Orono, Maine -- The University of Maine women's basketball team (16-7, 9-1) puts its five-game win streak on the line when it travels to UMBC (8-14, 1-8) for a Saturday matinée. The Black Bears, who defeated the Retrievers 84-44 earlier this season, have won in four of their last five trips to UMBC.
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Tale of the Tape
| Maine |
Category |
UMBC |
| 16-7/9-1 |
Record/Conference |
8-14/1-8 |
| 67.3 |
Points Per Game |
56.9 |
| 59.7 |
Opponent Points Per Game |
63.4 |
| +7.6 |
Scoring Margin |
-6.5 |
| 43.1 |
Field Goal Percentage |
38.0 |
| 34.2 |
3-Point Field Goal Percentage |
32.2 |
| 69.6 |
Free Throw Percentage |
72.9 |
| 33.4 |
Rebounds Per Game |
36.9 |
| -0.9 |
Rebound Margin |
-0.6 |
| 16.8 |
Assists Per Game |
12.9 |
| 11.5 |
Turnovers Per Game |
17.1 |
| 2.5 |
Blocks Per Game |
2.7 |
| 8.3 |
Steals Per Game |
6.0 |
LAST TIME OUT:
For the second-straight game, the Black Bears used an 18-0 run to distance themselves as they were able to put together a strong second half to defeat Vermont, 66-45, on Wednesday evening at the Cross Insurance Center.
The victory, Maine's fifth in a row, moved the Black Bears to 16-7 overall and 9-1 in league play.
Blanca Millan led the charge on offense, besting 20 points for the 10th time this season as she finished with a game-high 22. Millan, who went 2-of-13 from the floor in the first half, exploded in the second with a 6-for-7 showing from the field, including a perfect 4-of-4 from 3-point range, for 18 second half points.
Parise Rossignol knocked down four triples on her way to her fourth consecutive double-digit night with 14 points while
Tanesha Sutton filled the stat line with 12 points, seven rebounds, five assists and a pair of steals.
For the fifth-straight game, the Black Bears finished with 20 or more assists, tossing a total of 21 helpers on 26 made baskets.
Dor Saar continued her strong play running the offense, finishing with six assists to give her a 33 dimes and just three turnovers over her last five outings.
It truly was a tale of two halves for the Black Bears who outscored Vermont 43-26 in the second half, shooting 16-of-25 from the floor, 8-of-10 from three over the final 20-minutes.
A LOOK AT THE BLACK BEARS:
Maine enters play with 20 or more assists in each of its games during its current five game win streak. Over the streak, the Black Bears are averaging 22.6 assists to just 10.2 turnovers per game. During the stretch, Maine is averaging 75.4 points, holding its opponents to a 51.0 points per game showing with a +24.4 scoring margin.
The Black Bears, who boast the league's top scoring offense (67.3), are led by
Blanca Millan at 17.4 points per game. Millan, who enters play 24 points behind Stephanie Guidi on Maine's all-time scoring list (1,295 points), has tallied double-figures in four of her last five outings and also leads the conference in league-only scoring at 16.1 points per game. On defense, Millan leads the league at 2.77 steals per game; good for 28th best nationally.
Tanesha Sutton is one of just two players in the America East to rank in the top-10 of the league standings in scoring, rebounding and assists. Sutton ranks sixth in points per game (13.4), third in rebounding (7.0) and sixth in assists (2.9) and enters play just 37 points from 1,000 in her career. Sutton is third among league leaders in both field goal percentage (48.5) and free throw percentage (75.7).
Parise Rossignol continues to roll offensively in the league where she is averaging 15.8 points per game against league foes; second best behind Millan. Rossignol has been on fire from beyond the arc, leading the league at 45.1-percent and checking in third best with 2.3 triples per game.
Dor Saar ranks second in the league at 5.4 assists per game. In her last five outings, Saar has tallied 33 assists to just three turnovers and currently leads the league with a 2.8 assist to turnover ratio on the year. Saar ranks 25th in the country in assists per game.
