Orono, Maine -- The University of Maine women's basketball, coming off a 69-56 season opening win at Delaware, looks to start its season 2-0 for the second consecutive season when it travels to meet Brown on Monday evening at 7 p.m. The Black Bears, making their first trip to Brown since 2013, are starting their season with two-straight road games for the first time since 2015. Maine is also looking to win its first two road games of the season for the first time since the 1997-98 season. Monday's contest can be seen on
ESPN+ and NESN and heard on the Black Bear Sports Network locally via 96.1 WGUY-FM and worldwide at
GoBlackBears.com.
Â
OVERVIEW:
LAST TIME OUT:
Blanca Millan poured in a career-high 37 points to guide the Black Bears to a 69-56 season opening road win at Delaware on Friday afternoon.
Maine, which fell behind by eight midway through the first quarter, outscored the Blue Hens 22-12 in the second quarter, giving the Black Bears their first lead of the afternoon. The Black Bears are now 112-40 all-time against Colonial Athletic Association member schools.
Millan's career-high came by way of a 11-of-19 performance from the field to go along with a 13-for-15 mark from the free throw stripe. Millan, who raised her career scoring total to 1,475, surpassed
Liz Wood for eighth on Maine's all-time scoring list. The 37 point total marked the third time in which Millan has bested 30 points in her career and the 28th time she has surpassed 20 or more points in a single game. The senior captain tallied 20 of her game-high 37 points in the first half.
In her Maine debut and first career start,
Anne Simon finished with 12 points, five rebounds and five steals in 35 minutes.
Maeve Carroll added nine points and seven boards while
Maddy McVicar also pulled down seven rebounds.
The Black Bears shot over 50-percent in the second and third quarters, finishing the game 22-of-48 (45.8) from the floor. Maine turned in one of its best efforts in recent history from from the free throw line, going 20-of-23 from the charity stripe. It marks just the third time in Maine's last 69 games in which it has netted 20 or more free throws.
A LOOK AT THE BLACK BEARS:
Th The Black Bears return three starters, 10 letterwinners and six of its top eight scorers from last year's America East Championship and NCAA Tournament participating team. The Black Bears, selected as the unanimous top pick in the America East Preseason Coaches Poll, to repeat as league champions in 2019-20 will look to become just the fifth team in league history to complete a championship three-peat. Maine is also in search of its 10th trip to the NCAA Tournament. Individually, Maine is led by the reigning America East Player and Defensive Player of the Year,
Blanca Millan. Millan, named to the America East Preseason All-Conference squad, enters her senior season ranked eighth on Maine's all-time scoring list with 1,475 points. The senior guard is coming off a career-high 37 point effort in Maine's win over Delaware; the most points scored by a Black Bear since 1998 (Jamie Cassidy - 41).Last year, Millan led the America East in scoring (17.2 ppg) and steals (2.8). Third-year point guard
Dor Saar returns to run the offense for the Black Bears a year removed from earning her first America East All-Conference selection while ranking second in league with 4.9 assists per game. Saar also ranked in the top-20 among league scorers at 9.4 ppg.
Fanny Wadling returns for her senior season in the paint after averaging a league-best 9.0 rebounds in 2018-19. Wading registered five double-doubles in 23 games a year ago while averaging 6.7 points and 3.0 assists.
Millan currently ranks eighth on Maine's all-time scoring list and 40th on the all-time America East scoring list with 1,475 points. Millan needs 197 points to surpass
Sigi Koizar (1,671) for seventh all-time at Maine and 28 points to surpass Maren Matthias (2000-04) of New Hampshire (1,503) for 39th on the America East list.
A LOOK AT BROWN:
The Bears are in search of their first win of the season after being nipped, 45-44, by Bryant in their season opener ... In the home opener, Brown was led McKenna Dale who came off the bench to lead the way with eight points and five boards ... Brown struggled from the floor, shooting 32.8-percent overall and 24.0 (6-of-25) from 3-point range while missing all seven free throws ... The Bears also turned it over 20 times in the contest ... Brown is led by three-time All-Ivy League selection Justine Gaziano who currently ranks sixth all-time in scoring at Brown (1,388) and last year ranked second in the Ivy at 17.5 points per game. The Bears are coming off a 9-21 season with a 1-13 Ivy League mark ... Brown was selected last in the Ivy League preseason poll.
