Women’s Basketball Travels North to Meet Maine on Saturday

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Brown University women's basketball meets the University of Maine on Saturday, Dec. 8 at 1:00 p.m. (ESPN+) at Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, Maine, in its final game before the Bears break for final exams.

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Game Notes: Brown at Maine

THE IVY LEAGUE ON ESPN
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AREA CODE 207
Senior forward Mary Butler (Bangor, Maine) will play in her home state for the first time as a collegiate student-athlete on Saturday. A First Team All-State selection as a standout for Bangor High School, Butler will make her homecoming as the Bears play in the Pine Tree State for the first time as a program since Nov. 29, 2014. For fans listening locally in Bangor, Saturday's game will also be available on 96.1 WGUY-FM.

GAZIANO GAINS IVY PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Junior guard Justine Gaziano (Natick, Mass.) gained Ivy League Player of the Week honors on Dec. 3 after leading all scorers at the Ocean State Tip-Off Tournament with 30.0 points per game. Gaziano tallied 24.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game on the week, while shooting 54.7 percent from the floor and 47.4 percent from 3-point distance. At the Ocean State Tip-Off Tournament, she connected on 55 percent of her field goal attempts and 60 percent of her 3-point attempts. An All-Tournament Team selection, Gaziano scored a career-high 35 points in an 84-68 win over Bryant, making 13-of-18 field goals and 5-of-5 3-pointers. Against Bryant, she scored over 30 points in game for the first time this season and the fourth time in her career. Her 35 points tied for the fifth-most in a single game in school history.

OCEAN STATE TIP-OFF TOURNAMENT
At the 2018 Ocean State Tip-Off Tournament, junior guard Justine Gaziano (Natick, Mass.) and senior guard Shayna Mehta (San Francisco, Calif.) both earned All-Tournament Team honors. Gaziano led the tournament in scoring for the second straight year with 30.0 points per game while Mehta averaged 14.5 points and 8.0 assists per game on the weekend. Brown won the team title at the event in both 2016 and 2017 with Gaziano earning Tournament MVP honors in 2017. The members of Brown's senior class finished their careers 13-3 against Rhode Island teams, 9-3 vs. Division I teams from the Ocean State, and 5-1 at the Ocean State Tip-Off Tournament.

GAZIANO'S CAREER DAY
Junior guard Justine Gaziano (Natick, Mass.) scored a career-high 35 points, hitting 13-of-18 field goals and 5-of-5 3-pointers to lead Brown to an 84-68 win over Bryant in the semifinals of the Ocean State Tip-Off Tournament on Dec. 1. Gaziano (Natick, Mass.) set career highs for points (35) and field goals made (13) while making 5-of-5 shots from 3-point distance for the third time in her career. She scored 23 points in the first half, making 9-of-13 field goals, 3-of-3 treys, and 2-of-2 free throws. She scored over 30 points in a game for the first time this season and the fourth time in her career. Her 35 points tied for the fifth-most in a single game in school history. She made 10 or more field goals in a game for the second time this year and seventh time in her career and made four or more 3-pointers for the second time this year and ninth time in her career.

GAZIANO GOES OVER 1,000
Junior guard Justine Gaziano (Natick, Mass.) scored her 1,000^th career point against Bucknell (Nov. 25). She became the 21^st 1,000-point scorer in program history and the sixth Bear to score 1,000 points prior to her senior year. She scored her 1,000^th point in her 58^th career game and netted her 1,000^th career point at the 7:05 mark of the second quarter. She became the first Bear to score her 1,000^th career point at the Pizzitola Sports Center since Jordin Alexander '16 hit the mark against Columbia on Mar. 4, 2016. For the second straight year, a Bear scored her 1,000^th career point against a Patriot League opponent. Last season, senior guard Shayna Mehta (San Francisco, Calif.) netted her 1,000^th career point at Colgate on Dec. 10, 2017.

2K TEAMMATES
Senior guard Shayna Mehta (San Francisco, Calif.) and junior guard Justine Gaziano (Natick, Mass.) stand as the only two active career 1,000-point scorers in the Ivy League. Mehta (1,493 points) and Gaziano (1,081 points) represent the sixth pair of teammates in program history to play contemporaneously as 1,000-point scorers. The duo is the first to accomplish the feat since Sarah Hayes '06 and Colleen Kelly '06 played together as 1,000-point scorers in the 2005-06 season.

