Men’s Basketball
MAINE vs. BINGHAMTON
Time, site: Saturday, 1 p.m., Cross Insurance Center, Bangor
Records: Maine 2-21 (1-9 America East), Binghamton 4-21 (3-7)
Series, last meeting: Binghamton leads 15-14, Binghamton 65-46 on 1/10/15
Key players: Maine — 5-10 G Kevin Little (11.1 ppg, 2.4 apg, .411 3-pt. FG pct.), 6-8 F Till Gloger (10.9 ppg, 4.5 rpg, .518 FG pct.), 6-5 G Zarko Valjarevic (10.1 ppg), 6-5 G Shaun Lawton (9.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.9 apg, 2.0 spg), 5-11 G Aaron Calixte (7.1 ppg, 3.4 apg); Binghamton — 6-6 G/F Willie Rodriguez (10.6 ppg, 5.2 rpg), 6-6 G Romello Walker (8.2 ppg, 4.5 rpg), 6-5 G/F Justin McFadden (7.2 ppg, 3.9 rpg), 5-11 G Marlon Beck II (7.1 ppg, 2.6 apg), 6-6 F Bobby Ahearn (4.4 ppg, 4.0 rpg)
Game notes: The Black Bears find themselves amidst a three-game losing streak, most recently a 68-49 setback at Vermont on Wednesday. UMaine is 1-8 at home this winter. Sophomore wing player Garet Beal of Beals Island has missed four straight games with a fractured rib and remains doubtful. He did not make the trip to UVM. The Bearcats are coming off Wednesday’s 62-61 loss to Hartford. Binghamton, which had won its previous two games, is 1-11 on the road this season. UMaine continues to work on the intensity and consistency of its defense, which has allowed 70.2 ppg on 49 percent shooting, both of which rank last in conference play.
Women’s Basketball
MAINE vs. HARTFORD
Time, site: Sunday, 2 p.m., Cross Insurance Center, Bangor
Records: Maine 16-6 (8-1 America East), Hartford 13-11 (7-3)
Series, last meeting: Maine leads 39-27, Maine 68-57 on 1/8/15
Key players: Maine — 5-8 G Sigi Koizar (14.8 points per game, 4.2 rebounds per game, 2.7 assists per game, 1.6 steals per game), 5-10 F Liz Wood (14.8 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 3.5 apg, 3.0 spg), 6-4 F Anna Heise (7.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg, .534 FG pct.), 5-8 G Sophie Weckstrom (7.7 ppg), 6-2 F Mikaela Gustafsson (4.1 ppg), 5-10 G/F Chantel Charles (3.3 ppg, 1.9 apg); Hartford — 5-9 G Amber Bepko (13.1 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 1.8 spg), 6-0 F Cherelle Moore (12.9 ppg, 7.3 rpg), 5-7 G Deanna Mayza (11.0 ppg, 5.3 apg, 1.3 spg), 5-8 G Morgan Lumb (6.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg), 6-0 F Janelle Harrison (4.9 ppg, 4.0 rpg)
Game notes: The Black Bears are the hottest team in the league, having rattled off eight straight wins. None was more noteworthy than last Sunday’s 52-44 win at Albany, which temporarily gave the Bears a share of first place. Wood goes into this contest needing only three points to reach 1,000 for her career. She would become only the eighth player in UMaine history to hit the plateau in three seasons. The Bears are giving up only 50.1 ppg in conference games and have held 11 consecutive opponents under 60 points. The Hawks have moved up into third place, including Thursday’s 51-46 win at Binghamton. Hartford is 4-1 in AE road games and ranks close behind UMaine (.379) in defensive FG pct. (.380). The Bears must contest Bepko at the 3-point arc, limit Mayza’s penetration and keep Moore bottled up in the paint.