Women’s Basketball
MAINE vs. VERMONT
Time, site: 7 p.m. Wednesday, Cross Insurance Center, Bangor
Records: Maine 16-7 (7-1 America East), Vermont 7-14 (2-6)
Series, last meeting: Maine leads 54-33, Maine 62-41 on 1/6/16
Key players: Maine — 5-8 G Sigi Koizar (16.5 points per game, 3.9 rebounds per game, 4.0 assists per game, 1.6 steals per game, .398 3-pt. FG pct.), 5-10 G/F Liz Wood (10.1 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 2.8 apg, 2.8 spg), 6-2 F Mikaela Gustafsson (7.6 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.1 apg), 5-11 F Bella Swan (7.6 ppg, 5.2 rpg), 5-8 G Sophie Weckstrom (6.4 ppg), 5-8 G Lauren Bodine (4.7 ppg); Vermont — 5-4 G Andreana Thomas (14.6 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 3.6 apg, 2.0 spg), 5-11 G Sydney Smith (10.7 ppg, 5.2 rpg), 5-8 G Hayley Robertson (5.8 ppg), 6-0 F Courtney Wright (4.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg), 5-5 G Kylie Atwood (5.6 ppg) G
Game notes: The Black Bears begin the second half of the conference season looking for their 16th straight home victory. UMaine is coming off Saturday’s 52-38 win at Binghamton, which was its fourth in a row overall. The Catamounts dropped a 73-59 decision at Stony Brook on Saturday. UMaine’s bread and butter is its defense, having allowed only 51.3 ppg to rank eighth in the country. The Bears have given up only 48.6 ppg in league play. Wood has been on a tear, averaging 17.3 points, 10 rebounds and 3.8 steals while shooting 66 percent in her last four games. Koizar needs four points to reach 1,000 for her career.
Men’s Basketball
MAINE vs. VERMONT
Time, site: 7 p.m. Wednesday, Patrick Gym, Burlington, Vt.
Records: Maine 8-13 (4-4 America East), Vermont 13-10 (5-3)
Series, last meeting: Maine leads 70-62, Vermont 90-72 on 1/6/16
Key players: Maine — 5-10 G Kevin Little (14.8 points per game, 2.7 assists per game, 1.4 steals per game), 6-7 F Issac Vann (14.4 ppg, 6.2 rebounds per game), 6-7 F Devine Eke (10.4 ppg, 6.9 rpg, .651 FG pct.), 5-11 G Aaron Calixte (9.3 ppg, 2.5 apg), 6-7 F Till Gloger (9.1 ppg), 6-5 G Shaun Lawton (7.7 ppg, 2.2 apg, 1.9 spg); Vermont — 6-2 G Trae Bell-Haynes (12.3 ppg, 3.2 apg, 1.4 spg), 6-3 G Ernie Duncan (10.2 ppg, 3.2 apg, .410 3-pt. FG pct.), 6-6 F Kurt Steidl (10.9 ppg, 5.2 rpg), 6-9 F Ethan O’Day (11.4 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 1.9 bpg), 6-2 G Cam Ward (8.7 ppg)
Game notes: The Black Bears pursue their third win in a row with a tough game at Vermont. UMaine has executed in the clutch recently, pulling out a 74-63 home victory over Binghamton on Saturday. The Catamounts had a three-game winning streak halted with Saturday’s 72-61 loss to first-place Stony Brook. UMaine needs a more cohesive defensive effort than the first meeting, when UVM broke the Bears’ pressure and attacked the basket effectively. Bell-Haynes was a handful off the dribble, while the Catamounts’ rangy frontcourt excelled. Vann’s return should help bolster play close to the basket for UMaine, whose 81 ppg in league play tops AE.