NAC Quarterfinal MAINE vs. DREXEL

Time, site: Sunday, 1 p.m.; Alfond Arena, Orono

Records: Maine 24-4 (18-0 NAC); Drexel 9-18 (6-12)

Series: Maine leads 11-1

Key players: Maine – 5-9 G Cindy Blodgett (27.2 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 4.4 apg, 2.8 spg), 6-4 C Stacey Porrini (12.7 ppg, 10.2 rpg, 2.4 bpg), 5-9 G/F Trisha Ripton (8.0 ppg, 4.0 apg), 5-11 F Catherine Gallant (7.4 ppg, 5.6 rpg), 6-0 F Steph Guidi (7.3 ppg); Drexel – 6-0 F Jen MacNeill (17.6 ppg, 8.7 rpg), 5-9 G Kim Koschineg (14.3 ppg), 5-11 C LaTasha Rice (10.7 ppg, 8.8 rpg), 6-0 C Tiffany Davis (7.1 ppg, 7.6 rpg), 5-6 G Kathleen Feeney (3.9 ppg, 4.0 apg).

Outlook: The top-seeded Bears have reached the home stretch in the quest for another NCAA Tournament berth. Maine beat Drexel twice during the regular season, winning 107-53 on Jan. 14 in Orono and 78-47 Feb. 4 in Philadelphia, so the Bears’ confidence level is high. The Bears’ biggest advantage might well be playing at the Alfond, where an average of 3,802 fans have turned out. Maine has won 16 straight, the longest Division I streak in the country. The Dragons beat Towson State 88-81 in Wednesday’s first-round game to earn the right to play Maine. The Bears’ stingy defense will attempt to make Drexel work hard to get the ball up the court and force a quicker tempo. The Dragons are strongest up front, where Maine is paced by Porrini and Gallant.