ORONO, Maine -- Maine looks to start 3-0 in league play for the third consecutive season when it opens a two-game road trip on Thursday evening at Binghamton with tip-off set for 6 p.m.
The Black Bears enter play 18-11 all-time on the road against the Bearcats and have won 11-straight in the series.
Broadcast Details: Thursday's game will be live streamed on ESPN+. The game can also be heard on 92.9 FM in the Bangor region and worldwide on the Black Bears Sports Network.
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LAST TIME OUT:
ORONO, Maine --
Paula Gallego and
Caroline Bornemann combined for 43 points as the Black Bears shot 62.5 percent in an 87-64 victory over Bryant at Skip Chappelle Court on Saturday afternoon.
The win moved Maine to 2-0 in America East play while Bryant fell to 1-1 in league play.
Gallego led all scorers with a career-high 23 points on a career-best five three-pointers to go along with five assists and five rebounds.
Caroline Bornemann posted 20 points and nine rebounds as she moved into 27th on Maine's all-time scoring list and 18th on the all-time rebounding list.
For the second time this season, Maine featured five double-digit scorers as
Asta Blauenfeldt (13),
Sera Hodgson (11), and
Sarah Talon (10) joined Gallego and Bornemann in double-figures. For Blauenfeldt, the scoring performance marked her sixth double-figure scoring effort in her last seven outings.
As a unit, the Black Bears posted their best shooting performance (62.5) of the season while also hitting 9-of-15 from three point range. Maine won the rebounding battle, 33-23, for the second-straight game while limiting Bryant to just 3-of-18 from beyond the arc.
A LOOK AT THE BLACK BEARS:
Maine enters play riding an eight-game conference win streak after earning an 87-64 victory over Bryant on Saturday. In the win, Maine posted its highest point total (87) against an America East opponent since 2020 (Hartford) and its highest field goal percentage (62.5) since 2015 (at North Dakota State). The Black Bears, who are in the midst of their longest win streak (3) of the season, are led by
Caroline Bornemann who ranks eighth in the America East at 11.6 points per game with double-figure scoring in each of her last three including a season-high 20 point effort last time out. Bornemann also ranks among the top-5 in America East in rebounding (7.5) and field goal percentage (43.2) while recently moving into 27th on Maine's all-time scoring list at 963 career points.
Asta Blauenfeldt is adding 9.5 points with impressive shooting performances of 52.6 percent overall and a conference leading 49.0 percent clip from three-point range. Blauenfeldt, who ranks fifth in the league at 3.1 assists per game, has hit three or more triples in five of her last seven outings.
Paula Gallego is coming off career-highs in points (23) and three-pointers (5). Gallego leads the America East in assists (3.9) with a league-leading 1.8 assist to turnover ratio. Gallego has 30 assists to just seven turnovers in her last six games with zero giveaways in three of the six. Gallego has five or more assists in six games thus far. Maine, which ranks fourth in the league in scoring (61.0) and seventh in defense (61.4), check in tops among the league and 21st nationally with 9.1 triples per game and second in America East with a 34.6 percent clip from downtown. Maine's offensive efficiency is showcased with the top ranked assist mark in the league (15.9) and best assist/turnover mark (1.13). Â
A LOOK AT BINGHAMTON:
Binghamton, 5-2 at home this season, is 3-1 in its last four and coming off a 60-50 conference win at UMBC on Saturday. The Bearcats rank third in the league in scoring (62.3) and scoring defense (57.7) and crash the glass with a league-leading 36.0 rebounds per game. Defensively, Binghamton is atop the league in steals at 9.0 per game, leading to a league-best 17.3 turnovers forced per game. Yanniah Boyd leads Binghamton at 10.4 points per game to go along with 4.3 rebounds and a 44.9 percent mark from the floor. Jadyn Weltza is adding 10.0 points and team-highs in assists (3.1) and steals (2.1).
SERIES WITH BINGHAMTON:
Maine and Binghamton will meet for the 51st time with the Black Bears holding a 35-15 advantage. Maine, which has won 24 of the last 27 meetings, will be looking for its 12th-straight win over Binghamton after sweeping this year's season series, including a semifinal victory. Maine defeated Binghamton in its last trip to Vestal, 59-56, before earning a 57-51 victory at home and a 64-58 decision in the America East semifinal round. Maine and Binghamton first met in 2001, a 63-62 overtime victory by the Black Bears. Maine is 18-11 on the road in the series.
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