SERIES WITH BROWN:
Maine and Brown will meet for the 13th time in history ... The Black Bears are 8-5 all-time against Brown ... A year ago, Maine came out on top of a 102-96 overtime decision ... In that game,
Blanca Millan poured in 36 points on 14-of-27 shooting while
Dor Saar added a double-double with 10 points and 11 assists ... The 102 point total marked Maine's first 100-point total against a Division I team since March 5, 1997 (Drexel) ... Maine carries a three-game win streak in its series against Brown into Monday's meeting ... The largest margin of victory in the last four meetings is six points, last year ... Maine is 1-2 all-time on the road against Brown, winning in its last visit to Brown, 60-59, in the opening round of the 2013 Brown Invitational.
THE BLACK BEARS VS. IVY LEAGUE...
Maine enters play 38-18 against the Ivy League ... Maine has a winning record against six Ivy League schools, is 1-1 against Penn and 1-2 against Yale. Brown is the first of three Ivy League opponents for Maine this season ... Maine will host Harvard on Dec. 7 before traveling to take on Dartmouth on Dec. 10.
BEAR TRACKS:
CHALLENGING SCHEDULE, ONCE AGAIN:
Last season, the Black Bears challenged themselves with what ended up being the 56th toughest schedule in the country. This year is no different. To start the season, Maine has one ranked team on its schedule (No. 14 NC State) and another (No. 20 Arizona) in which it possibly will meet as part of the Gulf Coast Showcase. Maine's schedule features six teams who participated in postseason tournaments (NCAA/WNIT) a year ago with the potential of two others who were members of the 2019 NCAA Tournament in Drake and Arizona State, who Maine may meet in the Gulf Coast Showcase.
COLLEGE INSIDER MID-MAJOR TOP 25 POLL - No. 15 (11/5/19)
The Black Bears, who were ranked in every edition of the College Insider Mid-Major Poll during the 2018-19 season, begin this season ranked No. 15 among top mid-major programs. The Black Bears peaked at No. 12 in the poll last season on Dec. 5. Maine is currently the only America East school represented in the mid-major top-25.
MILLAN WITH HISTORIC SCORING EFFORT
Millan's 2019-20 season could not have started better. The senior guard poured in a career-high 37 points in Maine's season opening win over Delaware. The point total was the most by a Black Bear since Jamie Cassidy's 41 point night against Middle Tennessee State on Dec. 28, 1998.
BLACK BEAR FAITHFUL
Maine has led the America East in attendance for three-straight seasons, last year averaging 1,662 fans at home. Maine's average attendance number in 2018-19 ranked second in New England, only trailing UConn.
DECIDED AT THE HALF
Maine was a perfect 21-0 in 2018-19 when leading at the half, including a 14-0 mark in league play. With the win at Delaware, Maine is now 22-0 when leading at halftime and 49-5 when taking a lead into the half under Vachon.
AMERICA EAST PRESEASON POLL
The Black Bears were selected as the unanimous favorite to win the America East, as noted in the America East Preseason Coaches Poll. Maine was selected to win the league for third-consecutive season.
RARE OPPORTUNITY
The Black Bears have the opportunity to become just the fifth team in America East history to complete a three-peat of the league championship after earning America East Tournament titles in 2017-18 and 2018-19. Maine earned four-straight titles during the 1994-98 seasons.
MILLAN AMERICA EAST'S ACTIVE SCORING LEADER
At 1,475 points, Millan is the America East's active scoring leader. Historically, Millan checks in 40th on the all-time America East scoring list.
35. Carlie Pogue (New Hampshire) - 1,525
36. Jen MacNeill (Drexel) - 1,519
37. Debbie Lynn (Drexel) - 1,511
38. Kirsten Jeter (Stony Brook) - 1,510
39. Maren Matthias (New Hampshire) - 1,503
40.
Blanca Millan (Maine) - 1,475
MILLAN CLIMBING MAINE'S ALL-TIME SCORING CHART
Millan, who reached the 1,000 point plateau seventh fastest in school history (75) games, enters play eighth on Maine's all-time scoring list with 1,475 points. She currently stands 197 points away from moving ahead of
Sigi Koizar for seventh all-time (1,671).
