A matchup that has been a year in the making is on the doorstep. No. 1 Maine will host No. 2 Stony Brook in the 2021 Hercules Tires America East Women’s Basketball Championship Game on Friday, March 12.
It is the third consecutive year that the title game will feature the top-two seeds. The game tips off on Friday at 5 p.m. and will be broadcast nationally on ESPNU with Roy Philpott and Brooke Weisbrod. Follow @AEHoopsNews on Twitter for real-time updates during the game.
Watch Live | Live Stats| Bracket | #AEPlayoffs Central | Full Championship Game Notes
No. 1 Maine Black Bears (17-2)
- Maine has advanced to the championship game for the sixth-straight year.
- A win would secure a third title in four years.
- The Black Bears’ nine titles are the most in conference history.
- The team won its league-best 17th regular season title and 14th outright this season.
- Maine leads the league in scoring (66.5 ppg), field goal percentage (42.8%), three-point percentage (33.1%), assists (15.8 apg) and steals (9.6 spg).
- Their 52.1 points per game allowed rank second behind Stony Brook and sixth in Division I.
- A league-high four Black Bears earned All-Conference honors, led by Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year Blanca Millan.
- Millan was joined by Anne Simon and Dor Saar on the All-Conference First Team while Maeve Carroll earned a spot on the Second Team.
No. 2 Stony Brook Seawolves (14-5)
- Stony Brook has advanced to consecutive championship games for the first time in program history.
- It is also the second year in a row the Seawolves have earned a top-two seed.
- The program won its first #AEHoops regular season title a season ago.
- A win on Friday would ensure the first NCAA Tournament berth in Stony Brook women’s basketball history.
- The Seawolves lead the league and rank second nationally in scoring defense, allowing 50.2 points per game.
- They also lead the league in field goal percentage defense, a mark that puts them in the nation’s top-15.
- Three Seawolves earned All-Conference recognition as Asiah Dingle and India Pagan were selected to the All-Conference First Team, while Annie Warren was a Third-Team selection.
- Senior McKenzie Bushee was named Sixth Player of the Year, becoming the second consecutive Seawolf and second overall to win the award.
The Matchup
- Maine (17-2) and Stony Brook (14-5) have advanced to the championship game for the second-straight year.
- It will mark the first time the two have played for the trophy.
- The all-time postseason series is tied 2-2 with Maine winning the previous two.
- The home team has won seven-straight titles, five of those have been the #1 seed.
- The last #2 seed to beat a #1 seed was Vermont in 2010 defeating Hartford.
- This is the 44th meeting between Maine and Stony Brook with the Black Bears leading the all-time series 23-20.
- The teams split the 2020-21 regular season series at Stony Brook.
Players to Watch
Blanca Millan, Sr., G – Maine
- Only woman in #AEHoops history to win multiple Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year accolades
- Leads the conference and ranks 17th nationally in points and ranks 12th in DI in steals
Dor Saar, Sr., G – Maine
- 3-time All-Conference choice
- League-leader in assists, second in three-point percentage
India Pagan, Sr., F – Stony Brook
- Two-time All-Conference selection
- Ranks in league’s top-five in field goal percentage for the third-straight year
Asiah Dingle, Jr., G – Stony Brook
- Second-Team All-Conference selection
- 14 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds, 6 steals in semifinals
About America East: The America East provides its member schools and their athletic programs a platform upon which student-athletes can achieve both collegiate and life success through the promotion and nurturing of athletic excellence, academic achievement and leadership, on and off the field.
- #3Pillars – Building the Complete Student-Athlete -