Women’s Basketball

MAINE vs. NEW HAMPSHIRE

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

Records: Maine 7-5 (2-0 America East); New Hampshire 6-5 (2-0)

Series, last meeting: Maine leads 36-15; Maine 71-65 on 3/14/03

Key players: Maine – 6-1 F Heather Ernest (17.7 ppg, 10.6 rpg, .460 FG pct.), 5-9 G Melissa Heon (11.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 3.3 apg, .808 FT pct.), 6-1 G/F Julie Veilleux (8.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.9 apg), 6-0 F Monica Peterson (7.6 ppg, 5.6 rpg, .479 FG pct.), 5-7 G Kim Corbitt (5.1 ppg, 3.3 apg), 5-9 G Ashley Underwood (4.2 ppg, .438 3-pt. FG pct.); UNH – 6-3 C Maren Mathias (19.5 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 2.0 bpg, .609 FG pct.), 5-9 G Ebony Woods (9.5 ppg, 4.1 rpg), 6-0 F Danielle Clark (6.8 ppg, 3.9 rpg), 6-0 F Ray Williams (6.1 ppg, 4.4 rpg), 5-8 G Kate Poulin (5.2 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 3.4 apg)

Outlook: UMaine is coming off an efficient win at Vermont. The Bears, winners of 18 straight regular-season AE games, encounter a UNH team that leads the league in FG pct. (.447) but is worst from the foul line (.610). As it did against UVM’s Aaron Yantzi, UMaine likely will play a zone to bottle up Mathias, who ranks among the nation’s top scorers and FG shooters but struggles from the foul line (.491). The Bears need to rebound well, run the floor, and get to the line, where they lead AE (.773). UMaine’s guards must attack the basket off the dribble, drawing attention away from Ernest and helping open up the Bears’ perimeter shooting threats. UNH has six freshmen on its roster.

Men’s Basketball

MAINE vs. NEW HAMPSHIRE

Time, site: 7 p.m., Lundholm Gymnasium; Durham, N.H.

Records: Maine 8-5 (2-2 America East); New Hampshire 4-10 (0-4)

Series, last meeting: Maine leads 101-61; Maine 77-72 on 2/5/03

Key players: Maine – 6-2 G Kevin Reed (15.9 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 2.8 spg), 6-3 G Eric Dobson (11.8 ppg, 5.9 apg, 3.6 rpg), 6-10 F Mark Flavin (9.9 ppg, 5.5 rpg), 6-3 G Chris Markwood (7.4 ppg, 1.9 apg), 6-9 F David Dubois (6.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg), 6-7 G-F Joe Campbell (6.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg); UNH – 6-7 F Craig Walls (10.5 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 1.9 apg), 6-8 F Blagoj Janev (9.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg), 6-0 G Marcus Bullock (8.7 ppg, 3.9 rpg), 5-10 G Shejdie Childs (7.0 ppg, 2.7 apg, 2.0 spg), 6-3 G Ronnie Dennis (8.1 ppg, 1.7 rpg)

Outlook: Unlike last season, the Black Bears are winning the games they’re supposed to. This was one of the “should have” games that got away from them, so Maine should be sufficiently motivated if they weren’t enough already after two straight losses. The Bears also shouldn’t be overconfident with the memory of their last trip to Durham still fresh and the fact that UNH has lost its last four games by an average margin of 3.8 points. Maine is averaging 35.5 rebounds per game to UNH’s 35.3. The Wildcats’ scoring average is 8.6 points lower than Maine’s 69.2 and Maine is averaging 16.6 turnovers per game to UNH’s 18.0. The key, as always, for the Bears is ball control, foul shooting, and rebounding.