Orono, Maine -- The University of Maine women's basketball team (15-7, 8-1), winners of its last four games, looks to extend its home win streak to seven-straight when it hosts its longest tenured opponent, Vermont (9-12, 5-4), at the Cross Insurance Center. Maine has won four in a row against the Catamounts. For tickets please call 207.581.BEAR or purchase online at
TicketMaster.com.
The contest will mark the annual 'Spread Respect' night. Continuing its dedication to fostering leadership on and off the field, the America East Conference will again sponsor Spread Respect nights at select games this winter. Spread Respect games, formerly branded
You Can Play Nights, were created with the purpose of furthering awareness and education to ensure equality, respect and safety for all athletes without regard to sexual orientation or gender identity. That respect also extends to race, ethnicity, gender, religion and more.
Â
Tale of the Tape
| Maine |
Category |
Vermont |
| 15-7/8-1 |
Record/Conference |
9-12/5-4 |
| 67.3 |
Points Per Game |
53.3 |
| 60.4 |
Opponent Points Per Game |
58.9 |
| +6.9 |
Scoring Margin |
-5.6 |
| 43.1 |
Field Goal Percentage |
38.2 |
| 33.3 |
3-Point Field Goal Percentage |
26.6 |
| 69.6 |
Free Throw Percentage |
68.3 |
| 33.4 |
Rebounds Per Game |
35.0 |
| -0.7 |
Rebound Margin |
-4.0 |
| 16.6 |
Assists Per Game |
10.3 |
| 11.7 |
Turnovers Per Game |
15.9 |
| 2.4 |
Blocks Per Game |
5.7 |
| 8.2 |
Steals Per Game |
4.5 |
LAST TIME OUT:
The University of Maine women's basketball team was extremely impressive on both ends of the court on Saturday, defeating New Hampshire by a final of 69-45 to move to 8-1 in league play. The Black Bears, who picked up their fourth consecutive victory, held New Hampshire to single-digit scoring efforts in three of four quarters while shooting 50.0-percent on the afternoon in the victory.
A key stretch came in the second and third quarters as Maine held New Hampshire scoreless over a 11:20 span over which the Black Bears were able to build a 50-13 lead thanks in part to an 18-0 run over the New Hampshire scoring drought.
Tanesha Sutton tallied her 10th career double-double, and fourth of the season, as the senior finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Blanca Millan added nine points to move her ahead of Ashleigh Roberts and into 11th on Maine's all-time scoring list 1,249 points.
Parise Rossignol followed up her impressive outing against UMass Lowell with 13 points on 3-of-5 from three-point range, giving her double-digits in each of her last three, while
Dor Saar added 11 points and six assists.
Over Maine's four-game win streak, Saar has tallied an impressive 27 assists to just two turnovers.
Maine forced 22 turnovers in the win and controlled the rebounding battle by a 35-30 margin while hitting 9-of-17 from downtown (52.9).
A LOOK AT THE BLACK BEARS:
The Black Bears return home following a convincing, 69-45, victory at New Hampshire on Saturday afternoon.
Tanesha Sutton, who ranks third in the conference in rebounding (7.0), led the charge at UNH as she was able to notch her 10th career double-double on 14 points and 10 rebounds. Maine limited UNH to single-digit scoring outputs in three of the four quarters and held the Wildcats scoreless over a stretch which spanned 11:20.
Parise Rossignol, who was awarded her second America East Player of the Week award, added to her tremendous week with 13 points.
Blanca Millan continues to lead the league in scoring, checking in atop the America East leaderboard at 17.2 points per game. Millan tallied nine points at New Hampshire which propelled her into 11th on Maine's all-time scoring list with 1,249 points. Millan, who surpassed Asheligh Roberts on the list, now stands just 46 points behind Stephanie Guidi for 10th all-time. Millan, who has totaled double-figures scoring efforts in 17 games this season, is averaging 15.4 points against league foes. On the defensive end, Millan checks in as the league's leader at 2.8 steals per game. Her 61 total steals rank her 16th best in the country while she stands just three steals behind Cathy Iaconeta for sixth on Maine's all-time steals list (224). Sutton, who stands just 39 points away from 1,000 in her career, ranks fourth in the league in scoring (13.4) and third in rebounding (7.0). Sutton, Maine's leader in field goal percentage (48.7) and free throw shooting (75.7), also ranks eighth in the league with 2.8 assists per contest.
