The defending America East champion Maine Black Bears women’s basketball team returns home tonight after a tough non-conference slate to open up the America East schedule when they welcome in their rival University of New Hampshire Wildcats for a 7 pm tip.
Maine (7-6), who came just one win shy of tying the school record for non-conference wins, is currently on a four game losing streak. The slide came in all road losses at #9 NC State, Northeastern, and to Fordham and Chattanooga in the Fordham Holiday Classic last weekend. The Bears have been without Fanny Wadling (concussion) since the home loss November 15 to Duke, and also starter Parise Rossignol was lost to a back injury in the third quarter of the loss at Fordham Saturday, and didn’t return and did not play against Chattanooga Sunday. Last season the Black Bears went 13-3 in league play, and defeated Hartford in the America East title game before falling to Texas in the NCAA tournament.
Maine is being led so far by junior guard Blanca Millan, who became the seventh fastest player ever to reach 1,000 career points when she reached the plateau in the eighth game of the season at Harvard. Millan is averaging 18.5 points per game, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.9 steals per outing. Fifth year senior guard Tanesha Sutton is averaging 13.9 PPG, and 7.5 rebounds. Senior guard Rossignol has put in 9.4 PPG with 4.6 rebounds, while sophomore guard Dor Saar averages 7.9 PPG and 5.5 assists.
UNH comes into Wednesday nights game with a three game losing streak and went 3-10 in non-conference play. The ‘Cats are led by junior guard Ashley Storey, who missed most all of last season with an injury. Storey is averaging 16.8 PPG, and 6.1 rebounds. Most recently UNH lost a home contest in their final non-conference matchup 90-42 to Princeton Saturday.
Eastern Maine Sports has you covered for the conference opener, with live updates via Twitter at EasternMESports, on Facebook at Eastern Maine Scores, and a full recap later this evening on the Facebook page Eastern Maine Sports.
