The University of Maine women’s basketball team will not open its season against No. 6 Mississippi State on Saturday, after all.
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Air Force Reserve Women’s Challenge at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, on Tuesday was canceled due to COVID-related circumstances.
The University of Connecticut, one of the other teams in the tourney along with Quinnipiac, announced Tuesday that a member of its women’s basketball program had contracted the coronavirus.
UConn has suspended all women’s basketball activities for two weeks under its COVID-19 protocols.
Tyson McHatten, UMaine senior associate athletic director for external operations and communications, said that Mississippi State, upon hearing about UConn’s positive test, pulled out of the tournament.
UMaine isn’t scheduled to play again until a 2 p.m. game on Dec. 10 at Providence College and a 6 p.m. Dec. 11 contest at the University of Rhode Island.
The tournament was part of College Basketball Bubbleville, a series of 45 games Nov. 25-Dec. 5 featuring 40 Division I men’s and women’s teams.
The UMaine men are slated to play No. 4 Virginia, the 2019 NCAA champion, on Wednesday as part of Bubbleville. The Black Bears also are set to play Central Connecticut State on Friday at Mohegan Sun.
It was announced on Sunday that Virginia’s Friday game against Florida at Bubbleville had been canceled due to COVID-19 cases at the University of Florida.
The Gators also were scheduled to play UMaine America East rival UMass Lowell on Wednesday.
The event planners addressed pandemic protocols, giving each team its own hotel floor, dining hall and meeting room. They also have a medical staff on hand to test team personnel and deal with cases of the coronavirus.
The overall Bubbleville game schedule may continue to evolve in the coming days due to COVID-related circumstances beyond control. To view the latest schedule or learn more, visit https://www.hoophall.com/events/bubbleville or follow @hoophall #Bubbleville on Twitter and Instagram.