Maine's strength with its ball control continues as the Black Bears check in ninth best nationally at 11.5 turnovers per game. Maine also remains the top shooting team in the conference, ranking first in field goal percentage (43.1) and 3-point percentage (34.2). The Black Bears are averaging 71.3 points per game against league foes while limiting conference opponents to just 51.0 points, a difference of +20.3 in league play.
A LOOK AT UMBC:
The Retrievers enter play on a two-game losing skid and have been defeated in nine of their last 10 outings. Most recently, UMBC dropped a 92-47 decision at Hartford on Wednesday evening. Overall, the Retrievers check in fifth among league leaders in scoring at 56.9 points per game and sixth in scoring defense (63.4). However, they have struggled to score and defend against league foes. In league play, the Retrievers rank last in the league in scoring (48.8) and scoring defense (68.6) with a -19.8 scoring margin against America East opponents. Janee'a Summers leads the Retrievers, ranking ninth among America East leaders in scoring (11.8) and fourth in rebounding (6.8). Te'yJah Oliver checks in at 9.8 points per game while Paula Rubio leads the Retrievers in assists at 2.4 per game.
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SERIES WITH UMBC:
Maine has won four-straight against the Retrievers and lead the all-time series, 20-12. Maine is 7-8 on the road against UMBC and have won in four of its last five trips to Baltimore. In the meeting earlier this season, the Black Bears knocked down 15 three-point field goals on their way to an 84-44 victory. The win was Maine's largest margin of victory since 2002, and largest point differential against a conference opponents since 1997.
Parise Rossignol tallied 16 of her game-high 19 points in the first half while
Kelly Fogarty chipped in a season-high 14 points off the bench. Millan enters action averaging 13.5 points per game in six meetings with UMBC while Sutton is adding 9.7 points and 6.7 rebounds in her six contests with the Retrievers.
SEASON NOTES:
COLLEGE INSIDER MID-MAJOR TOP 25 POLL - No. 23 (2/5/19)
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 Feb. 5. Maine currently sits at No. 23 in the most up to date 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 351 total Division I squads. Maine's rating percentage index (RPI) currently sits at 75 nationally, 29 spots above the next highest America East team, Hartford. 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.
TOSSIN DIMES:
The Black Bears have tallied 20 or more assists in each of their last five outings. Over the four-game win streak, Maine has racked up 113 assists to just 51 turnovers. Eight times this season Maine has surpassed the 20 assist mark in a single game.
Dor Saar ranks 25th in the nation at 5.4 assists per game and 19th with a 2.62 assist to turnover ratio. Over Maine's current five-game win streak, Saar has recorded 33 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 37 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-17.4),
Tanesha Sutton (6th-13.4) and
Parise Rossignol (7th-12.3). 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 (Millan - 1st 16.1), (Rossignol - 2nd 15.8), 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 11.5 turnovers per game as a team. Maine's 1.42 assist-turnover ratio is fifth best among the nation's leaders. In 12 of its 23 games, Maine has turned the ball over just 11 times or fewer, with seven 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 24 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 18 of Maine's first 23, 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 49 of her last 56. In all, Millan has finished in double-digits in 65 of her 90 career contests.-
DEFENSE = VICTORY
Over the past two years, Maine is 31-2 when holding its opponent to 60 or fewer points. The Black Bears are 39-5 in the Vachon era when limiting teams to 60 or less. This season, Maine is holding league opponents to just 51.0 points per game in America East play and is 12-1 when holding opponents under 60 points and 6-1 when opponents are held under 50.
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 one steal 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 55-6 on its home court in its last 61 outings, including a 36-3 mark in America East play over the past 39 league contests. Under Coach Vachon, the Black Bears are 27-3 at home. This season, Maine is 8-1, 6-0 in league play, at home with the lone loss being a three point decision to then No. 20 Duke. Maine is averaging 78.3 points per game at home. Millan is averaging 20.8 points at home while Rossignol is adding 18.0 at the Cross Insurance Center in 2018-19. The Black Bears are shooting 47.3% on their home court and averaging an impressive 20.7 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.
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