Men's basketball conference play continues on Saturday with four
games as Stony Brook will play its league opener, four squads will try
to stay perfect and three others will look to avoid 0-2 starts.
UMBC and Maine will start things off as the two teams square off at 12 p.m. in Orono. Also, Hartford visits Boston U. at 1 p.m. while Stony Brook hosts New Hampshire and Vermont entertains Albany at 2 p.m.
Getting off to a good start in conference play has proved crucial over the years as
only four times in the conference's 33-year history has a team lost its
league opener and gone on to win the league title, although Vermont and
Boston U. pulled off the feat the last two seasons. Avoiding an 0-2 start is imperative as no team has ever lost its first two conference games and then been crowned league champions. Finishing among the
conference's top two is important as well as just twice has a
team finished third or lower in the regular-season standings and gone on
to hoist the championship trophy.
Maine (6-8, 1-0 AE) beat Boston U. Wednesday night, its third straight victory, while UMBC (2-12, 0-1 AE) fell at Albany in its opener. The Black Bears, America East's top scoring teams, have won three of the last four meetings in the series, including both of last year's contests. The matchup will feature two of the league's top three scorers in Maine's Justin Edwards, the league leader averaging 17.9 points per game and UMBC's Ryan Cook, who's third scoring 16.6 ppg.
Hartford (8-6, 1-0 AE) overcame a 10-point deficit to beat Binghamton Wednesday, while Boston U.'s (6-8) loss at Maine was just its sixth in its last nine games. Both teams rely on the three ball as the Terriers lead the league with 110 made treys and the Hawks are second with 109. The game is a rematch of last year's America East quarterfinal contest won by Hartford, but Boston U. has beaten the Hawks 10 straight times in Boston.
Both Albany (12-3, 1-0 AE and Vermont (8-5, 1-0 AE) are coming off victories in their openers. The Great Danes, whose 12-3 mark is America East's best through 15 games since Vermont matched that mark during the 2004-05 season, downed UMBC, while Vermont won at UNH. The Catamounts have the last six meetings between the two teams, who have combined to win seven of the last 10 conference titles.
Stony Brook (9-4) opens America East play after have the bye on Wednesday. The Seawolves, who are coming off a win at Manhattan Tuesday, enter league play with its best record in its Division I history. New Hampshire (4-9, 0-1 AE) fell at home to Vermont in its conference opener, its fourth straight loss. The game features two of the top defenses as they rank one-two in field goal percentage defense. The Wildcats hold a 14-10 all-time series edge, but the Seawolves have won the last four meetings.
For updates throughout the day, follow America East on Twitter.
Upcoming Action - Saturday, January 5
UMBC at Maine, 12 p.m. (WABI TV) -- Live Stats | Video| Maine Radio
Hartford at Boston U., 1 p.m. -- Live Stats | Video | Boston U. Audio | Hartford Radio
Albany at Vermont, 2 p.m. -- Live Stats | Video | Albany Radio | Vermont Radio
New Hampshire at Stony Brook, 2 p.m. -- Live Stats | Video | Stony Brook Radio | UNH Radio