NCAA PERSPECTIVE
Junior guard Justine Gaziano (Natick, Mass.) ranks first in the nation in points (219), first in field goals made (84), first in minutes played (379), and third in field goal attempts (174). Senior guard Shayna Mehta (San Francisco, Calif.) ranks second in the NCAA in total points (203), fourth in field goals made (74), second in field goal attempts (174), second in minutes played (374), fifth in steals (31), eighth in assists (53), and 15^th in 3-pointers made (26). Among NCAA active career leaders, Mehta ranks 22^nd in 3-pointers made (222) and 31^st in points (1,493) while Gaziano sits ninth in points per game (17.7) among active 1,000-point scorers.

FROM DOWNTOWN
Senior guard Shayna Mehta (San Francisco, Calif.) scored a career-high 34 points on 12-of-20 field goals and 6-of-9 3-pointers at Holy Cross (Nov. 18). She scored over 30 points for the third time in her career and went over 20 points for the 24^th time. She tied her career high with 12 field goals made and connected on five or more 3-pointers in a game for the 14^th time in her career. Earlier in November, she became the third student-athlete in program history and 11^th student-athlete in Ivy League history to make 200 career 3-pointers with a pair of triples at Boston University (Nov. 12).

TRIPLE TRIO
Of the nine student-athletes in program history who have made 100 or more career 3-pointers, three of them are active players on this year's team. Senior guard Shayna Mehta (San Francisco, Calif.) leads the group with 222 career made 3-pointers – tied for first all-time at Brown while senior forward Erika Steeves (Montreal, Quebec) and junior guard Justine Gaziano (Natick, Mass.) have made 110 and 108 career triples respectively.

RECORDS WATCH
Senior guard Shayna Mehta (San Francisco, Calif.) continues to make her way up the charts in the Brown record book. Mehta currently ranks fourth at Brown in career points (1,493), tied for first in career 3-pointers made (222), and fifth in career field goals made (548). She stands tied for sixth in Ivy League history in 3-pointers made. Junior guard Justine Gaziano (Natick, Mass.) stands 14^th at Brown in career points (1,081) and eighth in career 3-pointers 108) while senior forward Erika Steeves (Montreal, Quebec) sits seventh in 3-pointers (110). Steeves has 986 career points entering the weekend.

TURKEY TIP-OFF
Senior guard Shayna Mehta (San Francisco, Calif.) earned All-Tournament Team honors at the 2018 Brown University Turkey Tip-Off. She led the tournament in points per game (22.0), field goals made per game (8.7), assists per game (4.3), steals per game (3.7), and minutes per game (37.7). In the Bears' finale at the event, Mehta scored 29 points – connecting on 12-of-22 field goals and a trio of 3-pointers – and added six steals and six rebounds against Bucknell (Nov. 25).

FAB FOUR
The four members of Brown's senior class – Mary Butler (Bangor, Maine), Shayna Mehta (San Francisco, Calif.), Erika Steeves (Montreal, Quebec), and Taylor Will (Arlington Heights, Ill.) – have combined for 358 games played, 266 games started, 3,558 points, 1,294 field goals made, 390 3-pointers made, 567 free throws made, 1,673 rebounds, 652 assists, 434 steals, 147 blocks, and 9,334 minutes played over their careers.

FOUR OF A KIND WITH AN ACE
Over the course of their careers, the quintet of seniors Shayna Mehta (San Francisco, Calif.), Erika Steeves (Montreal, Quebec), Taylor Will (Arlington Heights, Ill.), and Mary Butler (Bangor, Maine) and junior guard Justine Gaziano (Natick, Mass.) has combined for 419 games played, 325 games started, 4,623 points, 1,681 field goals made, 498 3-pointers made, 770 free throws made, 1,906 rebounds, 730 assists, 480 steals, 162 blocks, and 11,391 minutes played. As a unit, the group has started nine of 11 games this season and has made 20 starts together all-time. Each member of the group ranks in the top 20 in the NCAA this season for minutes played, including Gaziano (379 minutes, first), Mehta (374, second), Steeves (335, eighth), Butler (327, 12^th), and Will (314, 19^th).