Parise Rossignol, who has notched double-figure scoring in each of her last three outings, ranks seventh in the league in overall scoring (12.2) while her 16.0 points per game against league foes is first in the America East. Rossignol, shooting 50.9-percent from beyond the arc in league play, also leads the league with a 43.5-percent mark for the season from downtown. Rossignol, the reigning America East Player of the Week, is averaging 2.2 triples per game and has knocked down 13 total in her last three games.
Dor Saar controls the offense for the Black Bears where she ranks second in the league at 5.4 assists and tops with a 2.6 assist to turnover ratio. On the season, Saar has 118 assists to just 45 turnovers in a team-high 750 minutes of action. Over Maine's current four-game winning stretch, Saar has totaled 27 assists to just two turnovers.
Maine leads the America East in offensive output, averaging 67.3 points per game. The Black Bears boast the league's top field goal percentage (43.1), three-point percentage (33.3) and a league best 8.3 three-point field goals per game. Maine's 16.6 assists per game rank 29th nationally while its slim 11.7 turnovers per game rank ninth lowest in the nation.Â
A LOOK AT VERMONT:
The Catamounts, under first-year head coach Alisa Kresge, enter action winners of four of their last five after handing UMass Lowell a 52-42 defeat on Saturday. Despite struggling offensively, ranking ninth in the league and 341st in the country at 53.3 points per game, the Catamounts have been impressive on the defensive end. Vermont ranks third in the league surrendering 58.9 points per game to its opponent while its 5.7 blocks per game are 10th in the nation. Candice Wright ranks third in the country with 63 blocks, averaging an NCAA-fifth best 3.0 per game. A 1,000 point scorer, Hanna Crymble, is Vermont's go-to offensive threat. Crymble ranks third in the America East at 15.3 points per game, checking in first in the conference with an 87.2-percent showing from the free throw stripe and ranking second among league leaders in field goal percentage (51.7). Wright is adding 9.3 points and a team-best 6.0 rebounds while Josie Larkins is adding 8.7 points.
SERIES WITH VERMONT:
Maine has competed against Vermont more than any of its other opponents as this will mark the 94th all-time meeting between the two teams. The Black Bears currently hold a 59-34 advantage in the all-time series, having won 11 of the last 12 meetings and four in a row. Since 1985, Maine is 22-11 all-time at home against the Catamounts. On Jan. 9, the Black Bears defeated Vermont 63-51 behind a 27 point effort from Sutton. In the win, Maine was extremely impressive with its ball control, totaling just three turnovers in the victory. In five games against Vermont, Sutton, who has produced four double-digit scoring performances and two double-doubles against Vermont, is averaging 17.3 points and 7.8 boards. Millan is averaging 14.8 points per game and 6.4 rebounds in her five-game career against the Catamounts.
SEASON NOTES:
TOSSIN DIMES:
The Black Bears have tallied 20 or more assists in each of their last four outings. Over the four-game win streak, Maine has racked up 92 assists to just 44 turnovers. Seven times this season Maine has surpassed the 20 assist mark in a single game.
Dor Saar ranks 26th in the nation at 5.4 assists per game and 18th with a 2.62 assist to turnover ratio. Over Maine's current four-game win streak, Saar has recorded 27 assist to just three turnovers.
