Women’s basketball

MAINE vs. BOSTON UNIVERSITY

Time, site: Saturday, noon; Alfond Arena, Orono

Team records: Maine 22-4 (15-0 America East); Boston U. 13-13 (10-5)

Series, last meeting: Maine leads 31-17; Maine 59-37 on 1/29/03

Key players – Maine: Maine: 6-1 F Heather Ernest (20.2 ppg, 9.8 rpg, .554 FG pct., .826 FT pct.), 5-9 G Melissa Heon (11.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 2.9 apg, 1.9 spg), 6-1 G/F Julie Veilleux (8.1 ppg, 5.2 rpg), 5-7 G Kim Corbitt (6.0 ppg, 4.4 apg), 5-11 F Monica Peterson (6.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg), 5-7 G Missy Traversi (6.1 ppg, 2.3 apg); BU: 5-11 G Katie Terhune (17.3 ppg, 4.6 rpg, .419 3-pt. pct., .842 FT pct.), 5-9 G Katie Meinhardt (11.0 ppg, 2.1 apg), 6-0 F Larissa Parr (7.8 ppg, 4.1 rpg), 6-2 F Marisa Moseley (7.5 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 2.6 spg), 5-7 G Alison Argentieri (7.2 ppg, 2.7 apg)

Outlook: UMaine, in its regular-season finale, is gunning for its 19th straight win. The Bears have clinched the top seed in next week’s league tournament at Hartford, while the Terriers are locked into the No. 3 spot. UMaine will try to become the first team since the Bears’ 1995-96 squad to go unbeaten in AE play. BU, which has won two in a row, has been thinned by injuries. The Terriers will likely use a matchup zone against the Bears, who picked it apart in the first meeting. UMaine looks to deny Terhune on the outside with Heon, stop Meinhardt from penetrating, and contain Moseley in the paint. The Bears’ ability to limit second shots and run off BU misses are other keys. UMaine leads the league in scoring defense (55.9 ppg) and FG percentage defense (.359).

AMERICA EAST TOURNAMENT

No. 4 Maine Men vs. No. 5 Northeastern

Time, site: Sunday, 2:30 p.m.; Walter Brown Arena, Boston

Records: Maine 14-15 (8-8 America East); Northeastern 15-14 (8-8)

Series, last meeting: Northeastern 59-44; Maine 75-55 on 2/12/03

Key players: Maine – 6-4 F Rickey White (13.2 ppg, 5.4 rpg), 6-1 G Kevin Reed (12.7 ppg, 4.6 rpg), 6-7 F Clayton Brown (12.0 ppg, 6.1 rpg), 7-0 C Justin Rowe (10.3 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 4.1 bpg), 6-2 G Eric Dobson (9.1 ppg, 4.8 apg, 3.6 rpg, 1.7 spg), 6-2 G Derrick Jackson (4.8 ppg, 2.6 apg, 2.1 rpg); Northeastern – 5-11 G Jose Juan Barea (16.5 ppg, 3.9 apg, 3.0 rpg), 6-5 G-F Javorie Wilson (14.9 ppg, 4.7 rpg), 6-7 F Sylbrin Robinson (11.7 ppg, 9.3 rpg), 6-3 G Aaron Davis (10.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg), 6-6 C Cornelius Wright (6.7 ppg, 4.5 rpg), 6-0 G Jamaar Walker (6.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg)

Outlook: This is the fourth quarterfinal meeting of the two teams with the Huskies holding a 2-1 edge. Northeastern is 18-2 in AE playoff games in Boston. Maine appears to have the upper hand this year, however, after sweeping the regular-season series 90-76 and 75-55. It’s rarely easy to win three over the same opponent in one season, however, and unlike the last meeting, NU will have its leading scorer and rebounder in the lineup with Barea and Robinson. Barea missed the last game with a three-game suspension for an NCAA eligibility infraction and Robinson was out with a left elbow injury. Rowe has been a big headache for the Huskies in four meetings, averaging 17.5 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 5.5 blocks. The Huskies have won seven AE conference titles while Maine is looking for its first.