PERIMETER DUO
Brown carries two of the Ivy League's top three scorers in senior guard Shayna Mehta (San Francisco, Calif.) and junior guard Justine Gaziano (Natick, Mass.). Gaziano ranks second in the Ivy League in points per game (19.9) while Mehta stands third in the conference with 18.5 points per game. Combined, the pair has accounted for 132 career double-figure scoring games and 50 games with 20 or more points. This season they have combined for 21 double-figure scoring games and nine games with 20 or more points. Last season, the duo combined for 22 20-point games, helping Brown post a 20-point scorer in 23 of 27 games, including six contests with two 20-point scorers.

MEHTA DATA
Senior guard Shayna Mehta (San Francisco, Calif.) ranks third in the Ivy League in points per game (18.5), first in steals per game (2.8), second in field goals made (74), second in assists per game (4.8), fourth in 3-pointers made per game (2.4), and eighth in minutes per game (34.0). At the Ocean State Tip-Off Tournament, she earned All-Tournament Team honors after averaging 14.5 points and 8.0 assists per game, setting a career high with eight assists against both Bryant (Dec. 1) and URI (Dec. 2). Mehta scored a career-high 34 points, hitting 12-of-20 field goals and 6-of-9 3-pointers at Holy Cross (Nov. 18). At the Turkey Tip-Off, she scored 29 points on 12-of-22 shooting with six steals and six rebounds vs. Bucknell (Nov. 25), posted 19 points and six assists vs. Fairfield (Nov. 23), and netted 18 points vs. Massachusetts (Nov. 24). She averaged 25.0 points per game over a four-game span from Nov. 18-25. She opened the year with 16 points and 10 rebounds vs. CCSU (Nov. 6) for her eighth career double-double. Mehta netted 23 points with seven rebounds at Boston University (Nov. 12) and compiled 13 points and six rebounds vs. UNH (Nov. 15). She approached a triple-double with 10 points, eight boards, and a career-high seven assists vs. JWU (Nov. 27). Last season, she ranked second in the Ivy League in points per game (18.5), second in 3-pointers made per game (2.8), and third in steals per game (2.2). Last year in Ivy League play, she averaged 17.4 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. For her career, she has scored in double figures 78 times, netted 20 or more points 25 times, eclipsed 30 points three times, and totaled eight double-doubles. A 2017-18 Academic All-Ivy selection, she has earned Second Team All-Ivy accolades in each of the last two years and collected Ivy League All-Tournament Team honors in 2016-17. She unanimously won the Ivy League Rookie of the Year award in 2015-16.

GAZIANO THE GO-TO
Junior guard Justine Gaziano (Natick, Mass.) ranks second in the Ivy League in points per game (19.9), first in field goals made (84), third in 3-point percentage (.354), sixth in 3-pionters per game (2.1), second in offensive rebounds per game (3.6), and sixth in minutes per game (34.5). Gaziano scored a career-high 35 points on 13-of-18 field goals and 5-of-5 3-pointers in the Ocean State Tip-Off Tournament semifinals vs. Bryant (Dec. 1). An All-Tournament Team selection, she led all scorers at the Ocean State Tip-Off with 30.0 points per game after adding 25 points at URI (Dec. 2). She posted her second career double-double with a season-high 29 points and 11 rebounds vs. UNH (Nov. 15) and notched her third career double-double with 14 points and 10 boards vs. JWU (Nov. 27). Gaziano netted 23 points on 8-of-15 shooting with six rebounds at Holy Cross (Nov. 18). She netted 21 points and scored her 1,000^th career point against Bucknell (Nov. 25). She opened the year with 27 points and eight rebounds vs. CCSU (Nov. 6) and netted 15 points vs. Massachusetts (Nov. 24). Last year, Gaziano ranked third in the Ivy League in points per game (17.9), first in free throw percentage (87.2), fifth in 3-pointers per game (1.9), and third in field goal percentage (48.6). In Ivy League play last winter, she scored 17.5 points per game, shot 49.4 percent from the field, and 44.6 percent from downtown. For her career, Gaziano has scored in double figures in each of 54 games, netted 20 or more points 25 times, and eclipsed 30 points four times. She has earned All-Ivy honors in each of her first two seasons, taking Honorable Mention in 2017-18 and Second Team in 2016-17.

