Orono, Maine -- The University of Maine women's basketball team has been selected second in the America East preseason coaches poll, as announced by the league on Wednesday morning. Junior guard Anne Simon was named to the America East preseason all-conference team.

The Black Bears were slotted second in the preseason poll after earning 78 points and three first place votes. Maine ranked behind the predicted preseason favorites, Stony Brook, who tallied 78 points and six first place votes. UMass Lowell earned one first place tally and 54 points, followed by UAlbany who garnered 51 points. Binghamton was slotted sixth with 40 points followed by New Hampshire (38), NJIT (25), UMBC (16), and Hartford (11).

Maine, which has earned six-straight trips to the America East title game, returns two starters from last year's squad which finished the 2020-21 campaign 17-3 after earning the No. 1 seed in the tournament. The Black Bears went on to host the America East championship game but came up short, losing to Stony Brook by a final of 64-60. Maine led the America East in 16 statistical categories in 2020-21, including scoring at 66.2 points per game, with its success credited in large part to its play on the defensive end and 3-point shooting. The Black Bears led the America East and ranked seventh nationally in scoring defense, limiting opponents to just 52.7 points per game. Maine's offense was impressive from beyond the arc as the Black Bears led the league in 3-point percentage (32.5) and 3-point field goals made per game (7.5). Maine's defense forced the second most turnovers in the league (18.0) while ranking 19th in the nation and tops in America East with just 12.3 giveaways per game.

Following the loss of leading scorer and America East Offensive Player of the Year, Blanca Millan, and third leading scorer and assist leader Dor Saar, Maine will welcome back two of its top four scorers from a year ago in Simon (12.5) and Maeve Carroll (10.7). Simon, an America East first team all-conference selection in 2020-21, ranked fifth among league leaders in scoring (12.5) a year ago. Simon, who registered double-digit scoring efforts in 13 games including posting 20+ points in three outings, checked in fifth in the league in steals per game (1.9), seventh in field goal percentage (32.9), and 17th in rebounding (5.2). Carroll, who earned her second consecutive selection to the America East all-conference second team in 2020-21, ended the campaign ranked 13th in the league in scoring (10.7), eighth in rebounding (6.1), fifth in field goal percentage (47.1), and fifth in assists per game (3.2). Carroll posted 10 double-digit scoring outings while ending the season riding a five-game double-digit scoring stream.

The Black Bears open the 2021-22 season on Tuesday, Nov. 9 when they travel to take on Nebraska at 11 a.m. ET. The season opener will be streamed live on B1G+ and can be heard locally on 92.9 FM The Ticket and nationwide at GoBlackBears.com. Season tickets to all of Maine's home games are available now by calling 207.581.BEAR or at the UMaine Athletics Box Office, located at Alfond Arena.
 

2021-22 America East Women's Basketball Preseason Poll

Rank/Team	Points (1st place votes)
1. Stony Brook	78 (6)
2. Maine	74 (3)
3. UMass Lowell	63 (1)
4. Vermont	54
5. UAlbany	51
6. Binghamton	40
7. New Hampshire	38
8. NJIT	25
9. UMBC	16
10. Hartford	11

-UMaine-