Men’s Basketball
America East Quarterfinals
No. 6 MAINE vs. No. 3 VERMONT
Time, site: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Patrick Gym, Burlington, Vermont
Records: Maine 8-21 (4-12 America East), Vermont 19-12 (11-5)
Series, last meeting: Maine leads 70-63, Vermont 85-68 on 2/3/16
Key players: Maine — 6-7 F Issac Vann (15.8 points per game, 5.8 rebounds per game), 6-7 F Devine Eke (9.6 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 1.6 blocked shots per game, .617 FG pct.), 6-8 F Till Gloger (8.9 ppg, .560 FG pct.), 5-11 G Aaron Calixte (10.6 ppg, 2.8 apg), 6-5 G Shaun Lawton (8.4 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.8 spg, .404 3-pt. FG pct.), 6-2 G Lavar Harewood (5.1 ppg); Vermont — 6-2 G Trae Bell-Haynes (11.7 ppg, 3.4 apg, 1.2 spg), 6-3 G Ernie Duncan (11.2 ppg, 2.8 apg, .430 3-pt. FG pct.), 6-6 F Kurt Steidl (11.0 ppg, 5.1 rpg), 6-9 F Ethan O’Day (11.4 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 2.0 bpg), 6-8 F Darren Payen (6.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg)
Game notes: The Black Bears hope to snap the program’s eight-game postseason losing streak. UMaine also has lost eight straight overall after dropping a 78-66 decision at Binghamton on Saturday. Vermont’s five-game win streak is tops in the league and the Catamounts knocked off first-place Stony Brook 76-62 on Saturday. UVM’s average margin of victory against UMaine this season was 17.5 points in the two meetings. The Bears must stop Bell-Hayes from driving to the basket while accounting for O’Day and Payen on the baseline and around the basket. In league play, Vermont leads AE teams in FG percentage (.512) and 3-pt. FG percentage (.383). UMaine (86.8 ppg allowed) ranks eighth in the nation in turnovers forced (16.48) and is 14th in steals per game (8.3). O’Day, Steidl and Bell-Hayes all were AE third-team picks. Vann was an All-Rookie choice.