The University of Maine women’s basketball team controls its own destiny heading into Thursday night’s America East showdown with rival Albany on the Skip Chappelle Court in the Memorial Gym in Orono.
Tip-off is 6 p.m.
The Black Bears are currently 10-4 in the conference and tied with Binghamton for second place behind 12-3 Vermont, the defending champ.
UMaine will finish the regular season at home against Binghamton at 1 p.m. Saturday.
With wins over Albany and Binghamton, the Black Bears would be assured of at least a second-place finish, which would mean they would have the opportunity to host quarterfinal and semifinal games, provided they win the quarterfinal.
They could also tie Vermont for the top spot if Vermont unexpectedly stumbles against 2-12 UMass Lowell on Thursday night in Lowell.
UMaine would also have a chance to host the championship game if it beats Albany and Binghamton, wins its quarterfinal and semifinal games, and Vermont gets upset.
UMaine, 15-12 overall, will look for its sixth win in seven games after rallying from a nine-point deficit over the final 8:49 to beat visiting New Hampshire 67-61 on Saturday.
“We want to continue what we’ve been doing. Playing really good defense, locking in and bringing our intensity,” said UMaine head coach Amy Vachon, who expects two difficult games. “Every team is fighting for playoff position.”
Perennial contender Albany comes into the game with an uncharacteristic 4-10 league mark and can’t finish any higher than seventh in the nine-team league. Colleen Mullen’s Great Danes are 14-13 overall and have lost six of their last eight, although the two wins have come against Binghamton and 8-6 the University of Maryland Baltimore County.
UMaine snapped a three-game losing streak to the Great Danes on Jan. 22 when it won a hard-fought 65-60 contest in a game that featured 11 lead changes and six ties.
Fifth-year senior forward Adrianna Smith, coming off her fifth consecutive double-double with 35 points and 14 rebounds against New Hampshire, continues to lead the Black Bears and the conference in scoring (22.4 points per game), rebounding (10.1) and assists (4.4). She is the only player among 359 Division I schools averaging 20-plus points, 10-plus rebounds and 4-plus assists. She is ninth in the country in scoring average and tied for 13th with 15 double-doubles.
She is averaging 28.3 points per game over her last four contests and has been chosen the league’s Player of the Week six times, including the past two weeks.
Senior guard Asta Blauenfeldt is averaging 11.8 points, 2 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 1.7 assists and senior guard Sarah Talon from Windham is contributing 8.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists.
Albany, which has the 10th-ranked scoring defense in the country (55.4 ppg allowed) and leads America East in 3-point shooting percentage (34.9 percent), features sophomore guard Delanie Hill (14.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2.4 apg), freshman forward and reigning AE Rookie of the Week Amaya Stewart (12.3 ppg, 5.1 rpg) and sophomore guard Martina Borrellas (9.9 ppg, team-leading 6.6 rpg, 2.2 apg).
