Women’s Basketball
MAINE vs. NEW HAMPSHIRE
Time, site: Thursday, 7 p.m., Cross Insurance Center, Bangor
Records: UMaine 16-8 (9-2 America East), UNH 15-9 (6-5)
Series, last meeting: UMaine leads 53-35, UMaine 56-46 on 1/24/18
Key players: Maine — 6-1 G Blanca Millan (17.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3 steals, 1.7 assists per game); 5-8 G Julie Brosseau (12 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2.6 apg), 5-10 G Tanesha Sutton (10.8 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 3.1 apg, 2.3 spg), 6-1 F Fanny Wadling (6.6 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 1.8 apg), 5-6 G Dor Saar (5.3 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 2.4 apg), 5-8 G Parise Rossignol (4.2 ppg, 2.1 rpg); UNH — 6-2 C Carlie Pogue (14.7 ppg, 6.1 rpg), 5-10 G/F Olivia Healy (12.4 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 2.3 apg, 1.6 spg), 6-2 F Kat Fogarty (11.8 ppg, 5.9 rpg), 5-6 G Brittni Lai (10 ppg, 4.1 apg), 5-9 G Aliza Simpson (4.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 2.3 apg)
Game notes: These teams are going in opposite directions. UMaine has won seven in a row while UNH has dropped five of its last six including a 58-53 home loss to Vermont on Monday. Defending America East regular-season champ UNH was the unanimous preseason favorite to defend its crown. The senior-laden Wildcats look to jumpstart their season a home setback to UMaine last month. Lai didn’t play in that game for UNH but is back. UMaine is coming off a hard-fought 59-56 win over Hartford in which it overcame 28 turnovers. Pogue, Healy and Fogarty are tough matchups in the paint for the smaller Black Bears.