The University of Maine men’s and women’s basketball teams are set to begin their 2024-25 season on Monday when they both face non-conference opponents.
The women’s team is the defending America East Champions going 22-10 (14-2 in league play) a season ago defeating Vermont 64-48 in the conference championship game for their first title since 2019, before falling to Ohio State 80-57 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The 2024-25 campaign begins at 11 a.m. Monday when they welcome in Lasalle out of the Atlantic 10 to the Pit at Memorial Gymnasium in Orono. Maine has been picked as the favorite to repeat as conference champs in the pre-season coaches poll. After losing standout guard Anne Simon to graduation, the Black Bears were set to return four starters to the lineup from the 2023-24 squad. That changed when senior forward Adrianna Smith went down with a knee injury during a pre-season practice, forcing her to miss this upcoming season. Smith in an announcement on Thursday says she will return to Orono for 2025-26. Also lost for the year with injury is two-time Maine High School Gatorade Player of the Year in freshman guard Maddie Fitzpatrick (Cheverus). Graduate guards Olivia Rockwood (6.3 points per game, 37% three-point percentage) and Caroline Bornemann (7.3 ppg, 5.5 rebounds), and junior guard Sarah Talon (6.5 ppg) will be the three returning to that starting lineup led by five-time and reigning America East Coach of the Year Amy Vachon. Senior guards Sera Hodgson and Paula Gallego, along with junior guard Jaycie Christopher and sophomore forward Caroline Dotsey will also be counted on to play bigger roles on this years team. Vachon was also named to the Kathy Delaney-Smith Mid Major Coach of the Year pre-season watch list. Only 20 coaches were selected to that list. The Explorers from Lasalle went 8-22 last season, and is expected to be led by sophomore guard Aryss Macktoon who in 2023-24 averaged 10.8 points per game and grabbed 5.8 rebounds. Maine plays 13 non-conference games which also includes a pair of Big 10 road opponents in Indiana and Purdue, before the conference opener which falls on Thursday, January 2 at UMass-Lowell.
The men’s team, who went 15-17 and 7-9 in America East in 2023-24, gets an immediate huge challenge going on the road to Cameron Indoor Stadium to face #7 Duke at 7 p.m. on Monday. Maine will be the first opponent for Newport native and freshman Blue Devils phenom Cooper Flagg, who is projected as the #1 NBA draft pick in 2025. The Black Bears, who fell in the conference quarterfinals to Bryant last season, and have never won a league title was projected fourth in America East in the pre-season coaches poll. Cooper Flaggs brother Ace Flagg made an announcement this week that he is on his way to play for head coach Chris Markwood and Maine beginning in the 2025-26 campaign. The team returns three of their top five leading scorers from a year ago in graduate guard Kellen Tynes (12.6 points per game, 3.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.2 steals), junior guard Jayden Clayton (9.2 ppg, 2.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists), and senior guard AJ Lopez (8.6 ppg, 34% three-point percentage). Duke, out of the ACC, went 27-9 last season making it all the way to the Elite 8 before falling to NC State. The Black Bears will play 15 non-conference games before their conference opener at Bryant on Saturday, January 4.
Both season openers are televised on Monday with the women’s game on ESPN+, and the men’s game on the ACC Network.
