Orono, ME - The University of Maine men's basketball program heads to Stony Brook on Saturday, Nov. 8 for their second game of the 2025-26 season.
Â
Last Time Out -- The Black Bears squared off against George Washington in the season opener on Monday, Nov. 3, a game they fell in, 67-47.
Maine hung around in the contest as they only trailed by four points at halftime before George Washington went on a sizable run in the second half to pull away from the Black Bears. Maine shot 31.4% from the field, 22.7% from three-point range and 83.3% from the free throw line on the night. The Black Bears forced 16 turnovers on the night while holding George Washington to only 10% from behind the three-point line (2-20).
TJ Biel led the way in scoring as he recorded 13 points in his Black Bear debut. Biel also grabbed a team-high seven rebounds on the night and rejected a team-best two shots while playing a team-high 31 minutes.
Ace Flagg followed suit with the second most points on the team with 10 in his collegiate debut. He also led the way for both teams in steals with four.
Lean on the Defense -- Since Chris Markwood was named the Head Coach of the Black Bears prior to the 2022-23 season, the defensive side of the ball has been a staple of the recent success that the Maine program has seen over the past few seasons. In 2024-25, Maine concluded the season with the 33rd ranked defense in all of the NCAA as they allowed only 66.1 points per game.
The Black Bears forced 14.9 turnovers a game last season, their highest mark under Markwood as they forced 13.2 in the 2023-24 season and 13.9 in the 2022-23 season. Three returning Black Bears had at least 12 steals last season and all three did so in less than 18 minutes per game each. On opening night, six different Black Bears recorded at least one steal.
Mainers on the Squad -- The Black Bears have three native student-athletes to the State of Maine on their 2025-26 roster, their highest mark of the Markwood era.
Highlighted by Ace Flagg (Newport, Maine), a three-star recruit who won three state championships in high school in three different states, two of which he did along side his twin brother, Cooper. He joins the group of John Shea (Auburn, Maine) and fellow first year player, Emmitt Byther (Old Town, Maine) as the trio looks to help the Black Bears capture their first conference championship in program history.
Preseason #2 -- The Black Bears enter the 2025-26 season being picked in a tie for second in the America East preseason poll, their highest ranking in over 20 years. Maine made their first America East Championship game appearance last season since the 2003-04 season, a game they ultimately fell in to the Bryant Bulldogs.
Â
| Maine |
Statistics |
Stony Brook |
| 47.0 |
PPG |
66.0 |
| 67.0 |
OPPG |
59.0 |
| 31.4% |
FG% |
34.3% |
| 22.7% |
3PT% |
25.0% |
| 83.3% |
FT% |
61.9% |
| 23.0 |
RPG |
48.0 |
| 8.0 |
APG |
14.0 APG |
| 10.0 |
SPG |
7.0 |
| 3.0 |
BPG |
7.0 |
| 14-31 |
Head-to-Head |
31-14 |
-UMaine-
Developing Champions with Integrity
Integrity | Accountability | Toughness | Excellence
