Orono, Maine -- The University of Maine women's basketball team closes the non-conference portion of the schedule on Monday at 4:30 p.m. with a trip to Drexel University to take on a Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) member school for the second consecutive game after previously hosting Northeastern. The Black Bears will meet Drexel, a member of the NAC and America East conferences from 1991-2001, for the first time since 2008. The Black Bears enter play 23-4 all-time against the Dragons.
Monday's game will be streamed at
FloSports and internationally via the
Stretch Portal and also broadcast via radio locally via 96.1 WGUY-FM and worldwide at
GoBlackBears.com.
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TALE OF THE TAPE:
| Maine |
Category |
Drexel |
| 4-9, 0-0 |
Record |
6-5, 0-0 |
| 54.9 |
Points Per Game |
58.9 |
| 63.2 |
Opponent Points Per Game |
57.0 |
| -8.3 |
Scoring Margin |
+1.9 |
| 37.3 |
Field Goal Percentage |
37.6 |
| 29.6 |
3-Point Field Goal Percentage |
30.7 |
| 71.6 |
Free Throw Percentage |
70.6 |
| 28.8 |
Rebound Per Game |
32.2 |
| -8.9 |
Rebound Margin |
-2.0 |
| 12.4 |
Assists Per Game |
15.7 |
| 14.9 |
Turnover Per Game |
13.4 |
| 7.6 |
Steals Per Game |
10.5 |
| 1.5 |
Blocks Per Game |
1.6 |
OVERVIEW:
A LOOK AT THE BLACK BEARS:
Maine looks to wrap-up its non-conference schedule with a victory on the road after dropping its latest non-conference meeting 66-58 to Northeastern. Maine enters action 1-3 in true road games, scoring its first and only road victory of the year in its season opener at Delaware. The Black Bears are currently 1-1 against the CAA this season (W-Delaware, L-Northeastern). Maine checks in seventh best among America East schools in scoring (54.9) and continues to climb the defensive rankings, currently sitting fourth after allowing 63.2 points per contest. No team in the league has taken more 3-point field goals than Maine (314) as the Black Bears enter action with 39 more attempts than the next closest school (Vermont). Maine ranks second in the America East at 7.2 makes from 3-point range this season. The Black Bears have also shown success from the free throw line where they check in third among league leaders with a 71.6 percent mark from the stripe.
Third-year point guard
Dor Saar leads the way for Maine, ranking in the top 15 among America East leaders in seven categories. Saar leads Maine in scoring, ranking 14th in the league at 10.6 points per game, and is the Black Bears' top disher as she ranks fourth in the conference with 4.2 assists per game. Saar has been a threat from downtown where she checks in fourth in both 3-point field goals made per game (2.5) and 3-point field goal percentage (32.0). Saar, the America East active leader in assists (308), ranks 10th best in the league in steals per game (1.5).
Maeve Carroll leads Maine in rebounding, ranking eight best in the America East with 6.6 boards per contest, while also ranking in the top-30 in scoring (7.5- 27) and assists (1.6 - 21). Carroll has posted at least six rebounds in each of her last five outings including a pair of nine rebound showings.
Anne Simon has posted double-figure scoring efforts in four of her last five outings and checks in 22nd in the league at 8.3 points per game. Over her last five games, Simon is averaging 12.8 points and 4.8 rebounds, raising her scoring average from 5.5 to 8.3 over the stretch.
A LOOK AT DREXEL:
The Dragons are playing for the first time in 10 days after most recently dropping a 53-49 decision at Penn on Dec. 20. In that game, Drexel was led by 2019-20 CAA Player of the Year Bailey Greenberg's 13 points. Drexel has won each of its last three home games and enter play 4-1 on its home court this season.
Greenberg, who has posted double-digit scoring efforts in all 11 of Drexel's games thus far, leads the CAA in scoring at 19.9 points per game. Greenberg, responsible for 33.8% of Drexel's points this season, has posted five games of 20 points or more and also leads the Dragons with 5.7 rebounds per game and ranks fourth in the CAA in both field goal percentage (45.5) and free throw shooting (82.1) to go along with an impressive 41.5% showing from 3-point range. Keishana Washington is adding 8.5 points while Aubree Brown ranks second in the CAA at 4.8 assists per game.
Drexel enters with the best scoring defense in the CAA, allowing just 57.0 points per game, checking in second among CAA leaders with 10.5 steals per game while forcing 20.0 turnovers per game. Drexel's 13.4 turnover margin is good for first in the CAA and 30th in the nation
SERIES WITH DREXEL:
From 1991 to 2001, the Black Bears and Dragons met as members of the NAC and America East conferences. The two team will meet for the 28th time in history, and first since 2008, with Maine holding a 23-4 advantage in the all-time series, including a 4-0 mark in the conference tournament against the Dragons. Maine captured the first-ever meeting between the two teams, 56-48, back on Dec. 28, 1985, and went on to win the first eight games in the head-to-head series. Drexel has won two-straight against Maine, including the most recent meeting, an 87-55 final on Dec. 29, 2008. Maine is 8-2 on the road against the Dragons but will be looking for its first win at Drexel since Jan. 21, 2000 after falling in its trip to Drexel, 87-73, on Feb. 18, 2001.
MIXING IT UP
Through their first 13 games, the Black Bears have used seven different starting combinations. Nine players have received at least one start this season with only
Dor Saar starting all 13 games.
DOR'S DIMES
Despite only being a junior,
Dor Saar is currently the America East active leader in assists (308). Saar, who has amassed five or more assists 29 times and double-figure assist totals twice in her career, currently stands one assist behind Carrie Goodhue (309) for 10th on Maine's all-time list. Saar matched Maine's single-game assists record (14) in her outing with Husson.
ENERGIZER SAAR
At last check (Dec. 28),
Dor Saar ranked second in the nation with 490:57 minutes played this season. Saar checks in second in the America East and 11th nationally at 37:77 minutes per game. In her career, Saar has produced 40 or more minutes in a single game 17 times, including four times this season and twice in each of her last three outings.
SIMON SAYS
Over her last five outings,
Anne Simon is averaging 12.8 points per game and 4.8 rebounds. Simon has recorded double-digits in four of her last five outings, raising her scoring average from 5.5 to 8.3 over the span.
-UMaine-
