Baseball season begins across the country and the University of Maine Black Bears took a trip to Reston, Louisiana to face off against the LA Tech Bulldogs for the first time in five years this past Feb. 14, 15 and 16. Ironically, LA Tech’s ballpark is known as “The Loveshack” but there was no love found there for the Black Bears. The final score read 3-14 with Tech winning the contest. 

Second-year infielder Colton Coates got Tech on the board first with an RBI double, and both teams played good defense and fielded the ball well to start the matchup off. It wouldn’t be until the top of the third inning that Maine would get on the board. Third-year Drew Reynolds drove a hit to center field for a two run RBI single with first-year outfielder Evan Bashnaegal and graduate infielder Damon Gaither scoring. The Bulldogs responded right back however, graduate infielder Micheal Ballard ripped a homer to left field for a two run homer getting the go ahead RBI for LA Tech. 

Both opening pitchers, Colin Fitzgerald for Maine and Grant Hubka for Tech respectively, struggled with finding the strike zone. The contest saw a litany of wild pitches from both players, Hubka drawing four walks alone in the top of the fourth inning. 

After a wild pitch by Fitzgerald set up a runner on third base and fourth-year infielder Will Safford’s RBI single plus an error during a relay play by Maine began to widen the gap for the Bulldogs giving them two runs. 

Errors throughout the weekend by the Black Bears defense led to LA Tech scoring, but Head Coach Nick Derba wasn’t fazed and neither were the Black Bears. 

“Game play is the ultimate factor. Overall, I’m pretty happy with how we competed… We will catch up, we just need to keep playing and taking care of details,” said Derba.

After a 45-minute rain delay, the action picked back up in Reston. Coates once again got on the board with a line drive to the left side of the field grabbing a 2 RBI single for LA Tech. 

In the seventh inning, graduate utility player Payton Whitehead got an infield RBI single to try and gain some momentum back for the Black Bears. But unfortunately LA Tech kept finding the bases loaded, and notching base hits to run up the score 3-14 in the two remaining innings. 

The following day on Feb. 15, the second of four games kicked off. The Black Bears got on the board first after first-year outfielder Quinn Murphy hit a RBI single and Whitehead advanced to home plate to score. The Bulldogs took advantage of a wild pitch thrown by second-year pitcher Jason Libby and scored a run from third to tie the contest in the third inning. 

After a couple great back and forth defensive showings from both teams, it took until the 6th inning for another run to be scored but unfortunately LA Tech grabbed the go ahead run off of a grounded out. But the Black Bears were still in it and Gaither made sure of that as he evened the score all with an RBI single. 

It was back and forth action in the seventh inning because the Bulldogs responded right back with two RBIs of their own to make the score 2-4. It would end up being the final score as Maine could not come back. 

While the results might not be what the team wanted, there are a couple guys on the team who are starting the season off strong. Reynolds grabbed two RBIs for himself this weekend on Friday’s game and batted well throughout the contest going 2 for 5. Gaither got a run on Friday, an RBI on Saturday and swung very well against the Bulldog’s pitchers. And while he might have struggled in the beginning of Friday’s matchup, it was Fitzgerald’s return to the mound after 623 days off of it due to injury. He threw pitches with great speed and it’s clear he’ll get back to where he was in 2023 in no time. 

Regarding Fitzgerald’s return, Derba had this to say: “It’s great to get Colin back on the mound. He was a key piece in our 2023 championship run. All things considered, he competed. We have some room for improvement regarding command but that is to be expected.”

The Black Bears will travel to South Carolina to face The Citadel on Feb. 21.

On Monday, Nov. 4, the University of Maine men’s basketball team fell to the Duke Blue Devils 96-62 inside Cameron Indoor Stadium. It was somewhat of a homecoming for Duke’s star freshman, Cooper Flagg, who is from Newport, Maine. Flagg was the first freshman to be named the Maine Gatorade Player of the Year. His mother, Kelly Flagg, played for UMaine and his brother Ace Flagg recently committed to the Black Bears.

