Orono, ME - The University of Maine men's basketball team takes on UMBC on Thursday night for their second America East Conference game of the season and first game on a three-game road trip.

Last Time Out -- The Black Bears were defeated in their conference opener by Bryant, 56-51.

TJ Biel scored a career-high 20 points to go along with seven rebounds, three assists, two blocks and zero turnovers.

The Black Bears held Bryant to 33.3% shooting from the field and forced 16 turnovers.

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. On the season, the Black Bears are the top defense in the America East, allowing 69.4 points per game. That mark is the 90th-best mark in the NCAA.

Biel Bounces Back -- After scoring 17 in the Black Bears win over Boston University, Biel had scored just 12 points over the past three contests. He bounced back with a 20-point outing against Bryant, his highest scoring outing of the season.

On the season, he is the 15th leading scoring in the America East at 11 PPG, he is tied for the 13th-most rebounds and is playing the 8th-most minutes per game.

First Year Impact -- Bashir N'Galang and Ace Flagg have carved out solid minutes in their first taste of collegiate basketball and both of them are turning out solid numbers.

Flagg leads the duo in scoring with 4.6 PPG and is third on the team in rebounds with 63 while Galang ranks third on the team in assists with 22 and is averaging 4.1 PPG.

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.

Series History -- This will be the 44th meeting all-time between these two programs, with UMBC holding a 26-17 lead in the series. Under Coach Markwood, the Black Bears are 4-2 against the Retrievers with all of their matchups coming in the regular season.

-UMaine-

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