WNIT First Round
MAINE vs. VILLANOVA
Time, site: Friday, 7 p.m., The Pavilion, Villanova, Pennsylvania
Records: Maine 23-8, Villanova 19-13
Series, last meeting: tied 1-1, UMaine 70-62 on 12/2/95
Key players: Maine — 5-8 G Sigi Koizar (14.1 points per game, 3.3 rebounds per game, 2.7 assists per game, 1.6 steals per game), 5-10 F Liz Wood (13.9 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 3.5 apg, 2.7 spg, .493 FG pct.), 6-4 F Anna Heise (6.1 ppg, 3.3 rpg, .521 FG pct.), 5-8 G Sophie Weckstrom (7.6 ppg, 1.6 apg), 6-2 F Mikaela Gustafsson (5.4 ppg), 5-11 F Bella Swan (3.4 ppg, 3.1 rpg); Villanova — 5-10 G Caroline Coyer (13.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 4.4 apg, 1.4 spg), 6-2 C Emily Leer (12.1 ppg, 3.3 rpg), 6-1 F Taylor Holeman (7.5 ppg, 5.7 rpg), 5-11 G Katherine Coyer (6.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2.4 apg), 6-0 F Lauren Burford (6.5 ppg, 2.3 apg), 6-0 F Kavunaa Edwards (6.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg)
Game notes: The Black Bears resume the postseason with an appearance in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament. It is UMaine’s fourth trip to the event and the first since 2005. The Bears have never won a first-round WNIT game. UMaine hopes to bounce back after an America East semifinal loss to Hartford during which Wood was held scoreless. It will be no picnic for UMaine, 95th in the RPI, against Villanova of the 10th-ranked Big East Conference. The Wildcats are No. 76 in the RPI and 11-2 at home this season, where they averaged only 794 fans. Caroline Coyer was an All-BE first-team pick and Holeman won the league’s sixth woman award. UMaine gives away some height against the Wildcats, who have no regulars under 5-foot-11. The Bears must account for Leer, a post who is shooting 42 percent from the 3-point arc. UMaine’s keys include: Limiting turnovers against the nation’s leader in ball protection, defending at the 3-point line and attacking the basket aggressively off the dribble to get to the rim, draw fouls and kick out for open 3’s.