Bears have prided themselves on the defensive end of the court, leading the America East a year ago with a 56.6 scoring defense. The total ranked 24th in the nation. Over the past two years, Maine is 25-1 when holding its opponent to 60 or fewer points. The Black Bears are 33-4 in the Vachon era when limiting teams to 60 or less.
HOME SWEET HOME:
The Black Bears have been impressive at home as of late. Maine is 50-6 on its home court in its last 56 outings, including a 31-3 mark in America East play over the past 34 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 22-3 at home.
-UMaine-