RECORD BREAKING NIGHT FOR ROSSIGNOL - PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
On Jan. 30 against UMass Lowell,
Parise Rossignol set a new UMaine school-record with eight three-point field goal makes. Rossignol finished the game with a career-high 32 points. Hereight three-point field goals are tied for 13th most in a single game in the NCAA this season and tied for third in the America East all-time record books. The senior guard recorded 21 of her game-high 32 in the first half alone. Rossignol bounced back with a 13 point showing at UNH, helping her earn her second America East Player of the Week honor of the season.
SUTTON CLOSING ON 1,000 POINTS:
With six points against UMass Lowell,
Tanesha Sutton now stands just 49 points away from becoming the 21st Black Bear in the history of the program to tally 1,000 points. Included in the total is her 28 points which she tallied during her freshman season at Duquesne. If she reaches the mark, Sutton and Millan would become the first Maine duo to reach the 1,000 point plateau in the same season since Ashley Underwood and Bracey Barker achieved the feat in 2006-07.
FEATURED SCORERS - TOP 10
The Black Bears currently have three scorers ranked in the top-10 among America East overall leaders in leading scorer
Blanca Millan (1st-17.2),
Tanesha Sutton (4th-13.4) and
Parise Rossignol (7th-12.2). 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, including both of the top two (Rossignol - 1st 16.0), (Millan - 2nd 15.4), and
Tanesha Sutton (8th - 12.6). Â
TURNOVER EFFICIENCY:
Maine has been extremely impressive with its ball control this season. The Black Bears currently rank ninth in the nation, averaging just 11.7 turnovers per game as a team. Maine's 1.42 assist-turnover ratio is also ninth best among the nation's leaders. In 11 of its 22 games, Maine has turned the ball over just 11 times or fewer, with six of those performances ending with single-digit turnover totals. Maine had a season-low three turnovers in its win at Vermont. Against Binghamton, Maine tallied 23 assists to just four turnovers.
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 nine points at Stony Brook, Millan moved into 11th on Maine's all-time scoring list. She currently stands just 46 points away from passing Stephanie Guidi for 10th all-time (1,295).
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 in 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 17 of Maine's first 22, 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 48 of her last 55. In all, Millan has finished in double-digits in 64 of her 89 career contests.-
DEFENSE = VICTORY
Over the past two years, Maine is 30-2 when holding its opponent to 60 or fewer points. The Black Bears are 38-5 in the Vachon era when limiting teams to 60 or less. This season, Maine is holding league opponents to just 51.7 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 three steals away from sixth all-time at Maine - a mark held by Cathy Iaconeta (224).
SUTTON ON THE BOARDS:
Tanesha Sutton currently ranks third in the conference, at 7.0 rebounds per game. On Dec. 30 against Chattanooga, Sutton tallied her eighth career double-double, also tallying her 500th career rebound along the way. With her 10th career double-double (10 rebs) at UNH, Sutton moved into 18th on Maine's all-time rebounding list. She now stands just 39 rebounds out of 17th all-time (598).
HOME SWEET HOME
The Black Bears have been impressive at home as of late. Maine is 54-6 on its home court in its last 60 outings, including a 35-3 mark in America East play over the past 38 league contests. Under Coach Vachon, the Black Bears are 26-3 at home. This season, Maine is 7-1, 5-0 in league play, at home with the lone loss being a three point decision to then No. 20 Duke. Maine is averaging 79.9 points per game at home. Millan is averaging 20.6 points at home while Rossignol is adding 18.5 at the Cross Insurance Center in 2018-19. The Black Bears are shooting 47.8% on their home court and averaging an impressive 20.6 assists.
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.
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 on Dec. 2. Since then, UNC has gone on to defeat Notre Dame and NC State.
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.
BLACK BEARS IN THE PROS:
Maine currently has five former players in the professional level in Europe.
Sigi Koizar ('17) - ZTE NKK (Hungary);
Milica Mitrovic ('16) - Partizan (Serbia);
Anna Heise ('16) - Jahn Muenchen (Germany);
Mikaela Gustafsson ('16) - Telge (Sweden);
Chantel Charles ('16) - Ciudad de la Adelantados (Spain).
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-
