This week will be a big stretch of conference games for the University of Maine womens basketball team. The Bears began the week by sending Hartford to their first conference loss Monday afternoon at the Cross Insurance Center 73-62.
Maine (10-10, 3-2 America East) now faces a bigger challenge when it heads to UNH for a 7 p.m. contest Thursday night, and then returns home to host Albany on Sunday afternoon.
UNH is 14-3 and 4-0 in America East play thus far, and has a 8-1 home record. The Wildcats have won eight games in a row. The Cats have four starters who average double digits in scoring led by Carlie Pogue (13.9) and Brittni Lai (13.0).
Albany will visit Maine at 1 p.m. Sunday. The Great Danes are currently 8-9 and 2-2 in the conference, with a game at Binghamton Thursday evening. Albany is the five-time defending conference champions, including a close 59-58 win over Maine in the title game a year ago. Imani Tate leads the way averaging 18.8 points a game. Jessica Fequiere is averaging 13.5.
The Black Bears now have back the services of senior guard Sigi Koizar, who missed three games with injury. The all-conference Koizar, leads the team with 13.2 points a game, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists. Freshman Laia Sole is averaging 9.5 points per game, to go along with 3.3 rebounds, and 1.9 assists.
Both contests can be seen live on ESPN 3.