Women’s basketball
No. 14 Maine vs. No. 3 North Carolina State
Time, site: Saturday, 1 p.m., Valvano Arena in Reynolds Coliseum, Raleigh, North Carolina
Records: UMaine 25-7, North Carolina State 26-5
Series, last meeting: NC State leads 4-0, NC State 84-46 on 12/15/18
Key players, Maine: 6-1 G Blanca Millan (17.6 points per game, 4.3 rebounds, 2.8 steals, 2 assists, 1.4 blocked shots), 5-10 F Tanesha Sutton (14.6 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 2.6 apg, 1.6 spg), 5-8 G Parise Rossignol (11.1 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.4 apg), 5-6 G Dor Saar (9.2 ppg, 5 apg, 2.3 rpg), 6-2 F Fanny Wadling (6.5 ppg, 9 rpg, 3 apg, 1.5 spg), 5-11 F Maeve Carroll (2.7 ppg, 3.9 rpg); NC State: 6-0 G Kiara Leslie (15.5 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 3 apg), 6-5 C Elissa Cunane (13.6 ppg, 5.7 rpg), 5-9 G Aislinn Konig (11 ppg, 3.8 apg), 6-1 F DD Rogers (6.5 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 1.7 apg), 5-8 G Kai Crutchfield (5.8 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 1.9 apg), 6-1 F Kayla Jones (4.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg)
Game notes: NC State handled the Black Bears comfortably in December, but NC State has since lost G Grace Hunter (14.6 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 2.9 apg) and F Erika Cassell (6.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg) to season-ending knee injuries, and UMaine has regained leading rebounder Wadling, who missed the game with a concussion. Leslie was a first team All-ACC and All-Defensive team selection, and Cunane was an all-freshman team choice and ACC all-tourney pick. The Wolfpack is 15-2 at home this season and has won 27 straight nonconference games at home. NC State coach Wes Moore is one of four finalists for the Naismith Coach of the Year Award. NC State is 14-2 in NCAA Tournament games in Raleigh. UMaine is 1-8 in the NCAA Tournament. The Black Bears shot 27 percent and were outrebounded 50-26 by the Wolfpack in December, and must shoot well and box out well if they are going to hang in against NC State. The Black Bears will have to control the tempo and not get into a run-and-gun affair, although UMaine is effective in transition when it creates turnovers. The Leslie-Millan matchup will be an intriguing one. Millan was the AE Player of the Year and Defender of the Year. UMaine is second in the country in fewest turnovers per game (11.2) and must protect the ball to limit NC State’s fast break chances.
Baseball
Maine vs. Binghamton
Time, site: Sunday, noon, doubleheader, Binghamton Baseball Complex, Vestal, New York
Records: UMaine 1-17 (0-0 America East), Binghamton 7-8 (0-0 AE)
Series, last meeting: UMaine leads 35-33, UMaine 6-1 on 5/6/18
Key players, Maine: C Cody Pasic (.286-0 homers-4 runs batted in), DH Colin Ridley (.255-1-4), RF Hernen Sardinas (.229-1-4), 1B Joe Bramanti ( .213-1-7), 2B Caleb Kerbs (.200-0-4), 3B Danny Casals (.200-1-1); Binghamton: 2B Alex Baratta (.357-0-7), RF-DH Sean Trenholm (.333-1-8), LF Daniel Franchi (.286-3-7), DH Sam Freedman (.278-0-5), CF Shane Marshall (.273-1-7), RF Andrew Eng (.231-0-2)
Pitching matchups, UMaine: RH Cody Laweryson (0-1, 4.00 earned-run average), RH Peter Kemble (1-3, 6.43) or Nick Silva (0-3, 8.22); Binghamton: RH Nick Gallagher (0-2, 5.06), RH Ben Anderson (1-1, 3.24)
Game notes: The Black Bears will enter the mutual America East opener on a 28-inning scoreless drought. UMaine is hitting just .186 as a team and the Black Bear pitchers have more walks (109) than strikeouts (108) and have hit 35 batters. However, UMaine has played the nation’s second-toughest nonconference schedule as its opponents have a combined 104-41 record. Binghamton has won six of its past eight games. UMaine head coach Nick Derba is looking for first-team All-America East third baseman Danny Casals and second-teamer Sardinas to snap out of their slumps. UMaine junior lefty Trevor DeLaite from Bangor has struck out 23 in 17 innings of work and opponents are hitting just .167 against him. He is 0-1 with a 3.18 ERA. He has emerged as UMaine’s closer.