The University of Maine’s streaking women’s basketball team will continue its quest to win another America East regular season championship and the right to host all of its playoff games when it travels to take on the University of Maryland Baltimore County and the New Jersey Institute of Technology at 7 p.m. Thursday and 2 p.m. Saturday, respectively.
Amy Vachon’s Black Bears have won six in a row including a dramatic come-from-behind 57-55 victory on the road against defending regular season and tournament champ Vermont in a game in which they trailed by as many as 12 points.
UMBC is 8-17 overall and 4-9 in the conference and is in the midst of a five-game losing streak while NJIT is 9-16 and 1-11, respectively.
UMaine is currently locked in a first-place tie with Albany, the only team to beat the Black Bears in the conference.
Albany is also 11-1 in league play and 22-3 overall.
Albany journeys to Vermont on Thursday to take on the Catamounts, who are 10-3 in the conference including a road win at Albany. They are 18-9 overall.
UMaine swept Vermont so the Black Bears would win a tie-breaker with UVM.
These will be UMaine’s final two road games. The Black Bears finish up by hosting Binghamton (6-7, 11-15) next Thursday and Albany the following Saturday.
The UMaine-Albany game could decide the regular season winner.
Following Thursday’s games, Albany will host UMass Lowell before finishing up at New Hampshire and UMaine.
One of the keys to UMaine’s winning streak is the play of its supporting cast which is complementing the reigning America East Player of the Year Adrianna Smith and 2021-22 America East Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year Anne Simon.
Simon is the leading scorer in America East (18.5 points per game) and is second in steals (2.6 ppg) and fourth in rebounds (6.9 rpg). Smith is the league’s top rebounder (11.2) and is third in scoring (16.2) and second in assists (4.4).
Sophomore guard Sarah Talon from Windham has had 15-point games in two of the last three wins including the Vermont triumph; senior forward Caroline Bornemann had 12 points and four rebounds in a home win over Binghamton and junior guard Sera Hodgson has 12 points, two assists and two steals in that same game.
Senior guard Olivia Rockwood poured in 24 points in a win at Bryant while Simon was sidelined with a sprained ankle.
And junior guard Paula Gallego registered 10 points and 11 rebounds in a hard-fought win at Binghamton.
UMBC is coming off a 58-56 loss to Albany and is led by Anna Blount, who leads the Retrievers in points (12.7 ppg) and rebounds (6.8). Jaliena Sanchez averages 8.5 points and 2.4 rebounds and Jordon Lewis has been good for 7.1 points per game.
NJIT has been paced by Alejandra Zuniga (15.6 ppg, 2.7 rpg) and Trinity Williams (9 ppg, 6.8 rpg).
UMaine beat UMBC 76-47 on Jan. 18 and NJIT 81-39 two days later.