The University of Maine women's basketball team returns to the postseason as it takes on Bucknell in the opening round of the 2014 Women's Basketball Invitational on Wednesday, March 19 at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on AmericaEast.TV. The Black Bears return to the postseason for the first time since meeting West Virginia in the WNIT in 2005.
Maine (16-14) has had a 12-win turnaround this year after winning four games in 2012-13. The Black Bears have their highest win total since the 2004-05 season and finished tied for fourth in the America East standings. Ashleigh Roberts leads the team at 13.7 points per game and was joined by sophomore Liz Wood on the all-conference second team.
The Black Bears are making their 11th appearance in the postseason but the team's first since 2005 (WNIT). The Black Bears are 2-11 all-time in the postseason with the team's last win coming in the 1999 NCAA tournament, a thrilling 60-58 win over #7 seeded Stanford. Maine will make its first appearance in the WBI and the second for an America East team. New Hampshire is the only other team to qualify for the WBI, falling to Holy Cross in the first round in 2012. Maine is 1-4 all-time in the WNIT and 1-7 in the NCAA tournament.
Bucknell (16-13) finished third in the Patriot League standings, its highest since 2011. The Bison are making their first posteason appearance since the 2007 WNIT.