Maine was ranked 4th in the America East preseason poll, marking the highest preseason ranking in 13 years. Head Coach Chris Markwood is entering his third season and has improved his record every year since joining the program.

Duke opened up the scoring with a driving layup by first-year forward Kon Knueppel. Flagg initially struggled offensively but found his other first-year teammate, center Khaman Maluach, multiple times early off drives and dump offs for layups.

Maine was able to hang in with the Blue Devils early thanks to offensive rebounds and forcing turnovers. Grad student Kellen Tynes put Maine on the board after ripping the ball away from a Duke player and grabbing his miss for a layup. Tynes got another offensive rebound that led to back-to-back scores for fourth-year guard Quinn Burns.

That’s when the Duke freshman came alive. Knueppel went on his own 7-2 run. Flagg finally got on the board after knocking down a pair of free throws. Then Knueppel drilled a deep transition three, despite getting fouled. A Duke lead of 4 expanded to 14 in two minutes.

Fourth-year forward Christopher Mantis ended the Maine scoring drought by knocking down his second three of the game. This sparked 9 unanswered points by the Black Bears. Tynes, Burns, and third-year guard Jaden Clayton were able to attack Maluach in drop coverage. While Maluach won plenty of the battles, the paint penetration led to some mid-range makes from the guard trio. 

Flagg scored his first basket off an offensive rebound, then punched in a massive driving dunk. Duke led going into the second half 44-33. Maine’s offense had some success but was forced to take shots deep into the shot clock thanks to the tight Duke defense. The Black Bear defense forced eight first-half turnovers. The unsung hero of the first twenty minutes was third-year forward Keelan Steele. Steele battled with injury the past two seasons and was forced to redshirt, but he made his impact in this game with multiple impressive footwork and tough post finishes. 

Burns and third-year Duke guard Tyrese Proctor traded threes to open the second half. Steele then scored an and-one off an offensive rebound over Maluach, who went down and returned the favor with an and-one of his own. That unfortunately was Steele’s fifth foul, ending his night early. 

After that, Duke started to run away with the game. The offense was beginning to click with some great off-ball movement and cutting. The Blue Devils also started crashing the offensive glass, gaining multiple extra possessions which led to points. Proctor started to heat up, scoring all 10 of his points in the second half. Second-year guard Logan Carey was able to score on an excellent spin move where he got fouled, but it wasn’t able to turn the tide of Maine.

Proctor hit a big three that felt like the dagger, and second-year guard Caleb Foster nailed another to give Duke the then-largest lead of the night, 85-56. Flagg seemingly got hurt on a driving layup attempt with just under 4 minutes remaining. It was later found out that he was dealing with a bad case of cramps, something that NBA All-Star Paolo Banchero dealt with during the first couple of games of his one season at Duke a couple of years ago.

Flagg finished with 18 points, 7 rebounds, and a team-high 5 assists and 3 steals. Knueppel scored a game-high 22 points. Duke had six different players reach double digits. For Maine, Burns had a team-high 15 while Steele also reached double digits with 11 points in only 12 minutes.

On Saturday, Nov. 2, the University of Maine football team fell 59-14 against the Oklahoma Sooners in front of a massive crowd of 82,831, marking the largest audience in Maine Football’s program history. Both teams entered the game with a 4-4 record, but their seasons had taken different turns. Oklahoma, once ranked as high as No. 15, was on a three-game losing streak and had just transitioned to new play-caller Joe Jon Finley. Meanwhile, Maine came off a tough loss to Rhode Island.

UMaine forced an early third-and-out for the Sooners to start the game, giving them a chance to punch their opponents in the mouth early. The drive started slowly, as fifth-year quarterback Carter Peevy and the offense chipped away yardage. The Black Bears were on the successful end of an aggressive fourth-down conversion from their 41-yard line, aided by a penalty. 

Peevy then ripped off an incredible 40-yard run off a zone-read down to the Oklahoma 3-yard line, giving some SEC fans deja vu to his long touchdown run against Ole Miss last season. The Mercer transfer capped off the drive with a touchdown pass to fourth-year tight end Cooper Heisey, the first points of the afternoon.

