MAINE vs. PRAIRIE VIEW A&M

Time, site: 8 p.m., William Nick Building, Prairie View, Texas

Records: Maine 2-1, Prairie View A&M 0-2

Series, last meeting: First meeting

Key players: Maine – 6-2 G Huggy Dye (16.3 ppg, 7.0 rpg), 6-10 F Julian Dunkley (14.3 ppg, 8.0 rpg), 5-11 G Tory Cavalieri (11.0 ppg, 1.7 rpg), 6-6 F Carvell Ammons (9.3 ppg, 7.0 rpg), 6-3 G Errick Greene (6.7 ppg, 3.3 rpg); Prairie View A&M – 5-8 G Gregory Burks (22.0 ppg, 3.0 apg), 6-4 F Xavier Lee (13.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg), 6-7 F Ivan Coulter (5.0 ppg, 6.5 rpg), 6-7 C Reginald Walton (3.5 ppg, 5.0 ppg), 6-3 G Sadit Montgomery (3.0 ppg, 3.0 apg)

Outlook: With two victories to their credit already, the Black Bears have a good shot at opening the season with a 4-1 record: only the Panthers and Alaska-Fairbanks stand in the way of that. Still, UMaine can’t afford to let road-weariness affect its play. Burks is tiny, but he’ll provide the bigger Maine guards a real test with his quickness. Expect Greene, Jackson or Dye to lure the 5-8 speedster down to the low block and try to get him in foul trouble when the Bears have the ball. Cavalieri sparked a win and scored a career-high 17 against Troy State on Saturday. Continued offensive production from the backup point guard will be a huge plus.