University of Maine
Sacred Heart
11/4/2026 4:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
ORONO, Maine --Â The University of Maine men's basketball program heads to Sacred Heart on Thursday night as part of the America East-Metro Challenge.
Broadcast Details:
Saturday's game will be live streamed on ESPN+. The game can be heard locally in Bangor on 92.9 The Ticket and nationwide at GoBlackBears.com and on the TuneIn app.
| Maine (0-1, 0-0 AE) at Sacred Heart (0-0, 0-0 Metro) |
| Date & Time | Thursday, Nov. 5Â | 7:00 p.m. |
| Venue |
William H Pitt Athletic & Convocation Center (2,000) -- Fairfield, Conn. |
| Watch | Web Stream: ESPN+ |
| Listen | 92.9 The Ticket (Bangor) |Â GoBlackBears.com |
| Live Stats | GoBlackBears.com |
| Game Notes | Â Maine |
| X | @BlackBearsFB |
Opening Night Recap -- The Black Bears opened up the 2026-27 season on Monday, Nov. 2 against Providence, where they fell 83-56.
The Black Bears were highly competitive in the first half, keeping the deficit to single digits or leading throughout the half. Hudson Franz led all Black Bears with 13 points in his collegiate debut as a true freshman. Killian Gribben and Ayden Evans both reached double-digits in scoring on the night.
All-Rookie Honors -- Ace Flagg made an impact in his first collegiate season for the Black Bears in 2026-27, earning a spot on the America East All-Rookie Team. Across 32 games, he averaged 6.7 PPG, 4.1 RPG and 1.3 SPG in 24.2 minutes per game. He scored a career-high 22 points against UAlbany on Feb. 26 to solidify his spot on the All-Rookie Team. On opening night of the 2026-27 season, he scored seven points with a rebound and an assist.
Defensive Impact -- The Black Bears concluded the 2025-26 season with the 42nd best defense in the country as they allowed just 68.4 PPG. It marks the fourth-straight season that the Black Bears have ranked inside the Top-100 in all of the NCAA in defense, having done so every season under Coach Markwood.
The Black Bears had the sixth-best defense in the country in terms of defending the three-pointer, allowing just 29.6% to fall. Maine also ranked in the top-100 in steals per game (68th-7.8 per game) and turnovers forced (76th-13.0 per game).
New Faces Making an Impact -- On opening night, the Black Bears ran out eight players who didn't appear in a game for the Black Bears last season. Both true freshmen, Franz and Wesley Waddles, along with four transfers and Killian Gribben and Darius Lopes, who returned from season-ending injuries last season.
From the transfers, DeAndre Williams garnered the most minutes at 28, while Ayden Evans produced the most points with 11.
Series History -- This will be the 6th meeting all-time between these two programs and the first time since the 2017-18 season. Maine holds the all-time record at 4-1.
Season Stats (2025-26)| Maine | Category | Sacred Heart |
| 56.0 | PPG | 111.0 |
| 83.0 | OPPG | 44.0 |
| 34.9% | FG% | 58.9% |
| 34.8% | 3PT% | 36.0% |
| 64.3% | FT% | 66.7% |
| 32.0 | RPG | 63.0 |
| 9.0 | APG | 18.0 |
| 5.0 | SPG | 10.0 |
| 5.0 | BPG | 8.0 |
| 4-1 | H2H | 1-4 |
-UMaine-
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