Men’s basketball
MAINE vs. MARYLAND, BALTIMORE COUNTY
Time, site: 1 p.m. Saturday, UMBC Event Center, Baltimore
Records: UMaine 2-13, UMBC 8-7
Series, last meeting: UMBC 19-12, UMBC 86-74 91-56 on 1/27/2018
Key players, UMaine: 6-5 G Isaiah White (15.1 points per game), 6-7 F Andrew Fleming (13.6 ppg, 6.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists per game), 6-4 G Sergio El Darwich (10.0 ppg, 3.1 rpg), 6-8 F Vilgot Larsson (7.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg); UMBC: 6-6 F Joe Sherburne (14.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 3.1 apg), 6-10 F Brandon Horvath (11.7 ppg, 5.5 rpg), 6-5 F Arkel Lamar (9.0 ppg, 4.7 rpg), 6-9 F Max Curran (7.5 ppg, 5.1 rpg)
Game notes: The America East schedule maker had little mercy for the UMaine men’s basketball team, with the Black Bears opening conference play against defending tournament champion UMBC and then facing 2018 regular-season champion Vermont in their AE home opener next Wednesday. UMaine is coming off a 75-67 loss Wednesday at Brown despite 56 combined points from Fleming (21), White (20) and El Darwich (15). UMBC last played on New Year’s Eve with a 98-48 win over Centenary, one of three Division III victories its nonconference schedule. UMBC leads America East in scoring defense (65.5 ppg), while UMaine is fifth (72.0). UMaine is last in scoring offense (62.5 ppg), while UMBC is fifth (70.1). UMBC has five players who stand 6-foot-9 or 6-10; UMaine has one, 6-9 freshman Stephane Ingo, who has not played yet this season. Sherburne is one of America East’s top shooters at 53.1 percent overall and 47.8 percent from the 3-point arc. White is 11th in AE scoring, while Fleming is 13th in scoring and ranks among the top 10 in minutes played (second at 37.1 per game), blocked shots (5th, 0.9 bpg), field-goal percentage (6th, .485), rebounds (8th) and assists (9th).
Women’s basketball
MAINE vs. MARYLAND, BALTIMORE COUNTY
Time, site: Saturday, 1 p.m., Cross Insurance Center, Bangor, Maine
Records: UMaine 8-6 (1-0 in America East), UMBC 7-6 (0-0)
Series, last meeting: UMaine leads 19-12, UMaine 65-43 on 3/3/18
Key players: Maine — 6-1 G Blanca Millan (18.1 points per game, 4.8 rebounds, 2.9 steals, 2.2 assists), 5-10 G Tanesha Sutton (14 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 2.4 apg), 5-8 G Parise Rossignol (10.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1.6 apg), 6-1 F Fanny Wadling (9.3 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 2 apg), 5-6 G Dor Saar (7.6 ppg, 5.4 apg, 2.5 rpg), 5-11 F Maeve Carroll (3.3 ppg, 4.1 rpg); UMBC — 5-11 F Janee’a Summers (12.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 1.4 apg), 5-8 G Te’yJah Oliver (11.4 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 2.2 apg, 1.5 spg), 5-9 G Dominika Skrocka (8.2 ppg, 1.3 rpg), 5-10 G Paula Rubio (5.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 2.9 apg), 5-9 G Tyler Moore (5.3 ppg, 2.1 rpg), 6-2 F-C Lucrezia Costa (4.5 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.5 apg)
Game notes: UMaine has won 10 of the last 11 meetings after UMBC had enjoyed a 10-1 run vs. the Black Bears. UMaine won all three contests a year ago including a 65-43 triumph in the America East quarterfinals in Portland. UMBC, 5-26 a year ago, graduated its top two scorers. The Retrievers won their first six games this season but have lost six of their last seven. Wadling returned to the UMaine lineup after missing 10 games with a concussion during Wednesday’s 67-46 victory over New Hampshire and had four points, three rebounds, two assists and a blocked shot in 21 minutes of action. Summers was chosen to the America East All-Rookie team last season. Millan leads America East in scoring and steals.