Orono, ME - The University of Maine men's basketball team takes on NJIT for their second of three-straight road games on Saturday at NJIT.
 

Last Time Out -- The Black Bears were defeated by UMBC in a tight battle in Baltimore, 69-62.

The Black Bears battled back multiple times from down double-digits, cutting the deficit to as little as four points in the second half.

TJ Biel scored a career-high 27 points and registered his first double-double of the season, the first double-double by a Black Bear this season.

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 85th-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 following three contests. He bounced back with a 20-point outing against Bryant, his highest scoring outing of the season to that point before topping that performance with a 27-point outburst at UMBC last time out.

On the season, he is the 13th leading scoring in the America East at 11.9 PPG, he is tied for the 9th-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 4.7 PPG and is second on the team in rebounds with 68 while N'Galang ranks third on the team in assists with 23 and is averaging 3.9 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 15th meeting all-time between these two programs, a history that has NJIT leading all-time, 8-6. Under Coach Markwood, the Black Bears are 4-2 against the Highlanders, having won the past four contests in a row.

-UMaine-

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