Men’s basketball
MAINE vs. RUTGERS
Time, site: 3 p.m. Saturday, Rutgers Athletic Center, Piscataway, New Jersey
Records: UMaine 2-1, Rutgers 6-5
Series, last meeting: Rutgers 3-0, Rutgers 91-56 on 12/15/2005
Key players, UMaine: 6-5 G Isaiah White (15.0 points per game), 6-7 F Andrew Fleming (13.2 ppg, 6.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists per game), 6-4 G Sergio El Darwich (9.6 ppg, 2.9 rpg), 6-8 F Vilgot Larsson (7.9 ppg, 5.2 rpg); Rutgers: 6-7 F Eugene Omoruyi (15.9 ppg, 8.8 rpg), 6-4 G Geo Baker (14.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg), 6-5 G Peter Kiss (9.4 ppg), 7-0 C Shaquille Doorson (10.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg)
Game notes: UMaine closes out the 2018 schedule at Big Ten foe Rutgers. The Black Bears are coming off one of their most productive offensive efforts of the season in a 93-90 double-overtime loss to Central Connecticut State last Saturday. El Darwich led the way with 26 points on 10-of-16 shooting from the field in topping 20 points for the second time in his last three games. Fleming is emerging as one of the more versatile big men in America East, ranking first in minutes per game (36.7), sixth in field-goal percentage (.483), eighth in rebounding and 10th in assists. Rutgers ended a four-game losing streak with a 68-65 overtime win over Columbia last Saturday. One of the Scarlet Knights’ setbacks during that streak was a 78-70 defeat at Fordham on Dec. 8. Fordham represents UMaine’s lone Division I victory so far this season (75-68 in double overtime on Dec. 4 in Bangor). UMaine closes out non-conference play on Jan. 2 at Brown, then opens its America East schedule Jan. 5 at defending conference champion Maryland Baltimore County.