MILLAN CLIMBING THE ALL-TIME STEALS CHART
Millan checks in with 254 career steals. She now stands 25 steals behind head coach
Amy Vachon for fourth all-time (279) in Maine history. Millan has led the America East in total steals for two-straight seasons.
MILLAN DOUBLE-FIGURE STREAK
Dating back to last season, Millan has posted double-digit scoring totals in 58 of her last 67. In all, Millan has finished in double-digits in 74 of her 101 career contests, including a trio of 30+ point scoring efforts.
MILLAN AMONG THE BEST FROM DOWNTOWN SINCE 2000
Since the 2000 season, Millan ranks fourth among Black Bears in 3-point makes over the past 19 seasons. During her tenure at Maine, Millan has hit 176 triples. She stands just eight behind her former teammate,
Sigi Koizar (184), for third on that list since 2000.
DOR'S DIMES
In 2018, point guard
Dor Saar ranked second in the America East in assists (161) and assists per game (4.9) while leading the conference and checking in 25th nationally in assists to turnover ratio (+2.48). Saar currently ranks just 51 assists behind Carrie Goodhue (1988-92 - 309) for 11th on Maine's all-time assists list. Saar tallied five or more assists in 18 of Maine's 33 games in 2018-19.
60 OR LESS
Over the past seven seasons, Maine is 109-18 when holding its opponent to 60 or fewer points. The Black Bears are 47-6 in the Vachon era when limiting teams to 60 or less. Over the past six seasons in league play, Maine is 61-8 when holding America East opponents to 60 points or fewer.
60 OR MORE
On the flipside, Maine is 107-21 over the past seven seasons when it scorers 60 or more. In league play, Maine has a 62-6 record when scoring 60 or more points.
TURNOVER EFFICIENCY
Maine was extremely impressive with its ball control last season. The Black Bears ranked second in the nation, averaging just 11.1 turnovers per game as a team. Maine's 1.45 assist-turnover ratio is seventh best among the nation's leaders. In 18 of its 33 games, Maine turned the ball over just 11 times or fewer, with 10 of those performances ending with single-digit turnover
totals.
HOME SWEET HOME
In 2018-19, the Black Bears went 13-1 in home games, including an 11-1 mark at the Cross Insurance Center. Maine was also undefeated against America East competition at home, going 12-0 against league competition on its home courts in Augusta, Orono and Bangor. Maine carries a 12-game home win streak, 10 of which coming at the Cross Insurance Center, into the 2019-20 season with its last home loss coming against No. 20 Duke back on Nov. 15, 2018.
NEW TEAM & CONFERENCE 3-POINT RECORD
The Black Bears knocked down a UMaine and America East record 273 three-point buckets in 2018-19. Along the way, Maine also set a new school mark for 3-point attempts (826) and matched a single-game high with 16, 3-point field goals made in a win at North Carolina (12/2/18).
SAAR, KAHELIN COMPETE AT FIBA U20 EUROPEAN CHAMPS.
Saar and Kahelin spent time this past summer competing for their native Israel and Finland, respectively, at the U20 FIBA European Championships. Saar led the tournament in assists per game (5.3) and ranked fourth in scoring (18.0) to go along with 4.3 rebounds, 2.5 steals and just 2.2 turnovers per game to help guide Israel to a fifth place finish. Kahelin averaged 4.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists to help Finland earn a promotion to Division A.
BLACK BEARS IN THE PROS
Maine currently has six former players competing professionally for their respective teams overseas:
Milica Mitrovic (Partizan - Serbia);
Sigi Koizar (Enisey Krasnoyarski kraj - Russia);
Mikaela Gustafsson (Telge Basket - Sweden);
Tanesha Sutton (Norrkoping Dolphins - Sweden);
Chantel Charles (Clarinos - Spain) and
Anna Heise (Jahn Muenchen - Germany).
TAPLEY COMPLETE JUNIORS PHASE OF MARINE OFFICER CANDIDATE SCHOOL
In the summer of 2019,
Sierra Tapley completed completed Marine Officer Candidate School (OCS) at Quantico Marine Base in Quantico, Va. This comes following her completion of the Junior phase of OCS in the summer of 2018.
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 Luxembourg (Simon); Israel (Saar); Spain (Millan), Germany (Barra), Slovakia (Bolozova), Finland (Kahelin) and Sweden (Wadling).
-UMaine-
