ORONO – Matchups with three 2002 NCAA Tournament teams, a Midwest trip, and two regular-season tournament appearances highlight the 2002-03 University of Maine women’s basketball schedule.

Another notable element of the schedule is a new format for the conference portion of the season. Most America East games will be played Wednesdays and Saturdays.

The Black Bears of third-year coach Sharon Versyp open at Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H., on Friday, Nov. 22, and make their home debut in the Dead River Company Classic, which runs Nov. 29-30. Joining UMaine in the Dead River tournament will be Drake University, which reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament; perennial NCAA contender Montana; and Brown University, Maine’s first-round opponent.

The UMaine team will be away the entire month of December, with single games at Akron and Kent State in Ohio, the University Rhode Island, and Bradley University in Peoria, Ill.

On Dec. 28-29, the Bears will compete in the LaSalle Tournament in Philadelphia, where they will take on Holy Cross in the first round.

Maine returns to Alfond Arena in Orono on Jan. 4 for a game against Buffalo and opens its America East schedule Jan. 9 with a home game against New Hampshire.