The University of Maine women’s basketball team returns to the friendly confines of the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor on Saturday to host the Drexel Dragons. Maine, who is off to a 2-5 start in non-conference, will meet a Drexel squad out of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) that is 5-2 so far on the season.
The Black Bears come in after a 2-2 road trip, with close wins over Yale and Boston University that was decided by a total of five points in those two contests. They then dropped a tough six point double overtime decision at Army on Friday, before falling to Ivy League opponent Princeton by 39 on Sunday in the road finale. Drexel comes to Bangor winners of two straight both at home by 23 over Dartmouth and a 17 point victory over Fresno State. The Dragons and Black Bears have one common opponent so far this year in Nebraska from the Big 10, with Maine losing by 58 in the season opener and Drexel falling by 12 to the Cornhuskers back on November 26.
Maine has four non-conference games remaining all at home including this tilt Saturday at noon with Drexel. They will then face Rhode Island out of the Atlantic 10 at the Augusta Civic Center on December 12, before matchups with Ivy League Dartmouth and Northeastern out of the CAA back in Bangor on the 19th and 22nd. The Black Bears have received a huge bulk of their scoring from Anne Simon, Maeve Carroll, and Alba Orois. Simon is averaging 16.4 points per game and 4.4 rebounds, while Carroll checks in at 12.3 ppg and 8.9 rpg. Orois is at 9.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg, and also averaging nearly 5.0 assists per contest. Freshman Bailey Wilborn also has contributed off the bench with 7.0 points per game and has knocked down 31% from beyond the three-point arc (15-49). Maine, who was picked second in America East in the preseason coaches poll behind defending champion Stony Brook, will open conference play in Burlington on December 30 against the Vermont Catamounts.
