COLLEGE
Men’s Basketball
MAINE vs. HOLY CROSS
Time, site: Wednesday, 5:30 p.m., Cross Insurance Center, Bangor
Records: UMaine 2-6, Holy Cross 3-5
Series record, last meeting: Holy Cross leads 7-1; Holy Cross 76-75 on 12/21/15
Key players: UMaine — 6-2 G Wes Myers (13.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists per game), 6-6 G Ilker Er (11.1 ppg, 3.9 rpg), 6-7 F Andrew Fleming (9.9 ppg, 5.5 rpg), 6-7 F Marko Pirovic (7.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg); Holy Cross — 6-6 G Robert Champion (12.4 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.1 apg), 6-7 F Malachi Alexander (12.1 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 2.5 apg), 6-6 F Karl Charles (9.6 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 3.8 apg)
Outlook: UMaine returns to mid-major play after its loss at Duke on Saturday. Fleming, of South Paris, was named America East rookie of the week after averaging 12 points and 7 rebounds in two games. UMaine seeks to end a five-game losing streak against Division I opponents. Holy Cross won the 2016 Patriot League postseason championship and played in the NCAA tournament after winning four consecutive road games in its conference tournament. Coach Bill Carmody’s Crusaders were picked to finish fourth in the Patriot League preseason coaches’ poll. UMaine will look to play at a faster tempo than Holy Cross as UMaine scores 71.9 ppg and allows 76.5 ppg while the Crusaders score 59.5 ppg and yields 66.6 ppg. UMaine goes from the Patriot League to the Ivy League in its next game, a road trip to Hanover, New Hampshire, for Saturday’s game at Dartmouth. The Big Green are 0-6 entering Wednesday’s game at Vermont.
Women’s Basketball
MAINE vs. NORTHEASTERN
Time, site: Wednesday, 7:30 p.m., Cross Insurance Center, Bangor
Records: UMaine 3-5, Northeastern 2-6
Series, last meeting: UMaine leads 34-22, NU 56-44 on 12/4/15
Key players: Maine — 5-8 Sr. G Sigi Koizar (14.5 points per game, 3.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists), 6-2 Fr. F Laia Sole (9.6 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2.6 apg), 5-11 Fr. G Blanca Millan (7 ppg, 1.6 apg, 2 steals per game), 5-10 Jr. G Tanesha Sutton (6.6 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.1 apg, 1.6 spg), 6-0 Fr. F Naira Caceres (4.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg); Northeastern — 6-2 Sr. C Francesca Sally (13.6 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 2.1 apg), 5-5 So. G Jess Genco (12.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 4.4 apg), 6-0 So. F Gabby Giancone (8.6 ppg, 4 rpg), 5-7 Jr. G Claudia Ortiz (6.9 ppg, 4 rpg, 1.6 apg), 5-8 So. G Zoe Zwerling (5.6 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 2.0 apg)
Game notes: Northeastern has lost six in a row. The Black Bears will be eageranxious to avenge last year’s 56-44 loss in which they shot just 37 percent from the floor and got outrebounded 34-20. Genco had 11 points, a game-high eight rebounds and four assists. Koizar’s 16 points, six assists and four steals led UMaine. UMaine is 27-3 at home over the past three seasons. Koizar snapped out of a season-long 3-point shooting slump in their last outing, hitting 5-of-11 3-pointers in a 69-61 loss to Clemson last Friday after going 8-for-40 through the first seven games. NU is coming off a 66-63 overtime loss to visiting New Hampshire on Thursday. NU’s Todd was a Bangor Daily NEWS All-Maine Schoolgirl basketball first-team selection last as she led York High School to the Class A state championship.