Orono, Maine -- Maine, which earlier this week clinched its third America East regular season title in the past four seasons, 14th outright title, and 17th overall regular season shared or outright crown, wraps up its 2020-21 regular season slate with its 98th overall meeting with New Hampshire in the third Border Battle, presented by Buffalo Wild Wings, between the two rivals this season. The game will be streamed live on ESPN3 and to the international audience at
AE.TV and can be heard on 96.1 WGUY-FM or worldwide at GoBlackBears.com.
Maine and New Hampshire split a series back on Jan. 2-3 at New Hampshire, with the Wildcats earning a win in game two before Maine rebounded for a 76-56 triumph in the weekend finale. Maine has won four-straight home contests against New Hampshire.
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LAST TIME OUT:
Stony Brook, N.Y. -- The University of Maine women's basketball team, which trailed by as many as 16 at Stony Brook on Sunday afternoon, outscored the Seawolves 24-10 in the fourth quarter to complete a 54-49 road victory at the Island Federal Credit Union Arena.
Maine, which picked up a weekend split with the victory, improves its record to 15-2 overall and 12-2 in America East play as the Black Bears remain at the top of the America East standings. Maine is now 11-2 on the road this season.
Blanca Millan tallied 11 of her game-high 17 points in the fourth quarter while adding five rebounds while matching a season-high with six steals.
Maeve Carroll added 16 points and eight rebounds as the senior has now registered double-digits in five of her last six outings.
After going 10-of-36 through the first three quarters, the Black Bears went 9-of-14 (64.3) in the fourth quarter to complete the comeback. Defensively, Maine forced 19 turnovers as it swiped 12 steals, the seventh time this season in which Maine has tallied 10 or more steals.
A LOOK AT THE BLACK BEARS:
The Black Bears enter play 4-0 at home this season and carry a 10-game home win streak, dating back to last season, into the final regular season contest of the 2020-21 campaign. Maine leads the America East in scoring at 65.6 points per game while ranking seventh in the country in scoring defense, allowing just 52.4 points per game while holding eight of its 17 opponents to 50 points or fewer this season.
Blanca Millan, who has scored in double-figures in all 17 of Maine's games thus far, enters play ranked first in eight different statistical categories among America East leaders. Millan ranks 20th in the nation and tops among the America East at 21.7 points per game. The fifth-year guard, who sits fifth on Maine's all-time scoring list, recently moved into third on Maine's all-time three point field goals made list at 211 makes from downtown. Defensively, Millan ranks second in Maine history with 318 career steals. This season, Millan leads the America East in total steals (10) and steals per game (3.06), good for 10th and 14th best in the country, respectively.
Dor Saar, who enters play just one assist shy of becoming the first player in Maine history to record 1,000 career points and 500 assists, is the motor that runs the Maine offense as she leads the league in assists (88), assists per game (5.2) and assist to turnover ratio (2.44) - ranking among the top 35 in the country in all three categories. Saar has been a threat from long range this season, checking in tops in the America East in 3-point field goals made (40) and 3-point field goals made per game (2.35).
Anne Simon ranks fifth in the league at 12.3 points per game with an impressive 46.5 percent mark from the floor. The sophomore guard ranks sixth in the league in steals (1.7) and recently surpassed 600 points for her career in just 48 career games.
Maeve Carroll, who recently announced she will return for fifth-season, missed the first five games of the season due to injury but has returned to her impressive form from a year ago as she is averaging 10.4 points per game. Carroll ranks among the top-10 in the America East in rebounding (6.5), field goal percentage (46.4), assists (3.0) and assist to turnover ratio (2.1).