It did not take long for the Sooners to respond. On the first play of the following drive, third-year running back Jovantae Barnes broke off a 74-yard run, then punched it in on his next carry to tie the game 7-7. Although the drive was short, it foreshadowed the struggle that the Black Bear defense may have at stopping Oklahoma’s rushing attack.

Maine failed to score on the next possession, returning the ball to the Sooners. Second-year quarterback Jackson Arnold got rid of the ball extremely fast, making it difficult for Maine’s defensive backs to play off coverage like they usually do. That set up first-year running back Taylor Tatum for an easy 1-yard touchdown, and Oklahoma never looked back. 

The Sooners dominated in the trenches on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball, stopping Maine from trying to establish the ground game and take time off the clock. Even after recovering an Oklahoma fumble, they couldn’t convert on the gifted possession, so they were forced to punt once again which led to another score, this time by Arnold.

The most impressive play of the game occurred when Oklahoma got the ball back after another flat Black Bear drive. At their 10-yard line, Arnold fled the pocket and found fourth-year wide receiver J.J. Hester for a 90-yard touchdown, Hester’s first as a Sooner.

Barnes scored one more touchdown before the second quarter ended, with Oklahoma entering halftime up 35-7 over the Black Bears. The second half followed the same script. Maine had no answer for Barnes, who found the endzone another time before his career day ended, finishing with 203 yards on the ground and three scores.

Maine had one more scoring drive, which was easily their best-executed sequence of the day. Peevy found fourth-year wide receiver Joe Gillette for a 47-yard gain, the longest for the Black Bears in the game. First-year wide receiver Nick Laughlin was handed the ball for the score, his first career touchdown.

UMaine looks to end its two-game losing streak as they welcome the visiting Bryant Bulldogs in a big conference matchup on Nov. 9.

College basketball is officially right around the corner. Coming off of a 24-10 season, capped off with an America East conference tournament championship and a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Tournament appearance, Head Coach Amy Vachon and the University of Maine Black Bears Women’s Basketball team are gearing up for another exciting season, ready to defend their conference title and making a mark on the national stage.

Maine returned almost all of their rotation, except Anne Simon, who graduated in Spring 2024. Simon is now playing for Lupe Basket in San Martino di Lupari in the Italian Serie A1 in Italy- she will be deeply missed by the Black Bear nation.

Simon ranks fifth on Maine’s all-time scoring list, and is the reigning America East Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, awards she won multiple times. She led Maine in scoring with 18.9 PPG, only one of two Black Bears to average double-digit points last season. Her absence will leave a massive hole on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball.

Entering the season, Maine looked to rely on their superstar fourth-year forward Adrianna Smith. When Simon missed most of the 2022-23 season due to injury, Smith stepped up and was awarded the America East Player of the Year. Last season, Smith tied for fifth place in the NCAA with 22 double-doubles in 34 games, finishing just behind players like LSU’s Angel Reese and Iowa’s Caitlin Clark. 

However, on Oct. 11, the team announced that Smith would miss the entire season due to an ACL tear in her left knee.

“We are heartbroken for Adi,” said Vachon. “Although we will not have Adi as a teammate on the court, she will continue to be a great leader and an important part of our team this season.”

Starters Olivia Rockwood and Caroline Bornemann are both back for their fifth seasons. Rockwood is one of, if not the best sharpshooter on the team. When she is on, the Vermont native can become an instant spark for the offense, highlighted when she made eight three-pointers in a Maine victory over Bryant last year. Bornemann has been a constant part of Maine’s success over the past three seasons, starting all but two games of that stretch.

The opportunity for one of the younger players to step up has never been bigger. Sarah Talon, the third-year guard from Windham, ME is a player to watch. Talon has earned a better role each season, coming off the bench her freshman year, to starting all 34 games last season. With Simon gone, expect the ball to be in her hands more. While her three-point shot struggled the previous year, Talon shot 44.4% from behind the arc the season prior. With a bounce-back year from her jumper and strength as an on-ball creator, the speedy Talon will be causing havoc for opposing teams’ defenses.

