LOWELL, Mass. – The America East Tournament is back, and the #8 UMass Lowell River Hawks will visit the #1 Maine Black Bears for a quarterfinal matchup. Tip is set for 5:00 p.m. at the Memorial Gymnasium in Orono, Maine.
 
March 8 at #1 Maine (ESPN+ - 5:00 p.m.)
 
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LOOKING AT UMASS LOWELL
The River Hawks enter the postseason on a six-game losing skid. UMass Lowell will face the top-seeded Maine Black Bears for the second time in the America East Tournament and the first time in the quarterfinal round. Four River Hawks earned America East awards this week. Mili Carrera has been one of the team's leading scorer's this season and was named to the America East All-Conference Third Team. Sydney Watkins earned All-Defensive Team honors will Rayne Durant and Abbey Lindsey were named to the All-Rookie team.
 
Mili Carrera and Abbey Lindsey average 9.7 and 9.2 points per game, respectively, to lead the team heading into the postseason. Sydney Watkins leads the defense with 5.5 rebounds per game and team-highs 75 steals. Watkins has dished out 76 assists in the regular season and will look to continue to set up plays in the tournament.
 
SCOUTING THE BLACK BEARS
Maine enters Friday as the tournament's top seed. Anne Simon was named the America East Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year while Adrianna Smith was named All-Conference First Team. The Black Bears took down UAlbany on the final day of the regular season to claim the regular season title. Smith averages a double double through 30 games this season while Simon leads the team averaging 18.9 points per game. Maine shoots 40% from the field and 30% from three.
 
PLAYOFF HISTORY
The River Hawks make their sixth consecutive postseason appearance. UMass Lowell fell to UAlbany in last year's quarterfinal round. The River Hawks have made two semifinal appearances, in the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons.
 
MATCHUP HISTORY
UMass Lowell and Maine meet for the third time this season and just the second time in the America East Tournament. The Black Bears won the first meeting 55-43 in Lowell and 68-49 in the second meeting this year in Orono. The teams met in the 2019-20 America East Tournament Semifinal, where Maine came away with a 67-54 win to advance to the championship game.
 
LEADING THE FLOCK
Mili Carrera leads the squad averaging 9.7 points per game while Sydney Watkins leads the rebounding unit with 5.5 per game. Rayne Durant is the team's leading blocker with 29 on the season. Mili Carrera and Leilani Rodriguez are shooting 35% and 34% from three, respectively, and Cire Worley leads the team shooting 81% from the line with 26 of 32 made free throws. Watkins leads the team with 75 steals and 76 assists in 26 games, leading the league in steals and sitting seventh in assists.