Women’s Basketball
MAINE vs. VERMONT
Time, site: Wednesday, 7 p.m., Patrick Gym, Burlington, Vermont
Records: UMaine 7-8 (0-0 America East), Vermont 3-9 (0-0)
Series, last meeting: UMaine leads 55-33, UMaine 63-51 on 2/3/16
Key players: Maine — 5-8 G Sigi Koizar (14 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists per game), 6-2 F Laia Sole (8.4 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 2.3 apg), 5-10 G Tanesha Sutton (7.3 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 2.6 apg), 5-11 F Blanca Millan (6.9 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 1.7 steals, 1.6 apg), 5-8 G Julie Brosseau (6.6 ppg), 6-0 Fr. G Naira Caceres (3.8 ppg, 4.1 ppg); Vermont — 6-3 F Hanna Crymble (10.7 ppg, 5.5 rpg), 5-11 G Sydney Smith (10.4 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 3 apg, 1.6 spg), 6-3 F Candice Wright (8.7 ppg, 5.6 rpg), 5-8 G Kylie Butler (6 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 1.4 apg), 5-8 G Kristina White (5.9 ppg, 1.3 apg)
Game notes: It is the league opener for both teams, and the Black Bears may be without All-America East, first-team guard Koizar, who injured her leg in a 64-53 loss to Boston College on Friday and didn’t practice on Tuesday. UMaine has won the last seven meetings. Vermont has a first-year coach in Chris Day, who was an assistant coach at Pennsylvania and helped the Quakers post a 67-21 record the last three seasons. UMaine is looking to snap a three-game losing streak, its first such skid since the 2013-14 campaign. UMaine faces a Vermont team that ranks 311th in points per game (55.7) and 333rd in turnover margin (minus-6.08). Vermont averages 18.8 turnovers per game, so the Black Bears must convert those turnovers into points. Vermont leads AE in field-goal defense (36.2 percent) and is third in rebounding (36.8).