Men’s college basketball

Holiday Inn Express Tournament

MAINE vs. LONG ISLAND UNIVERSITY

Time, site: 5 p.m. Wednesday, Stony Brook Sports Complex, Stony Brook, N.Y.

Records: Maine 7-3, LIU 2-5

Series/last meeting: Maine leads 3-0; UM won 83-71 on 12/17/89

Key players: Maine – 6-1 G Andy Bedard (14.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 7.3 apg), 6-2 G Huggy Dye 17.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg), 6-2 G Derrick Jackson 7.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg), 6-10 F Julian Dunkley (11.9 ppg, 7.0 rpg), 6-8 F Nate Fox (17.2 ppg, 7.1 rpg); Long Island University – 6-7 F Virgil Smiley (15.0 ppg 7.2 rpg), 6-0 G Antawn Dobie (15.0 ppg, 3.6 apg), 6-5 F Richie Parker (8.0 ppg), 6-7 F JaJa Bey (4.4 ppg, 1.4 rpg), 6-10 C Cheikh Fall (6.6 ppg, 6.6 rpg)

Outlook: The Black Bears wrap up 1999 in familiarly unfamiliar surroundings: They’re on the road again, and when this tourney finishes UMaine will have played 10 of its first 12 games away from Alfond Arena. LIU presents the sternest test in a tourney that looks weak on paper. LIU’s strengths are a good point guard in Dobie and a pair of slashing wing players in Smiley and Bey. Expect Maine to play zone “D” against an LIU squad that makes only 3.5 3-pointers per game.