For the third time this season, the University of Maine Black Bears and Stony Brook Seawolves will meet in a women’s basketball matchup. This time though is for a trip to the NCAA Tournament and an America East Championship on Friday evening.
The teams met twice in the regular season on February 13 and 14 on Long Island, with Stony Brook taking the first one 59-54 and Maine salvaging a split by rallying from behind to win game two 54-49. This is the second straight year the Black Bears and Seawolves have advanced to the AE Title game, with last years game being canceled at Stony Brook due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Both squads feel as though they lost a big opportunity last March with that game not being played.
Maine (17-2), the #1 seed and regular season conference champions, is led by fifth year guard Blanca Millan. The native of Spain averages 21.4 points per game, 7.5 rebounds, and almost three steals. She was named the America East Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. Sophomore Anne Simon puts in 12.8 PPG and averages 5.4 rebounds. Senior Maeve Carroll, who announced she will be coming back for a fifth season, averages 10.5 PPG and 6.3 rebounds. Senior guard Dor Saar also is close to an average of double figures at 9.7, and also dishes out nearly 5.0 assists per contest. The Black Bears average 66.5 PPG as a team, and are also one of the tops in the country in defensive efficiency allowing their opponents 52.1 points with a 36% field goal percentage and 28% from the three-point arc.
Stony Brook (14-5) is the #2 seed and is led by a trio by players. Asiah Dingle averages 11.2 PPG, Anastasia Warren at 10.1, and India Pagan at 9.7. The Seawolves average 60.1 points as a team, and are even more stingy defensively than Maine is allowing just 50.2 PPG, a 35% field goal percentage, and 30% from three.
This is the 10th straight season that either Albany or Maine has advanced to the America East Championship game, and the Bears seek their third straight trip to the NCAA Tournament (no game in 2020). Maine lost first round games to Texas and N.C. State in their previous two trips to the Big Dance in 2018 and 2019. The tip for Fridays game is scheduled for 5 p.m. at Memorial Gymnasium in Orono, and will be televised by ESPNU.
