Men's Basketball Opens America East Play With Maine at SEFCU Arena Saturday Night
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ALBANY, N.Y. – Two-time defending America East champion University at Albany men's basketball (5-7) kicks off conference play this Saturday night against Maine (1-11). Tip is slated for 7:00 p.m.
LAST TIME OUT
UAlbany suffered a season-low in points to conclude 2014, falling 47-65 at Niagara on Tuesday, Dec. 30. In his first career start, Wheeler Baker led the Great Danes with 11 points, including three three-pointers. Evan Singletary and Ray Sanders topped all players with five boards apiece in the loss. The Purple Eagles shot 50% (11-22) from three and 12-16 (.750) from the charity stripe to take the win. The Purple & Gold attempted just five free throws.
LAST WE MET
In their last meeting at SEFCU Arena on Feb. 15 of last season, UAlbany took a 74-63 victory to get over .500 in America East play at 7-6. The Great Danes never trailed thanks to a 9-for-14 (.643) clip from three-point land. Peter Hooley scored 21 points and tallied five assists in the win.
SERIES HISTORY
The Great Danes are 15-12 against the Black Bears, taking the last three straight meetings and seven of the last eight. In the 2012-13 season, Maine nearly halted UAlbany's run to the NCAA Tournament in the America East Quarters, but the Great Danes prevailed 50-49. Sam Rowley hit the game-winning basket with 15 seconds left in regulation. Will Brown is 8-6 against Maine at SEFCU Arena.
AMERICA EAST OPENERS
This is the sixth-straight season UAlbany has opened its America East schedule with a home game. The Great Danes have won their first league home game the last four seasons, including victories against Hartford, New Hampshire and UMBC. These two teams have not met in the first game of their respective conference slates since the 2002-03 season. In the Jan. 4, 2003 meeting, Maine took a 90-71 win in Orono.
ALBANY COUNTY STOP DWI NIGHT
UAlbany men's basketball will celebrate Albany County Stop DWI night on Saturday. In a study published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol, results showed that a driver with a .08% BAC can be up to 50 times more likely to die in a crash than is he was completely sober. At .10% BAC - the former BAC limit for driving while intoxicated in New York State - the same driver would be up to 240 times more like to die in a crash caused by drunk driving. Nationally, three out of 10 people will be in an alcohol related crash in their lifetime.
SCOUTING MAINE
- The Black Bears are 1-11 so far this season, behind an 0-9 record on the road. Maine's lone win came against Wagner at home, 82-81 in overtime.
- Maine's leading scorer Zarko Valjarevic did not play in an 81-64 loss at Quinnipiac, but Till Gloger stepped in for 19 points on 9-for-16 shooting against the Bobcats. Shaun Lawton added 11 points and five assists.
- With just two home games this season, Maine's scoring margin stands at -16.4 points per game, while being out-rebounded by seven boards per game.
- The Black Bears are young in 2014-15, starting two freshmen and one sophomore. Maine boasts just one senior in Valjarevic, three freshmen and six sophomores.
- Maine head coach Bob Walsh begins his first season in 2014-15, inheriting a team that returned three starters from an early 2013-14 America East Tournament exit. Last season's Black Bears went 6-23 overall and 4-12 in conference to earn the No. 7 seed in the league tournament.