It is always hard to predict how much impact the new freshmen will have during the preseason with such a small sample size, but Maine has a very talented class that could affect winning early. Maddie Fitzpatrick was the Maine Gatorade Player of the year last year. Vachon has high praise for the young guard, saying “Maddie is a player I have wanted to coach since the first time I saw her play.”

Isabelle (Izzy) Allen is a sharpshooter. On a UMaine offense that loves shooting threes, taking 24 attempts from behind the line per game last year, Allen could play a similar role to Rockwood and supply a spark off the bench. Ona Alarcón is a talented forward who can play inside and out. At 6’3, Alarcón adds some much-needed size to a somewhat smaller Black Bear team and is the tallest player on the team.

The expectations are as high as ever for Maine and they are prepped and ready to exceed them in the season ahead. Opening day is on Nov. 4, as they welcome the visiting La Salle University Explorers.

The start of the 2024-25 NBA season is on the horizon, with 30 teams chasing to capture the championship. Let’s take a look at the five current favorites for the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy.

The Boston Celtics are the current favorite, and they are looking to be the first team to go back-to-back since the Warriors in 2017 and 2018, rightfully so. The Celtics returned the same roster that dominated last year’s regular season and playoffs. The lineup of Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Kristaps Porzingis is arguably the best starting five in the league. 

The only question marks on Boston’s roster could be the bench unit. Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser have proven to be good role players, but with Al Horford at 38 years old, the second unit could be flawed. If Porzingis continues to miss games due to injury, the frontcourt rotation is not strong. Not to mention the Eastern Conference is a lot stronger and the Celtics road to the finals may not be as sweet as last year.

Somehow the rest of the league allowed the No. 1 seed in the West that won 57 games last year to get better. After an incredible breakout season, the Oklahoma City Thunder have the second-best odds to win the finals. The Thunder only had two weaknesses that glared during the playoffs; Josh Giddey and rebounding. Fixing just one of those would improve this team, but GM Sam Presti had an absolute masterclass of an offseason. 

First, he swapped Giddey for Alex Caruso, one of the best defenders in the NBA, without having to include any draft picks. Then the Thunder signed Isaiah Hartenstein to address their rebounding issues. With additions, they have so much line-up variability and incredible spacing. 

OKC is still a very young team. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander played at an MVP level last season and will need to repeat his production. Some of the young stars will have to take a jump, with Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren in mind to emerge as a true consistent second option. Gilgeous-Alexander is an offensive juggernaut, but the supporting cast will have to show up for the Thunder to win their first championship.

This is the best New York Knicks of the past 10 years. Fan favorites in Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo and Hartenstein have now departed, replaced by new accusations in Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges. The defensive duo of Bridges and OG Anunoby is one of the best in the league, and KAT adds a new dimension to the offense.

Losing Hartenstein will heavily affect the offense. The Knicks scored 1.25 points per possession when Brunson ran a pick-and-roll with Hartenstein last season, the third-most efficient paring in the entire league. The bench is another issue. With Mitchell Robinson ruled out of the remainder of the calendar year, the starters will have to play a lot, which could lead to injuries that the team doesn’t have the depth to deal with.

The Philadelphia 76ers made one of the biggest splashes in the offseason, signing nine-time All-Star forward Paul George to a four-year deal. The addition of George hopes to take some of the offensive pressure off of the All-Star duo of Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. The 76ers completely retooled their roster, only bringing back 5 players from last season’s squad.

The question is can this team stay healthy? Everyone knows the injury history of Embiid and he reportedly won’t be playing in back-to-backs this season. George hasn’t played 60 games all but one of the last five seasons. On paper, the roster looks great, but if the top-end stars don’t play, it’s a lot of pressure on the role players to step up.

The Denver Nuggets still have the best player in the world in Nikola Jokic. It’s the players around him that may be an issue, in particular the backcourt. Jamal Murray struggles seem to be a legit concern. The Canadian guard only shot 40% from the field and 31% from three in the playoffs, and his poor performance continued into the Olympics. A return to form for Murray needs to happen for the Nuggets to be a true contender.

