Orono, Maine -- The University of Maine women's basketball team (17-8, 10-1 America East) carries its five-game win streak into Burlington for a Saturday showdown at Vermont (18-8, 10-2) for a battle between the second and third seeded teams in the America East. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m.
Broadcast Details:
Saturday's game will be live streamed on ESPN+. The game can also be heard on the Black Bears Sports Network in an online only broadcast.
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LAST TIME OUT:
Orono, Maine --
Adrianna Smith became the 22nd player in University of Maine women's basketball history to eclipse 1,000 career points while
Anne Simon added a 31 point night as the Black Bears earned their fifth-straight victory with an 80-57 decision over Bryant on Thursday evening.
The win improved Maine to 17-8 and 10-1 in America East play while Bryant fell to 12-13, 5-7 in league action.
It was a tale of two halves for the Black Bears who, after scoring 25 points in the opening half, came out on fire in the second. Maine, which shot 20-for-32 (62.5) including an impressive 10-for-13 from three-point range, in the second half outscored the Bulldogs 55-32 over the final 20 minutes.
Simon, who has now tallied 30-plus points in back-to-back outings, finished with a game-high 31 points on 11-of-18 shooting with four triples.
Adrianna Smith posted her 18th double-double of the season, and eighth in her last nine outings, with 12 points and 10 rebounds to go along with six assists.
Sera Hodgson added four triples for 12 points while
Caroline Bornemann finished 5-of-7 from the floor for 12 points.
Maine, which entered 25th in the country in turnovers per game, assisted on 22 of its 28 made field goals while giving it away a season-low four times.
Defensively, the Black Bears forced 21 turnovers while turning the mishaps into a 27-1 advantage in points off turnovers.
A LOOK AT THE BLACK BEARS:
The Black Bears have won five-straight, including each of their last two road contests. Maine is averaging 71.3 points per game over its last four outings with a +18.3 scoring margin over the span while averaging just 8.8 turnovers per game.
Anne Simon has put together back-to-back 30+ point totals (33, 31) and enters averaging 32.0 points per game in her last two outings while shooting 62.2 percent from the floor and 56.3 percent from 3-point range over the time. Overall, Simon leads the America East in scoring at 18.6 points per game and recently tied Heather Ernest for sixth on Maine's all-time scoring list with 1,804 points.
Adrianna Smith, who became the 22nd member of Maine's 1,000 point scoring club last time out, ranks third in the country with 18 double-doubles. Smith, who ranks eighth in the country in rebounding (11.2), has tallied double-doubles in eight of her last nine outings, each of her last three, and currently leads the America East in both conference only scoring (18.9 ppg) and conference only rebounding (12.1 rpg). As a unit, Maine has been impressive with taking care of the ball. Coming off its lowest turnover total of the season (4), the Black Bears now rank 17th in the country at 12.6 turnovers per game. Maine leads the America East in three-pointers per game (7.8) and have recorded double-digit three point totals in each of its last three games.
A LOOK AT VERMONT:
Vermont, 12-1 at home this season, has won three in a row after a convincing 75-41 victory at New Hampshire on Thursday. The Catamounts feature the third best scoring defense in the country, allowing just 52.7 points per game. Offensively, Vermont is averaging 60.1 points per game, lead the America East with a 44.1 percentage from the field and rank ninth in the country with just 12.1 turnovers per game. Emma Utterback leads the Vermont offense as she ranks sixth in the league at 15.0 points per game while checking in third with 4.2 assists. Anna Olson is adding 11.8 points and a team-high 6.0 rebounds.
SERIES WITH VERMONT:
This meeting will mark the 103rd all-time meeting between the two teams. The Black Bears won the first meeting this season, a 60-48 decision in Orono. In the win,
Anne Simon registered a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds while
Adrianna Smith added 15 points. Maine used a 20-10 scoring advantage in the third period to help it pull away in the win. Maine has won 11 of the last 13 meetings. Vermont swept the series a year ago. The Black Bears currently hold a 66-36 advantage in the all-time series, having won 18 of the last 21 meetings. Since 1985, Maine is 40-24 on the road against the Catamounts. In six games, Simon is averaging 16.8 points and 6.2 rebounds against Vermont in her career.
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