The two teams that were scheduled to play for the America East Championship last March are set to get together this weekend in a huge America East women’s basketball series down on Long Island.
Maine (14-1, 11-1 America East) enters Saturday’s first game winners of nine straight. Leading scorer Blanca Millan blocked what would of been a game winning shot at the buzzer last Sunday in a 53-51 win over UMass-Lowell in Orono. Millan (22.7 points per game, 7.5 rebounds) has won six America East Player of the Week Awards this season and has 14 in her career. Sophomore Anne Simon averages 12.7 PPG, 5.5 RPG, while Dor Saar averages 10.2 PPG and also 5.6 assists per contest. Senior forward Maeve Carroll averages just under double digits each outing at 9.6 to go along with 6.2 rebounds. The Black average 67 points per game as a team, 43% from the floor, and 33% from the three-point arc. They allow their opponents only 52 points per game, a 36% FG shooting percentage, and only 27% from the arc. The Maine defense is ranked sixth nationally out of 300+ Division I women’s teams.
Stony Brook (10-4, 8-2) enters the weekend with a five game win streak. The Seawolves are led by India Pagan who goes for 10.8 PPG and 5.8 RPG. Asiah Dingle averages 10.5 PPG and 3.8 RPG, while Anastasia Warren averages 9.6 and 3.6 respectively. Stony Brook averages 59.9 points per game as a team, with a 40% shooting percentage, but only 25% from three-point range. Two of their four losses this season have come at home at Island Federal Arena, both early in the season to Fordham and Syracuse breaking their 20 game home win streak.
The teams split their season series last season, both winning on their home court. The America East Title game was scheduled to be played at Island Federal Arena in Stony Brook between the Black Bears and Seawolves last March 13, until the rest of the season was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Tipoff this weekend is scheduled for 3 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Maine needs one win to clinch the regular season America East Title and the #1 seed for the upcoming conference playoffs. Both games can be seen live on ESPN Plus.