The loss of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope also leaves a gaping hole at the shooting guard position. Head coach Michael Malone seems to be rocking with Christian Braun, but it wouldn’t be shocking if Julian Strawther steals the starting job. The second-year guard out of Gonzaga has averaged 18.8 PPG on 57 3P% through the first five preseason games.

After dropping the first game of the doubleheader 10-7, in the second game, the University of Maine Black Bears softball team fell to the UMBC Retrievers 8-7.

Graduate pitcher Isabelle True started the game on the mound for the Black Bears, first-year outfielder Ella Squaires was the first batter up for UMBC and reached first base off a throwing error. After stealing second and then advancing to third off another UMaine error, Squaires scored the first run of the game off a flyout by first-year infielder Haley Luginbill.

After retiring the side, UMaine second-year infielder Krista Francia was walked by third-year pitcher Kya Matter. An error by Matter led to third-year Katie Jo Moery reaching first base and Francia advanced to third. Another error, this time by the UMBC catcher, allowed Moery to steal second and Francia to score the tying run. Third-year outfield Gabby Papushka got the first UMaine hit of the game with a single, but Matter closed the inning with a strikeout.

UMBC retook the lead off with an RBI by second-year infielder Emily Riggs and then extended it with an RBI single by Squaires. The hits kept coming in the third inning for the Retrievers. With two on, first-year infielder Amya Lundy brought in a runner with a single into center field. Two more runs were scored with a single by Matter, giving UMBC a 6-1 lead. The Black Bears continued to struggle, as UMBC kept their momentum in the top of the fourth, scoring two additional runs.

UMaine finally got things going in the bottom of the sixth. Fourth-year infielder Anna Margetis kicked off the inning with a hard hit single to center field. They followed that with back-to-back singles by Francia and Moery. With the bases loaded, graduate designated hitter Caitlyn Fallon stepped up to plate and absolutely cracked a ball down the middle towards left center field and over the fence, an incredible grand slam to make it a 8-5 game bottom of the 6th inning.

After holding UMBC scoreless in the top of the 7th inning, the Black Bears had one final chance to either win or send the game to extra innings. It started off strong for Maine with fourth-year catcher Kennedy Priest, who was pinch hitting, singled up the middle. Second-year outfielder Maggie Helms then doubled to right center field. UMBC brought in first-year pitcher Isabella DiGiandomenico to relieve Matter, who had pitched a great game and earned her 8th win of the season.

With runners on second and third base, Maine’s comeback hopes were dwindling after the next two batters were retired. Now with two outs and the game on the line, Moery showed up in the clutch and singled, bringing both third-year outfielder Kyrah Haba-Dailey (pinch running for Priest) and Helms home to make the score 8-7. Unfortunately, for UMaine, DiGiandomenico closed the side and the game with a strikeout to give UMBC the win. 

UMaine will host UMBC on Sunday in their final regular season America East home game of the year at the UMaine Softball Complex.

The Showcase of the Immortals, WrestleMania 40, took place last weekend in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Let’s take a look at the highlights of night one, WrestleMania Saturday.

The Women’s World Championship match between champion Rhea Ripley and challenger Becky Lynch kicked off the show. The end of the match saw Lynch attempt a second rope Manhandle Slam. Ripley managed to escape and delivered two Riptides, one on the turnbuckle and one on the mat, to retain her championship. 

Finn Balor and Damien Priest of The Judgement Day defended their Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships in a Six-Pack Tag Team Ladder match. The other competitors of the match were #DIY, A-Town Down Under, The Awesome Truth, The New Day and New Catch Republic.

A-Town Down Under retrieved the SmackDown Tag Team championships, leaving only the RAW titles up for grabs. After interference from JD McDonagh, Priest nearly had the match won, but Truth hit an Attitude Adjustment on Priest to the floor. With the crowd erupting in cheers, Truth climbed the ladder and took down the titles, making The Awesome Truth the new RAW Tag Team champions.

