Orono, Maine -- The No. 1 seeded University of Maine women's basketball team opens America East postseason play when it hosts No. 8 UMass Lowell on Friday, March 8 at 5 p.m.
Maine is fresh off winning its fifth America East regular season title in the past eight seasons and enters the conference tournament as the league's No. 1 seed for the third time in the past four seasons. Maine begins its quest for a league-best 10th conference tournament title. Maine is 18-7 all-time in the quarterfinal round and has won eight consecutive quarterfinal contests.
Limited tickets remain online at GoBlackBears.com/tickets. Additional tickets will be made available at 3:30 p.m. on game day in the lobby of Memorial Gymnasium.
Broadcast Details:
Friday's game will be live streamed on ESPN+. The game can also be heard on the Black Bears Sports Network and live on 92.9 FMÂ in the Bangor market.
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LAST TIME OUT:
Orono, Maine -- The University of Maine women's basketball earned the 2024 America East regular season championship and the No. 1 seed in the upcoming America East playoffs with a 63-46 victory over UAlbany in front of a sold out crowd of 1,425 at Memorial Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon.
Adrianna Smith packed the stat sheet in the win, finishing with 23 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists, and five steals for her league-leading 21st double-double of the season.
Anne Simon added a game-high 25 points on 7-of-18 from the floor and a 9-for-10 showing from the free throw stripe to go along with eight rebounds and five assists.
Maine, which outscored UAlbany 36-14 in the paint, finished the afternoon 22-of-48 (45.8) from the floor with three triples while going 16-for-20 from the free throw line. Maine's defense forced UAlbany to 17 turnovers while holding the Great Danes to just 3-of-18 from downtown and 16-for-52 (30.8) overall.
A LOOK AT THE BLACK BEARS:
Maine is 11-2 on its home court this season and undefeated in league play at home (8-0) this year. In total, dating back to last season, Maine has won its last 11 home games against America East competition at home. Overall, Maine has won nine of its last 10 outings including a most recent America East regular season title clinching victory over UAlbany. decision over Binghamton in a game that was moved to Bangor's Cross Insurance Center.
Anne Simon was recently named the America East Player and Defensive Player of the Week for the second time in her career, along with a nod to the all-conference third team and a spot on the all-defensive team. Simon joined former teammate Blanca Millan as the only players in league history to be named both player and defensive player of the week twice in a career. Simon ranks among the top five in the league in eight categories with a league best 18.9 points per game, besting 20 points on 13 occasions. Simon, riding a nine-game double-digit scoring streak, recently captured her eighth America East Player of the Week honor and the 12th of her career.
Adrianna Smith earned a second consecutive spot on the league's first team and ranks among the top three of league leaders in scoring (3rd - 16.4); rebounds (1st - 11.2); and assists (1st - 4.5). Smith checks in third in the country with 21 double-doubles on the year. Maine wrapped up the conference slate ranked first in conference only scoring (65.6) and tops in scoring defense, allowing just 51.0 points per game to league competition. Maine won its fourth regular season title in the past six seasons, reached 20 wins for the second time in three years, and reached double-digit conference wins for the seventh consecutive season.
A LOOK AT UMASS LOWELL:
The River Hawks, 2-14 on the road this season, enter the post season riding a six-game losing skid after falling at home to Vermont, 55-51, in their regular season finale. UMass Lowell ranks last in the conference in scoring (52.2) and scoring defense (64.1). Mili Carrera, a third-team selection, leads the River Hawks at 9.7 points to go along with 3.7 rebounds. Abbey Lindsey, an all-rookie selection, is adding 9.2 points while Sydney Watkins, an all-defensive team honoree, is averaging 7.6 points, a team-high 5.5 rebounds, and league-leading 2.6 steals.
SERIES WITH UMASS LOWELL:
Maine and UMass Lowell are meeting for the 24th time in history and the second time in the postseason. Maine, 21-2 all-time against the River Hawks, won the first 13 games of the head-to-head series. Maine, 5-0 in its last five outings with UMass Lowell, have won five-straight in the head-to-head series. Since the River Hawks joined the America East in 2013, Maine is 12-1 at home in the all-time series. The first-ever meeting between the two teams came on Jan. 23, 2014, a 75-66 victory by the Black Bears in Lowell.
Anne Simon has recorded double-digit scoring efforts in nine of her 10 outings against the River Hawks and enters play averaging 14.6 points and 6.0 rebounds against the River Hawks.
Adrianna Smith has posted scoring totals of 23 and 25 in the two meetings this season.
Maine and UMass Lowell squared off in the 2020 America East semifinals. Maine defeated the River Hawks in that game, 67-54, in Orono.
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