A LOOK AT NEW HAMPSHIRE:
The Wildcats enter their final regular season contest of the year with a 1-9 mark on the road while riding a two-game losing skid. Most recently, the Wildcats were swept in a two-game series at UMass Lowell, falling in game one 74-40 before dropping the finale by a final of 73-52. New Hampshire has struggled to score this season, entering play ranked 312 in the nation and seventh in the America East at 54.4 points per game. Defensively, the Wildcats have given up the most points among the league at 64.9 points allowed per game. The Wildcats also struggled to defend the perimeter, checking in last in the league and allowing opponents to hit at a 32.9 percent clip from downtown. The Wildcats pride themselves at the free throw stripe, ranking second in the America East in free throws made (211) with a league-leading 73.8 percent mark from the stripe. Amanda Torres (12.0) and Ivy Gogolin (11.4) lead the Wildcats in scoring. Gogolin's and Helena Delaruelle lead New Hampshire in rebounding, each averaging 5.8 per game.
SERIES WITH NEW HAMPSHIRE:
Maine and New Hampshire will meet for the 98th time in their storied history. The Black Bears enter play with a 61-36 advantage in the series and have matched up against UNH more times than any of its other opponents. Dating back to 1985, Maine is 26-9 at home against the Wildcats and have won four-straight at home in the series. Maine had its nine-game win streak in the head-to-head series snapped when it suffered a 58-57 loss back on Jan. 2. Maine bounced back to take game two, 76-56, thanks in big part to
Kelly Fogarty who knocked down a school-record 10 three-point field goals, finishing with 30 points in the victory. The two teams first met in 1920, a 15-13 victory by the Wildcats. Maine has held UNH to 50 points or fewer in each seven of the last 10 meetings.
Blanca Millan enters the series averaging 14.1 points in nine career games against the Wildcats. Millan has posted double-digit scoring efforts in 10 of her 11 games with UNH.
*UNH ranks last in the AE in 3-point defense (32.9) while Maine leads the league in 3-point shooting (32.3). UNH leads the league in free throw shooting (73.8) while Maine ranks sixth in AE with 15.8 fouls per game.
REGULAR SEASON CHAMPS
For the third time in the past four seasons, and the 14th time overall, Maine has been crowned the America East outright regular season champions. The title is Maine's 17th overall, as they also captured co-champion honors in three past seasons. Maine has earned the outright or co-championship in five of the last seven years. With the No. 1 seed, Maine has earned a bye through the quarterfinal round and will host the lowest remaining seed in the America East semifinal round, to be held at The Pit inside Memorial Gymnasium on Sunday, March 7 at 1 p.m. Should Maine advance to the America East Championship game, that contest would also be held at The Pit and is slated for a 5 p.m. tip-off on Friday, March 12 at 5 p.m. live on ESPNU.
MILLAN NAMED A SEMIFINALIST FOR MID-MAJOR PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD:
University of Maine guard
Blanca Millan has been named a semifinalist for the 2021 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award, presented by Her Hoop Stats, as announced on Feb. 10, 2021. To be eligible for the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award, players must compete in one of the 26 conferences deemed to be "mid-major". The following conferences are considered high-major for the purposes of this award, and thus ineligible: ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Pac-12, and SEC. Five finalists being announced in early March. The winner will be announced in late March. The list is fluid and players may play their way on or off the list over the course of the season.
COLLEGE INSIDER MID-MAJOR TOP 25:
The Black Bears check in at No. 10 in the latest poll released on Feb. 16, dipping two spots from their highest ranking of the season (8) a week ago. Maine is the lone America East team represented in the top-25. The No. 8 ranking is Maine's highest ranking of the season and highest in the last five seasons.
MILLAN CLIMBING THE ALL-TIME CHARTS
Blanca Millan, who in 2018-19 became just the fourth player in history to earn both the America East Player and Defensive Player of the Year honors, continues to climb the all-time charts both at Maine and in the America East record books.
Millan currently ranks 5th on Maine's all-time scoring list with 1,916 points. She stands 237 points behind Liz Coffin (2,153) for 4th all-time.
Millan stands just 84 points from becoming the fifth all-time in Maine history to reach 2,000 points.
Millan currently ranks 13th on the America East all-time scoring list. Millan enters play this weekend 55 points behind Katie Terhune (Boston University - 2000-04, 1,971) for 12th all-time.
