Men’s Basketball
MAINE vs. RHODE ISLAND
Time, site: Friday, 7:30 p.m.; Ryan Gymnasium, Kingston, R.I.
Records (2012-13): Maine 11-19, Rhode Island 8-21
Series, last meeting: URI leads 85-14, UMaine 76-74 (OT) on 12/4/2011
Key players (2012-13 stats): Maine — 6-3 G Xavier Pollard (9.7 points per game, 4.4 rebounds per game, 4.3 assists per game), 6-4 G Zarko Valjarevic (8.4 ppg), 6-4 G/F Dimitry Akanda-Coronel (3.4 ppg), 6-8 F Till Gloger (2.9 ppg, 2.3 rpg), 6-6 G/F Garet Beal (1st season); Rhode Island — 6-2 G Xavier Munford (17.4 ppg, 1.9 apg), 5-11 G Mike Powell (8.9 ppg, 3.9 apg), 6-8 F Gilvydas Biruta (9.7 ppg, 5.5 rpg at Rutgers, 2011-12), 6-8 F Ifeanyi Onyekaba, 6-6 F Jarelle Reischel (5.6 ppg at Rice, 2011-12)
Coach Ted Woodward’s keys to the game: “We must take care of the ball vs. their defensive pressure. We must box out and rebound from all positions vs. their size and strength across the front line. We must work to stop Munford (the leading returning scorer in the Atlantic 10) from scoring.
Game notes: The Bears tip off the season after exhibition wins over McGill and Laval. A youthful UMaine team (no seniors, 11 underclassmen) encounters a URI squad with 10 underclassmen. The Bears return home Sunday to face Fisher College of the NAIA at 3 p.m.