MAINE vs. SACRED HEART

Time, site: 1 p.m., Saturday, Alfond Arena, Orono

Records: Maine 7-3 (1-2 America East), Sacred Heart 0-9

Series, last meeting: Maine leads 2-0; UM won 76-70 on 12/4/99

Key players: Maine – 6-2 G Huggy Dye (17.8 ppg, 3.6 rpg), 6-10 F Julian Dunkley (16.3 ppg, 7.5 rpg), 6-6 F Carvell Ammons (12.6 ppg, 7.5 rpg), 6-3 G Errick Greene (9.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg), 6-2 G Derrick Jackson (5.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg); Sacred Heart – 6-7 F Marijus Kovaliukas (14.9 ppg, 3.9 rpg), 6-7 F Andrew Hunter (14.4 ppg, 6.7 rpg), 5-10 G Omar Wellington (6.1 ppg, 1.2 rpg), 6-10 C Tim Welch (5.7 ppg, 5.8 rpg), 6-6 F Justin James (6.2 ppg, 1.0 rpg)

Outlook: The Black Bears return to Alfond Arena to take on the Pioneers, who are one of only six winless teams among the 319 playing NCAA Division I basketball. Oddly, the Black Bears will have played two of those teams after the game (Prairie View A&M is the other). The Pioneers are big, and Maine will look to neutralize that size advantage with its pesky three-guard set. Ammons and Dunkley, along with Colin Haynes, will be asked to check the bigger Pioneers down low. Among Sacred Heart’s losses are a pair of blowouts at the hands of Notre Dame (46 points) and Stanford (42). UMaine has only played three home games thus far, but plays five of its next six and seven of 10 in friendly Alfond.