Adrianna Smith and Anne Simon are ready for the challenge.
The last two America East Players of the Year, junior forward Adrianna Smith and graduate student guard Anne Simon, will lead their University of Maine’s women’s basketball team into Thursday’s game against Albany in a battle of unbeaten America East co-leaders.
Game time at the Broadview Center in Albany is 7 p.m.
Both are 5-0 in league play. UMaine is 12-7 overall and Albany is 16-2, including an 8-0 home record.
There’s a lot riding on the matchup, as the Great Danes have ended UMaine’s season the past two years. Albany exited the Black Bears from the America East semifinals, 72-64, in Albany a year ago after having upset them in the title game in Orono, 56-47, the previous year.
Three years ago, UMaine ousted Albany in the semifinals 67-47.
“I’m excited to play them,” said Smith, the league’s Player of the Year last season.
“They’re a great team. They have a lot of experience,” said Simon, AE’s Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year two years ago.
Simon and Smith are having great seasons.
Simon is the league’s leading scorer with her 18.4 points per game average. She is also second in steals (2.5) and fourth in rebounds (7.2) and assists (3.5).
Smith is America East’s top rebounder (10.9 rpg), third in assists (4.4) and fourth in scoring (16.1). She also leads the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.5).
Smith has 13 double-doubles, which is third in the country among players at 348 Division I schools. She is tied for 11th in rebounds per game.
UMaine head coach Amy Vachon said they are playing like Players of the Year and both have continued to improve.
Smith has taken her game up a notch on the defensive side of the ball, Vachon said, while Simon has been a model of consistency throughout the season.
And they have both taken on more of a leadership role.
One area where Simon has taken a noticeable step has been her rebounding. She had never averaged more than 5.2 per game in a season prior to this season.
Smith and the rest of her teammates create havoc for opponents in the paint “so I’m able to go get the ball,” Simon said,
The Black Bears’ 38.2 rebounds per game is best in America East.
Simon said she has tried to become a “better leader” and has worked on improving the
“little things” that help win basketball games.
“We have put more emphasis on defense this year,” Simon said.
UMaine has allowed a league-low 45.8 points per game in league play.
Smith has worked on her defense as well as her shooting. She added 3-pointers to her arsenal, hitting six of them this season after entering the campaign with just two in her career.
“I’ve tried to become a little more consistent as a shooter. That opens things up for everyone else,” said Smith, who is shooting a team-best 47.3 percent from the floor.
Scoring will be at a premium on Thursday night.
Albany has allowed just 51.5 points per game overall, which is second best in the country.
The Black Bears are going to have to defend the 3-point line since Albany’s 39.7 shooting percentage from long distance is fourth-best in the country.
“We have to play defense the way we’ve been playing it [lately]. We need to communicate. Offensively, we have to take what they give us,” Smith said.
In addition to Simon and Smith, the Black Bears have also been paced by senior forward-guard Caroline Bornemann (8.9 ppg, 6 rpg) and sophomore guard Sarah Talon (6.8 ppg, 2.1 rpg).
Bornemann had a season-high and game-high 27 points in their last game, 81-39 over the New Jersey Institute of Technology.
Colleen Mullen’s Great Danes feature two 2022-23 All-America East first teamers in 6-foot senior guard Kayla Cooper (16.6 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 2.3 apg, 1.6 spg) and 6-1 graduate student forward Helene Haegerstrand (10 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.2 apg).
Cooper, the reigning America East Player of the Week, is shooting a blistering 56.5 percent from the floor, which is 31st in the country.
