Men’s Basketball
MAINE vs. PROVIDENCE
Time, site: Tuesday, 8:30 p.m., Dunkin’ Donuts Center, Providence, Rhode Island
Television: FS1 (Fox Sports 1)
Records: UMaine 4-7, Providence 9-2
Series, last meeting: Providence leads 11-1; Providence 94-70 on 12/21/13
Key players: UMaine — 6-2 G Wes Myers (14.7 points, 4.4 rebounds per game), 6-6 G Ilker Er (10.1 ppg, 4.0 rpg), 6-7 F Andrew Fleming (9.5 ppg, 5.7 rpg), 6-7 F Marko Pirovic (7.2 ppg, 4.4 rpg); Providence — 6-8 F Rodney Bullock (20.1 ppg, 7.0 rpg), 6-7 F Emmitt Holt (13.7 ppg, 5.4 rpg), 6-7 Jalen Landry (9.5 ppg, 4.2 rpg), 5-11 Kyron Cartwright (8.5 ppg, 8.0 assists per game)
Outlook: After yielding 57 points in the second half of Sunday’s 85-75 loss to Quinnipiac in Portland, UMaine faces a Providence team that leads the Big East Conference in scoring defense, allowing just 58.9 points per game. The Friars, who had two players selected in the 2016 NBA draft (Kris Dunn and Ben Bentil), have won five consecutive games, including a 76-54 win over Wagner in its most recent outing last Saturday. Coach Ed Cooley’s club also leads the Big East in field-goal defense (.404) and 3-point field-goal defense (.279). Bullock is tied for third among Big East scorers and fourth among the conference’s rebounders, while Cartwright ranks second in assists per game. Providence is 8-0 at home, including wins over America East teams Vermont (80-58 on Nov. 14) and New Hampshire (76-62 on Nov. 30). UMaine is 2-3 on the road and 0-2 in neutral-site games. Myers has come off the bench to average 26.0 ppg in UMaine’s last two outings. The Black Bears remain in Providence to conclude their three-game pre-Christmas road trip with a 3:30 p.m. matchup Thursday at Brown.