Orono, Maine -- Following a two-game road swing, the Black Bears return home to host NJIT on Saturday at 2 p.m. The game will also mark Maine's annual
'National Girls & Women in Sports Celebration', presented by Bangor Savings Bank, with an interactive sports fair taking place at 11 a.m. prior to the contest between Maine and NJIT.
The game can be seen live on
ESPN3 and heard locally on 92.9 The Ticket and nationally at
GoBlackBears.com.
National Girls & Women in Sports Celebration:
Prior to the game against NJIT, the Black Bears will host an Interactive Sports Fair in the New Balance Field House at 11 a.m. Representatives from UMaine's 17 varsity programs, along with additional UMaine Club Team representatives and local athletics attractions, will be on hand to offer youth the opportunity to participate in several drills from a variety of different sports and competitive events.
All youth who
RSVP for the Interactive Sports Fair are eligible for complimentary tickets to attend the UMaine women's basketball game vs. NJIT at Memorial Gym on Saturday, Feb. 11 at 1 p.m. A ticket will grant access to the Interactive Sports Fair and the UMaine women's basketball game vs. NJIT. Parents and guardians are eligible for a special, group ticket rate of $7 to attend the game. All those who RSVP will also receive complimentary National Girls & Sports Day gifts. For more information, please contact the UMaine Athletic ticket office by phone at 207.581.BEAR or by e-mail at um.tickets@maine.edu.
LAST TIME OUT:
Burlington, Vt. -- Adrianna Smith posted her 13th double-double of the season with a game-high 29 points and 11 rebounds in Maine's 68-60 loss at Vermont on Wednesday evening.
The loss slips Maine to 12-11 on the season, 8-3 in America East play while Vermont, who scored its ninth consecutive victory, improves to 17-6 and 9-2 in league action.
Maine, which trailed by as many as 17 in the game, tied the game in the second half but was unable to take the lead in the contest.
Smith's 29 points marked her 18th double-figure scoring performance of the season and her 14th consecutive game in double-digits. Paula Gallego posted a career-high 13 points with a career-high matching three triples.
The Black Bears went 21-of-57 from the floor, 4-of-14 from three-point range, and 14-of-16 from the free throw line.
A LOOK AT THE BLACK BEARS:
Adrianna Smith, the America East leader in scoring (16.7) and rebounding (9.2), is fresh off her conference leading 13th double-double of the season with 29 points and 11 boards at Vermont. Smith has now scored double-figures in each of her last 14 games. Smith is averaging a double-double (23.4 points/10.7 rebounds) against league competition. Caroline Bornemann, who has nine double-digit scoring performances on the season, checks in eighth among league leaders in rebounding (6.1) and 20th in scoring (9.6). Her 1.3 triples per game are good for 10th among league leaders. Paula Gallego is coming off her best performance of the season with a career-high matching 13 points to go along with career-highs in blocks (3), steals (3), and three-pointers (3). The Black Bears have held four of their last five opponents to 50 points or fewer and have won the rebounding battle in 10 of their last 12. The Black Bears rank sixth in the league in scoring (58.9) and fourth in scoring defense (60.7) while ranking seventh in the country and tops in the league in three-point defense (25.4%). Maine continues to rank at the top of the America East with 6.6 triples made per game.
A LOOK AT NJIT:
The Highlanders enter Saturday sixth in the America East standings with a 6-5 mark in league play. NJIT saw its two-game win streak snap last time out with a 72-69 loss to UMBC. The Highlanders are 6-6 on the road this season and rank fifth in the league in scoring (59.5) and sixth in scoring defense (62.4) while checking in third in the league in rebounding (35.9), with 11.3 offensive boards per game, and second in blocks (3.5). Alejandra Zuniga leads the offense at 11.5 points per game with a team-high 2.3 assists. Kenna Squier is adding 10.7 points and 5.0 rebounds while Trinity Williams leads the Highlanders in rebounding at 5.7 to go along with 9.5 points.
SERIES WITH NJIT:
Maine and NJIT meet for the ninth time in history after the Highlanders joined the America East in the 2020-21 season. Maine owns the all-time series, 5-3, after defeating the Highlanders 69-63 earlier this season in Newark. The two teams met in the postseason a year ago with Maine earning the semifinal victory, 72-48, in Orono. The Black Bears have won three straight in the series, and five of the last six. Maine is 3-2 all-time at home in the series. In the earlier meeting this season, Adrianna Smith poured in a career-high 34 points to go along with 10 rebounds in the victory for the Black Bears. Prior to NJIT joining the league, the two teams met in 2009, a contest won by NJIT in Newark by a score of 63-50. The first-ever meeting came in 2008 where the Black Bears were defeated on their home court, 68-60.
Tale of the Tape
| Maine |
Category |
NJIT |
| 58.9 |
Points Per Game |
59.5 |
| 60.7 |
Opponent Points Per Game |
62.4 |
| -1.8 |
Scoring Margin |
-2.9 |
| 41.8 |
FG Pct. |
40.0 |
| 33.6 |
3-PT FG Pct. |
30.7 |
| 70.7 |
FT Pct. |
63.8 |
| 33.3 |
Rebound Per Game |
35.9 |
| +0.4 |
Rebound Margin |
+0.7 |
| 13.1 |
Assists Per Game |
10.7 |
| 15.8 |
Turnovers Per Game |
17.0 |
| 13.0 |
Turnovers Forced Per Game |
14.5 |
| 5.7 |
Steals Per Game |
6.1 |
| 2.7 |
Blocks Per Game |
3.5 |
-UMaine-