Defensively, Millan ranks second on Maine's all-time steals list (318), 16 behind Cindy Blodgett (334) for the all-time lead.
Millan currently ranks third on Maine's career 3-point list (211), eight behind Cindy Blodgett (219) for second all-time.
On Dec. 4, 2018, Millan became the 7th fastest in Black Bear history to eclipse the 1,000-point mark, and just the third-ever to do it in her third season.
Millan's 15.6 points per game average currently ranks 7th all-time at Maine.
MILLAN EARNS 14th AMERICA EAST PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONOR:
Six times this season, and 14 times in her career,
Blanca Millan has been named the America East Player of the Week. Millan trails only Cindy Blodgett (17) for most player of the week awards won during a career at Maine.
DOR IS SO GRACIOUS
Dor Saar is currently the America East active leader in assists (499) and this year leads the America East in assist turnover ratio (2.44), total assists (88), and assists per game (5.2) Saar has amassed five or more assists 50 times and double-figure assist totals four times in her career. With three assists at Hartford (12/23/20), With five assists against UMass Lowell (2/6), Saar moved past Cindy Blodgett and into second on Maine's all-time assists list. Saar trails Coach Vachon by 260 for the top spot on Maine's all-time assists list (759). Saar matched Maine's single-game assists record (14) in her outing with Husson. Saar is Maine's all-time leader with a 1.94 assist to turnover ratio over her time with the Black Bears. Saar stands 59 assists shy of moving into the top-5 on the America East career assists list.
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FOGARTY SETS SINGLE-GAME 3-POINT MARK:
On Jan. 3, 2021 at New Hampshire,
Kelly Fogarty set a new Maine women's basketball school-record, while matching the all-time America East mark, after she knocked down 10 three-point field goals in a single game. The 10 triples broke her own school-record (9), a mark she set during the 2019-20 season.
SAAR CLOSING IN ON 1,000 POINTS/500 ASSISTS
On Jan. 23 at Binghamton,
Dor Saar became the 22nd Black Bear in program history to reach the 1,000 point plateau. Saar now stands just one assist shy of 500. Should Dor reach the assist mark, she'd become just the second in program history to reach 500 assists, and the first to achieve both 1,000 points and 500 assists.
SAAR - MAINE'S ALL-TIME LEADER FROM DOWNTOWN
With three triples at UAlbany (1/17,)
Dor Saar surpassed Cindy Blodgett as Maine's all-time record holder for three point field goals made with 220. Saar currently has 230 career triples, 14 out of fifth on the America East all-time three-point field goals made list.
600 BOARDS
Fanny Wadling, who missed the entire 2019-20 season due to injury, returned to action on Dec. 20 at Northeastern for the first time since March, 23, 2019. Wadling is looking to become just the 17th Black Bear in history to record 600 career rebounds. Wadling is 22 career rebounds away from 600.
DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE DEFENSE
As impressive as Maine's offense has been through 17 games in 2020-21 (65.6 ppg - 1st in AE), the defense has been equally, if not more, impressive. Maine enters the weekend with the seventh ranked defense in the nation, allowing just 52.4 points per game. Maine has held eight of its first 17 opponents to 50 points or fewer.
ENERGIZER SAAR
Dor Saar ranked second in the nation in 2019-20 with 1,238:53 minutes played. Saar led the America East and checked in sixth nationally at 38.72 minutes per game. In her career, Saar has produced 40 or more minutes in a single game 44 times, including 21 times last season and nine this season. From Jan. 5 to March 8, 2020, Saar tallied 40+ minutes in 16-straight outings. Currently, Saar ranks 15th in the nation in 2020-21 at 37.64 minutes per game.
HOME SWEET HOME:
Over the past four seasons, Maine has built a 51-9 overall record at home and a 38-3 record in league play. Maine has won 10-straight at home.
ROAD WARRIORS:
Only two teams have played more road games than Maine this season - Santa Clara (15) and Stanford (14). The Black Bears have compiled an 11-2 record on the road this season.
CONFERENCE TIDBITS
Over the past four seasons, Maine has gone 55-9 in America East play.
