Orono, Maine -- In the second installment of the Border Battle, presented by Buffalo Wild Wings, and the 100th overall meeting between Maine and UNH, the Black Bears hit the road to meet New Hampshire on Wednesday afternoon at 4 p.m. Maine enters play 22-16 all-time on the road against the Wildcats and carry a three-game win streak in the head-to-head into Durham after handing UNH a 77-51 defeat back on Jan. 13 in Bangor.
Wednesday's game will be broadcast live on
ESPN+. The game can also be heard worldwide on the
Black Bear Sports Network and locally in Maine on 92.9 F
M.
A LOOK AT THE BLACK BEARS:
The Black Bears look to get back on track after dropping a 60-55 decision to UMass Lowell last Wednesday.
Anne Simon, who leads the America East at 16.8 points per game, has tallied double-digits in all six of Maine's conference games and each of her last nine contests. Simon, who has registered a steal in each of her last nine games, ranks first in the America East at 2.67 steals per game and has nine more steals on the year than the next closest player. Simon also leads the league in conference-only scoring at 17.3 points per game.
Alba Orois leads the America East in assists and ranks 24th nationally at 5.6 per game. In conference play, Orois is averaging an impressive 7.0 dimes per game - with 22 assists in her last two games including a school-record tying 14 against UNH. Orois is averaging 9.3 points on the year.
Maeve Carroll ranks second among America East leaders in rebounding at 7.8 per game and has five double-digit rebounding performances on the year.
Caroline Bornemann has cranked up her scoring in league play as she has registered double figures in three of the first six league games. Maine features a league-low 12.7 turnovers per game against conference opponents.
A LOOK AT NEW HAMPSHIRE:
The Wildcats have lost 11 of their last 12 outings after most recently suffering a 57-54 setback at UMass Lowell. New Hampshire scored its first league victory of the season on Jan. 19 when it defeated Hartford, 69-66. The Wildcats rank last in the America East in scoring (53.4) and scoring defense (62.6) while checking in at the bottom of the league-leaders in rebounding at 32.0 per game. UNH has forced the most turnovers on average (19.8) of any America East program thus far. Amanda Torres, who recently tallied her 1,000th career point, leads the Wildcats in scoring at 11.6 points per game on the year. Helena Delaruelle is adding 5.8 points and a team-best 5.4 rebounds.
SERIES WITH NEW HAMPSHIRE:
Maine and New Hampshire will meet for the 100th time in their storied history. The Black Bears enter play with a 63-36 advantage in the series and have matched up against UNH more times than any of its other opponents. Dating back to 1985, Maine is 22-16 on the road against the Wildcats and won the most recent meeting in Durham, 82-53, back on Feb. 20, 2021. Maine earned a 77-51 victory in the most recent meeting, played in Bangor on Jan. 13. In the game, Maine fell one short of tying the school-record with 15 made three point baskets. Maine has won 12 of the last 13 meetings in the series. The two teams first met in 1920, a 15-13 victory by the Wildcats.
Tale of the Tape
| Maine (6-10, 3-3) |
Category |
UNH (4-13, 1-5) |
| 56.7 |
Points Per Game |
53.4 |
| 64.1 |
Opponent Points Per Game |
62.6 |
| -7.4 |
Scoring Margin |
-9.2 |
| 38.4 |
Field Goal Percentage |
35.9 |
| 27.3 |
3-Point Field Goal Percentage |
24.4 |
| 61.2 |
Free Throw Percentage |
67.4 |
| 32.8 |
Rebounds Per Game |
32.0 |
| -6.0 |
Rebound Margin |
-2.6 |
| 13.8 |
Assists Per Game |
10.5 |
| 14.0 |
Turnovers Per Game |
18.4 |
| 15.0 |
Turnovers Forced Per Game |
19.8 |
| 7.3 |
Steals Per Game |
9.4 |
| 2.6 |
Blocks Per Game |
1.4 |
-UMaine-