“Main Event” Jey Uso faced his brother Jimmy Uso in the next match. This match was regarded as the worst match of WrestleMania weekend, with a very slow pace and a somewhat dead crowd. Jey picked up the win after a Spear and a Uso Splash.

Gunther defended the Intercontinental Championship in the semi-main event of Night 1 against Sami Zayn. Gunther dominated the majority of the match, but Zayn fed off of the energy of the Philadelphia crowd and delivered a top rope brainbuster and two consecutive Helluva Kicks to end the 666-day reign of Gunther.

The main event of Night 1 saw The Bloodline (Roman Reigns and The Rock) face the team of Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins.

After nearly 45 minutes of high spots, finishers, and kickouts, Reigns performed a massive spear on Rhodes. He then tagged in The Rock, who performed the People’s Elbow on Rhodes and pinned him in the center of the ring for the win.

Rollins defended the World Heavyweight Championship against Drew McIntyre in the opening match of WrestleMania Sunday. CM Punk joined Micheal Cole, Corey Graves, and Pat McAfee on commentary for this match, which will have massive consequences later on.

The finish saw McIntyre hit his 4th Claymore Kick of the night to win the World Heavyweight Championship. After the match, McIntyre made the mistake of going over to the commentary desk to rub his victory in the face of Punk, who was injured by McIntyre at the Royal Rumble. Punk attacked McIntyre, leaving a clear runway for Mr. Money in the Bank, Damien Priest, to successfully cash in and win the title.

A grudge match between LA Knight and AJ Styles was up next. Styles tried a Phenomenal Forearm, but Knight countered and delivered a BFT to win his first WrestleMania match.

The United States Championship was on the line in a triple-threat match between champion Logan Paul, Randy Orton, and Kevin Owens. 

The finish was Orton countering a Pop-Up Powerbomb from Owens with an RKO. Paul jumped in the ring, threw Orton out of the ring, and hit a Frog Splash to retain the United States Championship.

In the main event, Cody Rhodes faced the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns in a Bloodline Rules match, meaning there were no disqualifications. 

After numerous appearances and run-ins with John Cena, The Rock, Rollins, and The Undertaker, Reigns entered the ring and grabbed the chair that Rollins brought into the ring. With both Rhodes and Rollins climbing to their feet, Reigns opts to hit Rollins with the chair, letting anger and seeking revenge or what Rollins did to The Shield 10 years ago get the best of him.

Reigns heads to the corner and attempts to deliver a Spear on his challenger, but Rhodes counters and hits three consecutive Cross Rhodes. He pins Reigns in the middle of the ring, finally finishing his story and ending Reign’s incredible 1,316-day reign as Universal Champion. The show ends with Rhodes holding up the title, surrounded by his friends and family.

The University of Maine Black Bears women’s basketball team secured the America East Championship (AEC) regular-season title with a 63-46 win over the University of Albany Great Danes on Saturday in The Pit. This marks the seventh time in the last 10 years that Maine has reigned atop the American East Conference as the regular season ends.

UMaine entered the game with a 20-9 record, 13-2 in conference play, coming off a 57-51 win against Binghamton University. UAlbany entered the game with a 24-4 record, 13-2 in conference play, coming off a 45-40 win against the University of New Hampshire. Albany won the previous matchup 54-47 due to the Maine offense struggling, only shooting 28% from the field.

Fifth-year guard Anne Simon opened the scoring for the Black Bears, splitting a pair of free throws. Albany quickly responded with a three by third-year guard Lily Philips. Simon and fourth-year guard Olivia Rockwood made layups, assisted by third-year forward Adrianna Smith. The reigning AEC Player of the Year led Maine in the game’s assists, rebounds, steals, and blocks.

Smith scored her first bucket of the game a few possessions later, barely beating the shot clock buzzer. The Great Danes scored six unanswered points to put them up 11-9 heading into the second quarter.

