ORONO, Maine -- The No. 2 seed University of Maine women's basketball team hosts No. 7 New Hampshire on Thursday, March 5 at 6 p.m. in the quarterfinal round of the Air Force Reserve America East playoffs. Limited tickets remain and can be purchased at GoBlackBears.com/tickets.

POSTSEASON TIDBITS

• Maine is 56-28 all-time in conference postseason play and 38-21 all-time in America East conference playoff games. The Black Bears are 13-5 all-time as the No. 2 seed and 4-0 when matched up with the No. 7 seed. The Black Bears are 20-7 all-time in the quarterfinal round and are looking for their 11th title and first since 2024. Maine has won 10 consecutive quarterfinal games. 

Game 30 | No. 2 Maine (17-12, 12-4 AE) vs. No. 7 New Hampshire (10-19, 4-12)
Thursday, March 5, 2025 | 6:00 P.M. | ESPN+ | 92.9 FM
Skip Chappelle Court | Orono, Maine

LAST TIME OUT:
ORONO, Maine -- Adrianna Smith posted her 55th career double-double as the University of Maine women's basketball team concluded the regular season with a 74-67 win over Binghamton on Senior Day. The win secured the number two seed for the Black Bears in the upcoming America East playoffs. 

Smith finished the day with 21 points and 17 rebounds for her 17th double-double of the season and seventh in as many games. Smith also registered her 1,000th career rebound in the win to become the first student-athlete, male or female, in America East history to record 1,000+ points, 1,000+ rebounds, and 400+ assists in a career. 

Sarah Talon posted 18 points and seven rebounds on her senior day while Lala Woods also added 18, a new career-high, with four triples.

Maine, which hit 10-of-14 shots in the opening quarter, finished the day 27-of-54 (50.0) with eight triples while going 12-of-16 from the free throw stripe. 

A LOOK AT THE BLACK BEARS:
Maine begins its quest for an 11th conference championship as it rolls into postseason play on a three-game win streak and winners of seven of its last eight. The Black Bears concluded the conference season with the top-ranked conference only scoring offense, averaging 65.5 points per game against league competition. As has been consistent all season, Maine was sharp with ball control as it averaged just 10.3 turnovers, a league best, in conference play and finished the league schedule with a +5.19 turnover margin. In total, Maine posted eight performances of single digit turnovers in America East action. Overall on the season, Maine ranks second in the conference and 10th in the nation with just 11.9 turnovers per game. The Black Bears are led by the America East Player of the Year, and first team all-conference selection, Adrianna Smith. Smith leads the conference in scoring (22.2), rebounding (10.3), and assists (4.8) and is the only student-athlete in the country currently averaging 20.0+ points, 10.0+ rebounds, and 4.0+ assists. Smith recently tallied her 1,000th career rebound to become the only student-athlete, male or female, in America East history to record 1,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, and 400 assists. Her 55 double-doubles rank tops in the America East since at least 1994. Against league competition, Smith is averaging 25.4 points per game and 10.6 rebounds and enters the postseason riding an eight-game double-double streak. Asta Blauenfeldt, an all-conference third team selection, ranks 15th in the league in scoring (11.7) and has been a consistent three-point threat all season where she ranks third in the league at 37.7 percent from downtown and sixth in triples made per game (2.0). Sarah Talon enters postseason play riding a three game double-figure scoring streak after an 18 points, seven rebound effort in Maine's season finale win over Binghamton. All-rookie team selection Lala Woods posted a career-high 18 points against Binghamton to help her earn her first rookie of the week honor. Woods is also riding a three-game double-figure scoring streak.

A LOOK AT NEW HAMPSHIRE:
The Wildcats roll into the postseason on a two-game win streak after closing the season with victories over Binghamton and UAlbany. The Wildcats rank eighth in the conference in scoring (55.8) and fifth in points allowed (59.5). New Hampshire ranks seventh or lower in rebounding, three point percentage, field goal percentage and turnover per game. Second team all-conference selection Eva DeChent leads the Wildcats at 17.8 points per game and ranks first in the league in steals per game at 1.9. She also leads UNH in rebounding with 5.5 per outing. DeChent does a large amount of her damage from the free throw line where she ranks tops in the America East in free throw attempts (162) and makes (132) for an 81.5 percent clip at the line. Maggie Cavanaugh is adding 8.9 points and 4.8 rebounds. 

SERIES WITH NEW HAMPSHIRE:
Maine and New Hampshire will meet for the 107th time in their storied history, and first in the postseason since a 2019 quarterfinal meeting won by Maine, 69-36. The Black Bears enter play with a 70-36 advantage in the series and have matched up against UNH more times than any of its other opponents. Maine has won 10 in a row against the Wildcats, including a 73-51 decision earlier this season in Durham and a 67-61 final in Orono. Maine is 44-20 at home against the Wildcats and have won 10-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. Maine is 11-1 in the postseason against the Wildcats and have won four-straight playoff games against New Hampshire.

-UMaine-