ORONO, Maine -- The University of Maine women's basketball team closes its three game homestand as it looks for its fourth consecutive win when it hosts UMass Lowell on Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. at the Cross Insurance Center. The contest pits the second place River Hawks against the third seeded Black Bears. A win for Maine would move it into a tie for second place in America East with UMass Lowell. Maine is 12-1 all-time against the River Hawks and a perfect 6-0 at home in the series.
Tickets are still available for Wednesday's game and may be purchased at
TicketMaster.com or by visiting the Cross Insurance Center box office.
For those unable to make it to Wednesday's contest, the game will be streamed at
ESPN+ and also broadcast via radio online only, worldwide at
GoBlackBears.com.
Â
TALE OF THE TAPE:
| Maine |
Category |
UMass Lowell |
| 11-14, 7-4 |
Record |
12-12, 8-3 |
| 60.3 |
Points Per Game |
56.9 |
| 62.9 |
Opponent Points Per Game |
62.9 |
| -2.6 |
Scoring Margin |
-6.0 |
| 40.0 |
Field Goal Percentage |
35.8 |
| 32.0 |
3-Point Field Goal Percentage |
27.5 |
| 73.6 |
Free Throw Percentage |
66.4 |
| 30.6 |
Rebound Per Game |
37.5 |
| -6.9 |
Rebound Margin |
-2.0 |
| 13.4 |
Assists Per Game |
10.8 |
| 13.4 |
Turnover Per Game |
18.5 |
| 6.9 |
Steals Per Game |
8.7 |
| 1.2 |
Blocks Per Game |
1.9 |
OVERVIEW:
A LOOK AT THE BLACK BEARS:
The Black Bears are currently riding their longest win streak of the season after wins over Hartford, Vermont and Binghamton as they've worked their way into third place among the league standings and a game behind UMass Lowell for second. Over the three game win streak, Maine is averaging 71.3 points while limiting the opponent to just 58.7, a scoring margin difference of +12.7 during the stretch.
Anne Simon is averaging 21.0 points per game over her last three and currently leads all freshmen in the America East, ranking atop the team, at 12.1 points per game. Defensively, Simon checks in sixth-best in the league at 1.7 steals per game after snatching a career-high five takeaways in Maine's overtime win against Binghamton. Simon, with double-digits in five of her last six, has posted back-to-back 20-point outings.
Dor Saar has ran her streak of double-figure scoring performances to five-straight and checks in 12th among league leaders at 12.1 points per game. Saar, who leads the country in total minutes played (966:10), ranks second in the conference at 4.7 assists with three double-digit assist performances on the season. Saar checks in fifth in America East from 3-point range (35.3) and second at 2.6 triples made per game. The junior point guard currently ranks seventh on Maine's all-time assists list with 366 helpers in her career.
Maeve Carroll is averaging 11.5 points and ranks third in the league at 7.8 rebounds per game and 13th in assists (2.4). In conference only action, Carroll is nearly averaging a double-double with 15.8 points and 9.2 rebounds.
The Black Bears, who rank fourth overall in scoring among league leaders at 60.3 points per game, are atop the America East in scoring through 11 league games, averaging 66.9 points per game against league competition. Maine continues to rank among the nation's leaders from beyond the 3-point arc. The Black Bears are 17th in the country in 3-point attempts (585), 28th in 3-point field goals made (187) and 59th in 3-point field goals made per game (7.5); all tops among America East leaders.
A LOOK AT UMASS LOWELL:
The River Hawks enter play 1-3 in their last four after losing leading scorer, Ren'Cia Rolling, five games ago against Vermont. UMass Lowell, which began league play 7-0, most recently suffered two losses to Stony Brook and a win over New Hampshire before falling most recently on the road at UMBC, 65-52. Without Rolling in the lineup, Idom Kharis has guided the River Hawks' scoring attack, averaging 10.7 points. Denis Solis is adding 8.9 points and 5.3 boards while Jaliena Sanchez is chipping in 9.1 points and a team-best 2.8 assists. The River Hawks rank atop the league in turnovers forced (18.7) while posting a league-leading mark of 8.7 steals per game. Offensively, UMass Lowell gets to the free throw line more than any other team in the America East, with league-highs in free throw attempts (408) while ranking second in makes from the charity stripe (271).
SERIES WITH UMASS LOWELL:
Maine and UMass Lowell will meet for the 14th time. Maine, 12-1 all-time against the River Hawks, had its 12-game win streak against the River Hawks snapped when it was defeated, 66-57 early this season. In that game,
Anne Simon led the Black Bears with 15 points and seven boards while
Maddy McVicar joined Simon in double-figures with 11. Maine held Rolling in check in the earlier meeting, holding the River Hawks' leading scorer to just four points, but allowed four other scorers to reach double-figures in the contest. Since the River Hawks joined the America East in 2013, Maine is 6-0 on its home court in the all-time series. The first-ever meeting between the two teams came on Jan. 23, 2014, a 75-66 victory by the Black Bears in Lowell.
NATIONAL GIRLS & WOMEN IN SPORTS DAY CELEBRATION - FEB. 23:
Save The Date! You're invited to join the University of Maine athletic department on Sunday, February 23 as the Black Bears proudly host their third annual National Girls & Women in Sports celebration at the Cross Insurance Center, presented by Bangor Savings Bank. To RSVP for this event - please click HERE.
All youth 12 and under will receive a free ticket to the UMaine women's basketball game and pregame interactive sports fair by registering for the event at the following LINK. Parents and guardians of those attending the interactive fair may also purchase a special, discounted ticket for just $7 by contacting the UMaine Athletics ticket office at 207.581.BEAR.
During the month of February, the University of Maine community comes together with the support of the Maine Sports Commission to celebrate the achievements of girls and women in sports. We believe that participation in sports at all ages builds courage, strength, and character and provides women with the confidence and tools to become the leaders of tomorrow.
The month will culminate with a "Lead Her Forward" celebration at the Women's Basketball game vs. Stony Brook on Sunday, February 23 at the Cross Insurance Center. The event will celebrate National Girls & Women in Sports Day, which builds awareness of Title IX and equal opportunity in sports. The schedule for the day will be:
11:00 a.m. Doors open
11:30 a.m. Interactive Youth Sports Fair
1:00 p.m. Game time - UMaine women's basketball vs. Stony Brook
3:30 p.m. Happy Hour/Networking Event
4:00 p.m. Panel discussion with moderator
4:30 p.m. Keynote Address: Edniesha Curry, UMaine men's basketball assistant coach
-UMaine-
