Women’s Basketball

MAINE vs. NEW HAMPSHIRE

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

Records: Maine 15-5 (10-0 America East); New Hampshire 9-10 (5-5)

Series, last meeting: Maine leads 37-15; Maine 67-45 on 1/14/04

Key players: Maine – 6-1 F Heather Ernest (17.0 ppg, 9.0 rpg), 5-9 G Melissa Heon (11.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 2.7 apg, 1.8 spg), 6-1 G/F Julie Veilleux (8.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg, .909 FT pct.), 6-0 F Monica Peterson (7.5 ppg, 5.7 rpg, .818 FT pct., .500 FG pct.), 5-7 G Kim Corbitt (5.2 ppg, 3.7 apg), 6-3 F Abby Schrader (4.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg, .826 FT pct.); UNH – 6-4 C Maren Matthias (16.6 ppg, 8.4 rpg, .566 FG pct.), 5-9 G Ebony Woods (9.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg), 6-0 F Ray Williams (7.1 ppg, 5.8 rpg, .509 FG pct.), 6-0 F Danielle Clark (7.1 ppg, 3.9 rpg), 5-8 G Kate Poulin (5.1ppg, 4.8 rpg, 3.6 apg)

Outlook: The Bears seek their 27th straight AE regular-season win. UMaine, winner of 10 in a row, hopes to use its experienced guards to pressure UNH, cause turnovers, and attack in transition, as in the first meeting. The inside matchup between player-of-the-year candidates Ernest and Matthias is a good one, but the Bears hold the edge with their seasoned guards. Heon returns home needing only five points to become UMaine’s 13th female 1,000-point scorer. The ‘Cats’ deficiencies are on offense, where they rank at or near the bottom in league play with 56.6 ppg, a .386 FG pct., and a .552 FT pct. The Bears must keep UNH from heating up from 3-point range to generate momentum on its home court. UMaine has won 17 of the last 20 meetings between the two programs.

Men’s Basketball

MAINE vs. NEW HAMPSHIRE

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

Records: Maine 14-7 (8-4 in America East), UNH 6-16 (2-10)

Series, last meeting: Maine leads 102-61; Maine 70-58 on 1/14/04

Key players: Maine – 6-2 G Kevin Reed (15.1 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 2.3 spg), 6-3 G Eric Dobson (13.0 ppg, 5.5 apg, 3.6 rpg), 6-10 F Mark Flavin (11.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 2.0 bpg), 6-7 G-F Joe Campbell (7.4 ppg, 6.1 rpg), 6-3 G Chris Markwood (6.1 ppg, 2.7 apg, 1.6 rpg); New Hampshire – 6-8 C Ben Sturgill (12.4 ppg, 4.5 rpg), 6-8 F Blagov Janev (10.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg), 6-7 F Craig Walls (9.6 ppg, 7.6 rpg), 6-0 G Marcus Bullock (8.8 ppg, 3.5 rpg), 6-3 G Ronnie Dennis (7.1 ppg, 2.5 rpg)

Outlook: The Black Bears look to make it four wins in a row and three straight against the Wildcats as they home in on third or fourth place in America East. The Wildcats present a challenge in terms of team size for the smaller Bears, but Maine showed Saturday it can more than hold its own against teams with better size. Maine is currently ranked first or second in nine – and among the top three in 14 – of 19 conference statistical categories. On paper, this is a game the Bears should win, but those are the ones that seem to give them trouble. Maine is the No. 2 scoring team in AE with 69.2 points a game and No. 2 defensive team, allowing 61.5 ppg. UNH is near the bottom in both categories with 60.1 points scored and 66.6 allowed.