Women’s basketball

MAINE vs. ALBANY

Time, site: Wednesday, 7:30 p.m., Alfond Arena, Orono

Records: Maine 4-8 (0-1 America East); Albany 4-8 (0-1)

Series, last meeting: Maine leads 9-0, Maine 67-58 on 2/12/05

Key players: Maine – 6-1 G/F Bracey Barker (12.4 ppg, 6.5 rpg, .840 FT pct.), 5-8 G Ashley Underwood (11.9 ppg, 2.8 apg, .338 3-pt. pct.), 6-3 C Abby Schrader (11.3 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 1.3 bpg), 6-2 F Katie Whittier (9.7 ppg, 5.8 rpg, .675 FG pct.), 5-6 G Margaret Elderton (4.1 ppg); Albany – 5-8 G Jen Schumacher (11.3 ppg, .870 FT pct.), 6-0 G/F Gia Sanders (7.2 ppg, 6.0 rpg), 6-4 C Kirsten Peterson (6.1 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 1.3 bpg), 5-11 G Sherri Mikus (5.5 ppg, 2.7 apg), 5-11 F Joy Sterling (4.3 ppg, 7.5 rpg)

Outlook: The Bears, coming off back-to-back losses, need a victory to help regain their confidence. Albany ranks last in the league in ppg (.539), FG pct. (.340) and FT pct. (.646). The Bears have lacked consistency on offense, where balance prevails but no real go-to player has emerged. The Great Danes have lost four of five and haven’t scored more than 53 points in that stretch. This contest could boil down to Maine’s ability to limit a good-rebounding Albany team’s second shots and keep its own turnovers in check. The Bears, who had only 11 TOs in the loss at Brown, also need to rebound and run when possible. Albany leading scorer Tanika Thrower has missed the last five games after suffering a broken nose and concussion in a Nov. 23 game.