NWBL ELITE at MAINE

Time, site: Monday, 7:30 p.m.; Alfond Arena, Orono

Records: Maine 1-0 (exhibition); NWBL Elite 0-2

Key players: Maine – 5-11 G/F Kizzy Lopez, 6-1 F Anna James, 5-9 G Tracy Guerrette, 5-10 G Lacey Stone, 6-1 G/F Julie Veilleux, 6-1 F Heather Ernest; NWBL – 5-9 G Jenny Schmidt, 5-10 G Sonya Wright, 6-0 C Tamara Smith, 5-10 F Tonya Stowers-Jones, 6-1 C La Keisha Gaskew

Outlook: Tonight’s exhibition contest is the Black Bears’ final tune-up for their Nov. 19 season opener against Fordham. UMaine unveiled aggressive man-to-man defense in a Nov. 6 exhibition victory over the Netherlands national team. Coach Sharon Versyp’s Bears hope to build on that effort, experiment with a few more schemes and continue working on their offensive execution. UMaine faces a National Women’s Basketball League USA Elite team that is made up of former college players from Divisions I, II and III. This squad, one of 16 across the country, is coming off losses to Holy Cross (89-58) and Fordham (87-59). The NWBL hopes to become a five-team professional league beginning in January.