ORONO, Maine -- The University of Maine women's basketball team opens its three-game homestand when it hosts New Hampshire in the Buffalo Wild Wings Border Battle on Saturday at 1 p.m. Limited tickets still remain for the game and can be purchased at GoBlackBears.com/Tickets.

PROMOTIONAL ITEMS:

• It's the annual Pink Game as the Black Bears will be wearing their special pink jerseys. Fundraising initiatives and information to raise awareness for cancer research will take place throughout the game.
   

Game 27 | Maine (14-12, 9-4 AE) vs. New Hampshire (8-18, 2-11 AE)
Saturday, Feb. 21, 2025 | 1:00 P.M. | ESPN+ | GoBlackBears.com
Skip Chappelle Court | Orono, Maine

LAST TIME OUT:
Maine opens its three-game homestand by hosting New Hampshire in the 106th all-time meeting between the two border rivals. The Black Bears are looking for their 10th consecutive win over the Wildcats after earning a 73-51 victory earlier this year in Durham.

LAST TIME OUT:
NEWARK, N.J. -- Adrianna Smith recorded her 14th double-double of the season in Maine's 63-42 loss at NJIT on Saturday afternoon. The decision snapped Maine's four-game win streak as the Black Bears slip back to 14-12 and 9-4 in America East play. The victory moves NJIT to 16-10, 7-6 in league play.

Smith finished the outing with 24 points and 15 rebounds for her 52nd career double-double and fifth in as many games. Lala Woods added eight points and five rebounds for the Black Bears. 

Maine was 15-of-65 from the floor, 2-for-21 from three-point range. The Black Bears were able to win the turnover battle for 10th consecutive game as they posted their eighth single-digit turnover total (7) performance of the season. 

A LOOK AT THE BLACK BEARS:
The Black Bears 6-3 at home and winner of their last two on the home court, begin a three-game homestand to close out the regular season. Maine is averaging 65.2 points per game in league play, second best among league leaders, and feature a +5.77 turnover margin in league contests with just 10.7 giveaways per outing. Overall, Maine features the league's sixth ranked scoring offense (61.2) and fifth ranked scoring defense (59.9) and check in 13th in the country at just 12.3 turnovers per game surrendered. Maine has won the turnover battle in 12 of 13 conference games, including each of the last 10, with single digit turnover totals in three of its last four. Adrianna Smith, recently named one of 10 semifinals for the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year award, leads the conference in scoring (21.9), rebounding (10.0), and assists (4.4). Smith ranks 12th in the country in scoring average and has scored the 12th most points (569) of any Division I student-athlete this season. Smith, who has collected five America East Player of the Week awards this season, is riding a 21 game double-digit scoring streak and has registered 20 or more points 16 times. She has posted 14 double-doubles, including one in each of her last five games, and stands 29 rebounds shy of 1,000. Should she reach the 1,000 rebound plateau, she would be the only player in America East history, man or woman, to eclipse 1,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, and 400 assists. She would also be the only active player in the country to achieve the marks. Asta Blauenfeldt is adding 12.0 points with a team-high 37.7 percent clip from three-point range while Sarah Talon is chipping in 7.9 points and 4.5 rebounds.

A LOOK AT NEW HAMPSHIRE:
The Wildcats have lost five in a row after suffering a 57-54 setback to UMass Lowell on Thursday evening which dropped them to 2-11 in conference play. New Hampshire is 3-12 on the road this season. The Wildcats rank last in the America East in scoring average (55.5) and sixth in scoring defense (60.3). In league play, the Wildcats are averaging just 48.6 points per outing. Eva Dechent leads UNH at 17.4 points per game and team-high 5.6 rebounds while Maggie Cavanaugh is adding 9.0 points and 4.9 rebounds. 

SERIES WITH NEW HAMPSHIRE:
Maine and New Hampshire will meet for the 106th time in their storied history. The Black Bears enter play with a 69-36 advantage in the series and have matched up against UNH more times than any of its other opponents. Maine has won nine in a row against the Wildcats, including a 73-51 decision earlier this season in Durham. In that win, Adrianna Smith led the way with 32 points, nine rebounds, an four assists while Olivia Alvarez his four triples to finish with 16 points. Maine is 43-20 at home against the Wildcats and have won nine-straight at home in the series. UNH has not defeated the Black Bears in Maine since 2017. The two teams first met in 1920, a 15-13 victory by the Wildcats.

-UMaine-