The second quarter was all the Black Bears. A layup by second-year guard Sarah Talon sparked an 11-0 run by the Black Bears, which was capped off by a gross step-back three by Simon. Philips ended Albany’s scoring drought with back-to-back layups, but Maine’s offense continued to click. A last-second layup by fourth-year guard Caroline Bornemann off a beautiful backdoor feed by Simon gave the Black Bears their largest lead of the game at 10, heading into halftime up 28-18.

Neither team’s shots from behind the arc were falling, both teams only making one of their seven three-point attempts. What gave Maine the edge was their ability to score easy buckets off of cuts and moving the ball. Despite being outrebounded 21-10, Maine dominated the interior, scoring double the amount of points in the paint than Albany. 

Immediately after the break, Smith continued where she left off in the first two quarters, scoring on back-to-back Black Bear possessions. She and Bornemann scored all of Maine’s points in the third quarter. Fourth-year Kayla Cooper and Third-year guard Meghan Huerter did enough on the offensive side of the ball to stop UMaine from extending their lead, with Albany still trailing by 10 entering the final quarter of play.

With a quiet third quarter, Simon decided it was time to put Albany away in the fourth. The former AEC Player of the Year went on a 7-0 run by herself to put the Black Bears up 49-32. Fourth-year forward Helene Haegerstrand scored a difficult layup while being fouled, but it wasn’t enough to ignite a late rally for Albany. Smith then found Bornemann for a three and put the nail in the coffin with a tough and-1 with multiple Albany defenders draped over her.

Simon scored a game-high 25 points in her final regular season game played in The Pit. Smith stuffed that stat sheet with 23 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists, five steals, and three blocks. Bornemann was perfect from the field and added 9 points. Cooper tallied a 22-point double-double for Albany, and Phillips reached double digits with 11.

With the win, the AEC tournament and the road to the NCAA Tournament officially runs through Maine. The Black Bears are next in action on Friday when they host UMass Lowell in an AEC quarterfinals matchup.

The University of Maine Black Bears women’s basketball team secured the America East Championship (AEC) regular-season title with a 63-46 win over the University of Albany Great Danes on Saturday in The Pit. This marks the seventh time in the last 10 years that Maine has reigned atop the American East Conference as the regular season ends.

UMaine entered the game with a 20-9 record, 13-2 in conference play, coming off a 57-51 win against Binghamton University. UAlbany entered the game with a 24-4 record, 13-2 in conference play, coming off a 45-40 win against the University of New Hampshire. Albany won the previous matchup 54-47 due to the Maine offense struggling, only shooting 28% from the field.

Fifth-year guard Anne Simon opened the scoring for the Black Bears, splitting a pair of free throws. Albany quickly responded with a three by third-year guard Lily Philips. Simon and fourth-year guard Olivia Rockwood made layups, assisted by third-year forward Adrianna Smith. The reigning AEC Player of the Year led Maine in the game’s assists, rebounds, steals, and blocks.

Smith scored her first bucket of the game a few possessions later, barely beating the shot clock buzzer. The Great Danes scored six unanswered points to put them up 11-9 heading into the second quarter.

The second quarter was all the Black Bears. A layup by second-year guard Sarah Talon sparked an 11-0 run by the Black Bears, which was capped off by a gross step-back three by Simon. Philips ended Albany’s scoring drought with back-to-back layups, but Maine’s offense continued to click. A last-second layup by fourth-year guard Caroline Bornemann off a beautiful backdoor feed by Simon gave the Black Bears their largest lead of the game at 10, heading into halftime up 28-18.

Neither team’s shots from behind the arc were falling, both teams only making one of their seven three-point attempts. What gave Maine the edge was their ability to score easy buckets off of cuts and moving the ball. Despite being outrebounded 21-10, Maine dominated the interior, scoring double the amount of points in the paint than Albany. 

Immediately after the break, Smith continued where she left off in the first two quarters, scoring on back-to-back Black Bear possessions. She and Bornemann scored all of Maine’s points in the third quarter. Fourth-year Kayla Cooper and Third-year guard Meghan Huerter did enough on the offensive side of the ball to stop UMaine from extending their lead, with Albany still trailing by 10 entering the final quarter of play.

