The Maine Black Bears (13-14, 7-9 AE) finished the season in sixth place and ended the year by losing three of their final four contests. They will play Vermont in the quarterfinals on Friday.
Maine makes a living shooting on the perimeter. All of their starters shoot over 33 percent from beyond the arc, including Bracey Barker (37.5 percent), Ashley Underwood (40.4 percent) and Abby Greene (39.5 percent). The other major strength of this team is free-throw shooting; the Black Bears shot 78 percent as a team. Maine also distributes the ball well, putting them at the top of the conference in the assists per game category.
However, the Black Bears are ranked toward the bottom of the conference in scoring defense, and also get out-rebounded. Combine that with the fact that they turn the ball over 18 times per contest, and it becomes clear that Maine is a weak defending team.
Maine finished the year ranked eighth in the conference in turnover margin, yet almost finished with a winning record. While they turn the ball over a lot, Maine shoots 43 percent from the field, which helps them atone for the defensive mistakes and gives them a chance come tournament time.