Preview: Maine Black Bears at UMass Lowell River Hawks LOWELL, Mass. (Interstat) — Two America East women’s basketball teams seeking momentum will meet when the Maine Black Bears visit the UMass Lowell River Hawks on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, at Costello Athletic Center. Both teams enter the New Year’s Day conference opener with sub-.500 overall records. Maine (5-8) snapped a three-game skid with its most recent outing, a 59-57 road victory at Harvard on Dec. 21. UMass Lowell (6-7) is coming off a dominant 109-45 home win over St. Joseph’s on Dec. 29, which halted its own two-game losing streak. The matchup will feature a compelling duel between standout guards. Maine’s Adrianna Smith has been a consistent force, averaging 19.0 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists over her last five games. She poured in 21 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists in the win at Harvard. For the River Hawks, Tyanna Medina is coming off a season-high 17-point, 6-assist performance in the rout of St. Joseph’s. Her production has been variable, but she logged 40 minutes in a narrow loss to Iona earlier this month, demonstrating her importance. Maine’s victory at Harvard before the break was a defensive grind, with Smith, Sarah Talon (7 points, 9 rebounds) and Asta Blauenfeldt (13 points) leading the way. UMass Lowell’s record includes an overtime win over Long Island and several lopsided non-conference losses to power-conference foes like DePaul and UMass. The River Hawks will look to leverage their home court, where they are 4-2 this season, while Maine aims to improve a 2-5 road record. History will be made quickly in the rematch, as the teams are scheduled to play again in Orono on Jan. 31. Thursday’s contest tips off the America East schedule for both programs. Maine visits Bryant on Saturday, while UMass Lowell travels to face Albany.