Orono, Maine -- The University of Maine women's basketball team opened league play with a win for the third consecutive year after handing Hartford an 87-73 decision in a rematch of the past two America East title games. The Black Bears now hit the road for a test against 13-1 Stony Brook, a team picked second in the America East Preseason Coaches Poll, with tip set for 2 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 5. Maine is 22-19 all-time against the Seawolves and have won two-straight in the series. The Black Bears have won each of their last two conference road openers.
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TALE OF THE TAPE:
| Maine |
Category |
Stony Brook |
| 5-10, 1-0 |
Record |
13-1, 1-0 |
| 57.2 |
Points Per Game |
65.4 |
| 64.3 |
Opponent Points Per Game |
54.5 |
| -7.1 |
Scoring Margin |
+10.9 |
| 38.5 |
Field Goal Percentage |
39.5 |
| 30.9 |
3-Point Field Goal Percentage |
32.8 |
| 71.9 |
Free Throw Percentage |
70.3 |
| 28.4 |
Rebound Per Game |
42.1 |
| -9.5 |
Rebound Margin |
+9.0 |
| 13.5 |
Assists Per Game |
13.8 |
| 14.3 |
Turnover Per Game |
15.6 |
| 7.4 |
Steals Per Game |
8.5 |
| 1.4 |
Blocks Per Game |
4.0 |
OVERVIEW:
A LOOK AT THE BLACK BEARS:
Dor Saar, who recently moved into 10th on Maine's all-time assists list (322), leads Maine in scoring, checking in 16th in the America East at 10.7 points per game. Saar, who has registered five or more assists in five games this season, ranks second in the league at 4.5 assists per game after registering 11 dimes last time out. Saar ranks fourth in the conference with 2.3 three-point field goals made per game.
Anne Simon has netted double-digit scoring efforts in each of her last four games and six of her last seven. During that stretch, Simon has raised her scoring average from 5.5 points to 9.7, ranking 18th best among America East leaders in scoring.
Maeve Carroll, who has tallied six or more rebounds in six consecutive games, leads Maine in rebounding, ranking eight-best in the league at 6.7 per game. Carroll is adding 8.3 points with a team-best 48.5-percent mark from the floor.
Maddy McVicar, averaging 8.4 points, has recorded double-digits in four of her last five after dropping a career-high 20 points last time out against Hartford.
Kelly Fogarty, who knocked down seven triples in Maine's win over Hartford, ranks fourth in the league from 3-point range (37.2) and sixth in 3-point field goals made per game (2.1).
As a team, the Black Bears lead the America East and check in 19th in the nation with 113 makes from 3-point range this season. Maine ranks second-best among league leaders at 7.5 triples made per game while shooting 30.9-percent from beyond the arc. Maine ranks second best in the league from the free throw line (71.9) and third with a 0.95 assist to turnover ratio.
A LOOK AT STONY BROOK:
The Seawolves enter Sunday's action riding a 10-game win streak after opening America East play with a 57-45 victory over UMBC. Stony Brook, 6-0 at home this season, has not lost a game since dropping an 88-58 decision to then No. 23 Arkansas on Nov. 17. Kaela Hilaire, who missed each of Stony Brook's last two games, and India Pagan lead the scoring efforts for the Seawolves, averaging 12.6 and 12.4 points per game, respectively. The duo rank sixth and seventh among America East leaders, respectively, in scoring. Hilaire is the league's leading passer, averaging 5.4 per game. Cheyenne Clark is adding 6.4 points and leads Stony Brook's league leading rebounding efforts, snatching an America East best 8.4 boards per game.
Stony Brook boasts the top defense in the America East, and the 21st best in the nation, holding opponents to just 54.5 points per game. Offensively, Stony Brook checks in third in the league at 65.4 points per game. The Seawolves' strength is inside where they lead the league with 42.1 rebounds per game, including a league-high 15.4 offensive boards per game. Stony Brook holds a +9.0 rebounding margin over its competition, 30th best in the nation.
SERIES WITH STONY BROOK:
Maine and Stony Brook have been evenly matched over their 18 year history. Dating back to the first meeting between the two teams in 2001, Maine holds a slim 22-19 advantage in the all-time series. Maine is 4-1 in its last five against the Seawolves, including sweeping last year's series by scores of 71-61 in Augusta and 68-54 at Stony Brook. Maine is 13-4 at home in the series and 7-12 at Stony Brook. Overall, Maine has won eight of the last 10 contests with the Seawolves.
Saar has posted double-figures in three of her four career outings with Stony Brook and enters play averaging 11.8 points per game against the Seawolves.
-UMaine-