Maine, which has captured two titles in the past five seasons, has earned five consecutive appearances in the America East title game.
Maine has registered double-digit conference win totals in seven of its last eight seasons.
Maine has captured three of the past four AE regular season titles.
AMERICA EAST PRESEASON POLL:
For the third consecutive season, the Black Bears were selected first in the America East Preseason Coaches Poll, as announced by the league on Tuesday, Nov. 10. Maine also received three selections to the America East Preseason All-Conference team with
Maeve Carroll,
Blanca Millan, and
Dor Saar each earning a spot on the squad. The Black Bears received six of the league's 10 first place tallies, positioning them at the top of the league with 78 total votes. Maine, which earned three of the five Preseason All-Conference slots, is the first school since Boston University in 2010-11 to earn three or more selections to the Preseason All-Conference team.
CARROLL'S SEEING DOUBLE:
Last season (2019-20),
Maeve Carroll led all America East players with 11 double-doubles, including 10 against league competition. In league play, Carroll averaged 15.3 points and league-best 9.0 rebounds against league competition. Carroll earned her first-ever all-conference honor in 2019-20 with a spot on the America East second team.
THREE-POINT OFFENSE
Maine currently leads the America East in 3-point field goals made 126), 3-point field goals made per game (7.4), and 3-point field goals percentage (32.3).
FACTOR OF 60
Over the past seven seasons, Maine is 134-22 when holding its opponent to 60 or fewer points. The Black Bears are 76-12 in the Vachon era when limiting teams to 60 or less. Over the past seven seasons against league competition, Maine is 81-10 when holding America East opponents to 60 points or fewer.
60 OR MORE
On the flip-side, Maine is 135-25 over the past seven seasons when it scorers 60 or more. In league play, Maine has an 83-8 record when scoring 60 or more points.
DECIDED AT THE HALF
Maine is 48-4 when leading at halftime over the past three seasons and 75-10 when taking a lead into the half under Vachon.
FROM DOWNTOWN
The Black Bears have broke the America East record for 3-point field goals made in a season in two of the past three seasons and, in 2019-20, put up the third most made triples (250) in league history. Over the last four years, Maine is 25-8 when it records double-digit 3-point makes in a single game. Maine now holds each of the top four spots for most 3-point field goals made in a season in America East history (273, 256, 250, 245).
RARE OPPORTUNITY
The Black Bears have the opportunity to become just the fifth team in America East history to complete a three-peat of the league championship after earning America East Tournament titles in 2017-18 and 2018-19. Maine earned four-straight titles during the 1994-98 seasons. Maine earned a return to the AE Title game in 2019-20, but was unable to compete in the game at Stony Brook when the game was canceled due to COVID-19.
BLACK BEARS IN THE PROS
Maine currently has six former players competing professionally for their respective teams overseas:
Kira Barra (Saarlouis/Dillingen - Germany);
Christiana Gerostergiou (Dafni Agioy - Greece);
Mikaela Gustafsson (Sodertalje); Isabel Hernandez (La Spezia - Italy);
Sigi Koizar (Flammes - France);
Maddy McVicar (Newcastle E. - United Kingdom); and
Milica Mitrovic (Radivoj Korac - Serbia).
CLASS OF 2021
On Nov. 12, Coach Vachon announced five newcomers to the 2021 signing class: Paula Gallego (6-1 - G - Barcelona, Spain); Sera Hodgson (5-11 - G - Rindge, N.H.); Pénélope Mathieu-Castillo (5-11 - F - Montreal, Que.); Adrianna Smith (5-10 - F - Reston, Va.); Bailey Wilborn (5-8 - G - Wichita, Ks.).
INTERNATIONAL VIBE
As has been the norm over the last few seasons for the Black Bears, Maine features numerous players from around the globe. This season, Maine features players from seven different countries including players from Luxembourg (Simon); Israel (Saar); Spain (Millan, Orois), Finland (Kahelin), Denmark (Bornemann), and Sweden (Wadling).
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