Men’s Basketball
MAINE vs. UMASS LOWELL
Time, site: Tuesday, 7 p.m., Cross Insurance Center, Bangor
Records: Maine 1-14 (0-3 America East), UMass Lowell 8-8 (2-1)
Series, last meeting: UML leads 5-2, UML 84-72 on 2/27/14
Key players: Maine — 6-8 F Till Gloger (11.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg, .353 FG pct.), 6-5 G Zarko Valjarevic (10.2 ppg, 2.9 rpg), 6-5 G Shaun Lawton (10.5 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 3.0 apg, 1.9 spg), 5-10 G Kevin Little (8.6 ppg, 2.3 apg), 5-11 G Aaron Calixte (6.9 ppg, 3.1 apg), 6-5 F Garet Beal (6.2 ppg, 4.0 rpg); UML — 6-2 G/F Jahad Thomas (13.5 ppg, 5.7 rpg), 5-10 G Lance Crawford (8.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg), 6-1 G Marco Banegas-Flores (8.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg), 5-10 G Chad Holley (8.2 ppg), 6-5 F Kerry Weldon (4.1 ppg, 4.9 rpg)
Game notes: The Black Bears play on their home court for only the third time this season looking to extract themselves from a nine-game losing streak. UMaine dropped a 65-46 decision at struggling Binghamton on Saturday, securing its place — at least temporarily — in the America East cellar. The losing streak is the longest since UMaine lost 10 in a row to end the 2007-08 season. The River Hawks have been solid in only their second season in Division I. UMaine’s struggles are rooted in defense as the Bears rank No. 340 of 345 Division I teams, allowing 78.7 ppg. UMaine is last in FG percentage defense, with opponent shooting 51.3 percent. One of the Bears’ toughest challenges against the River Hawks is defending the 3-point arc. UML averages 7.4 3’s per game with Banegas-Flores and Holley each connecting at 40 percent. UMaine faces a UML team that also features a guard-oriented lineup, so the Bears may be able to isolate Gloger inside at the offensive end against a smaller River Hawks lineup.