With a quiet third quarter, Simon decided it was time to put Albany away in the fourth. The former AEC Player of the Year went on a 7-0 run by herself to put the Black Bears up 49-32. Fourth-year forward Helene Haegerstrand scored a difficult layup while being fouled, but it wasn’t enough to ignite a late rally for Albany. Smith then found Bornemann for a three and put the nail in the coffin with a tough and-1 with multiple Albany defenders draped over her.

Simon scored a game-high 25 points in her final regular season game played in The Pit. Smith stuffed that stat sheet with 23 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists, five steals, and three blocks. Bornemann was perfect from the field and added 9 points. Cooper tallied a 22-point double-double for Albany, and Phillips reached double digits with 11.

With the win, the AEC tournament and the road to the NCAA Tournament officially runs through Maine. The Black Bears are next in action on Friday when they host UMass Lowell in an AEC quarterfinals matchup.

The University of Maine Black Bears women’s basketball team secured the America East Championship (AEC) regular-season title with a 63-46 win over the University of Albany Great Danes on Saturday in The Pit. This marks the seventh time in the last 10 years that Maine has reigned atop the American East Conference as the regular season ends.

UMaine entered the game with a 20-9 record, 13-2 in conference play, coming off a 57-51 win against Binghamton University. UAlbany entered the game with a 24-4 record, 13-2 in conference play, coming off a 45-40 win against the University of New Hampshire. Albany won the previous matchup 54-47 due to the Maine offense struggling, only shooting 28% from the field.

Fifth-year guard Anne Simon opened the scoring for the Black Bears, splitting a pair of free throws. Albany quickly responded with a three by third-year guard Lily Philips. Simon and fourth-year guard Olivia Rockwood made layups, assisted by third-year forward Adrianna Smith. The reigning AEC Player of the Year led Maine in the game’s assists, rebounds, steals, and blocks.

Smith scored her first bucket of the game a few possessions later, barely beating the shot clock buzzer. The Great Danes scored six unanswered points to put them up 11-9 heading into the second quarter.

The second quarter was all the Black Bears. A layup by second-year guard Sarah Talon sparked an 11-0 run by the Black Bears, which was capped off by a gross step-back three by Simon. Philips ended Albany’s scoring drought with back-to-back layups, but Maine’s offense continued to click. A last-second layup by fourth-year guard Caroline Bornemann off a beautiful backdoor feed by Simon gave the Black Bears their largest lead of the game at 10, heading into halftime up 28-18.

Neither team’s shots from behind the arc were falling, both teams only making one of their seven three-point attempts. What gave Maine the edge was their ability to score easy buckets off of cuts and moving the ball. Despite being outrebounded 21-10, Maine dominated the interior, scoring double the amount of points in the paint than Albany. 

Immediately after the break, Smith continued where she left off in the first two quarters, scoring on back-to-back Black Bear possessions. She and Bornemann scored all of Maine’s points in the third quarter. Fourth-year Kayla Cooper and Third-year guard Meghan Huerter did enough on the offensive side of the ball to stop UMaine from extending their lead, with Albany still trailing by 10 entering the final quarter of play.

With a quiet third quarter, Simon decided it was time to put Albany away in the fourth. The former AEC Player of the Year went on a 7-0 run by herself to put the Black Bears up 49-32. Fourth-year forward Helene Haegerstrand scored a difficult layup while being fouled, but it wasn’t enough to ignite a late rally for Albany. Smith then found Bornemann for a three and put the nail in the coffin with a tough and-1 with multiple Albany defenders draped over her.

Simon scored a game-high 25 points in her final regular season game played in The Pit. Smith stuffed that stat sheet with 23 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists, five steals, and three blocks. Bornemann was perfect from the field and added 9 points. Cooper tallied a 22-point double-double for Albany, and Phillips reached double digits with 11.

With the win, the AEC tournament and the road to the NCAA Tournament officially runs through Maine. The Black Bears are next in action on Friday when they host UMass Lowell in an AEC quarterfinals matchup.