WILL POWER
Senior guard Taylor Will (Arlington Heights, Ill.) has averaged 11.4 points and 4.8 rebounds per game, while ranking second in the Ivy League in steals per game (2.4) this season. Will has scored in double figures in six of her last seven games played. She posted her first double-double of the year on 16 points and 10 rebounds in the Ocean State Tip-Off Tournament semifinals vs. Bryant (Dec. 1). At the Turkey Tip-Off, she scored a season-high 17 points on 6-of-7 shooting vs. Bucknell (Nov. 25) and posted 12 points against both Fairfield (Nov. 23) and Massachusetts (Nov. 24). She netted 15 points with six rebounds at Holy Cross. Will scored 12 points and hit 2-of-5 3-pointers vs. UNH (Nov. 15) after charting eight points and seven rebounds at Bryant (Nov. 8). She returned to the Brown lineup in the season opener vs. CCSU (Nov. 6) after missing the majority of last season due to a knee injury she sustained on Dec. 22, 2017. In the opener, she posted nine points and a career-high seven steals vs. CCSU (Nov. 6). Through Brown's first 11 games last year, Will ranked fifth in the Ivy League with 17.0 points per game, fifth in field goal percentage (48.3), fourth in assists per game (3.9), third in steals per game (2.6), and fourth in free throw percentage (77.6). She scored in double figures in all 11 games in which she played last season and netted over 20 points in each of three games. For her career, she has scored in double figures 37 times and netted 20 or more points six times. She took a major step forward in her development from her freshman to her sophomore season pushing her scoring from 1.7 points per game as a rookie to 12.3 points per game as a sophomore – an increase of 10.6 points per game.

STEEVES ANCHORS FRONTCOURT
Senior forward Erika Steeves (Montreal, Quebec) has averaged 7.9 points and 6.5 rebounds per game on the year, while ranking seventh in the conference in defensive rebounds per game (5.0). Steeves posted her first double-double of the season on 14 points and 10 rebounds against Fairfield (Nov. 23) and notched her second double-double on 18 points and 15 boards vs. JWU (Nov. 27). She scored 14 points with eight rebounds vs. UNH (Nov. 15), totaled eight points and six boards at Holy Cross (Nov. 18), and grabbed a team-high eight rebounds at Bryant (Nov. 8). She scored 11.1 points per game last season, while ranking second in the Ivy League in defensive rebounds per game (6.4) and seventh in rebounds per game (7.4). In Ivy play last year, she averaged 9.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. For her career, she has totaled 17 double-doubles, scored in double figures 48 times, and eclipsed 20 points six times. She returns as one of the Bears' most experienced frontcourt players and earned a spot on the Ivy League All-Tournament Team in 2016-17.

BREAD AND BUTLER
Senior forward Mary Butler (Bangor, Maine) has played in all 96 games since the start of the 2015-16 season, the only Bear to do so. She has averaged 4.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 29.7 minutes per game this season. Butler ranks fourth in the Ivy League in blocks per game (1.3). She tallied eight rebounds, six points, and a career-high four blocks at URI (Dec. 2). She led the Turkey Tip-Off in blocks per game (1.7) and scored eight points vs. Fairfield (Nov. 23). She opened the year with eight rebounds, five points, and four assists vs. CCSU (Nov. 6) and totaled six points and six boards at Holy Cross (Nov. 18). Last winter she averaged 3.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 15.6 minutes per game for the season. In Ivy play a year ago, Butler posted 3.2 points and 3.6 rebounds per game in 16.6 minutes per contest. She adds to Brown's experience in the frontcourt and earned Ocean State Tip-Off All-Tournament Team honors as a sophomore.

GREEN AT THE FIVE
Junior Haley Green (Salem, Va.) has provided the Bears a presence at center, averaging 2.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 11.8 minutes per game on the year. Green made her first career start vs. JWU (Nov. 27) and posted eight points on 4-of-5 shooting with five rebounds. She snared a career-high nine boards vs. Bryant (Dec. 1), tallied six points and three rebounds at Boston University (Nov. 12), and grabbed five boards at Holy Cross (Nov. 18).

MULLIN FROM DISTANCE
Freshman guard Maddie Mullin (Wellesley, Mass.) came off the bench against Johnson & Wales (Nov. 27) and connected on 5-of-10 shots from behind the 3-point line, scoring 15 points for her first career game in double figures.

PRESEASON PREDICTIONS
Brown was selected to finish fifth in the 2018-19 Ivy League Women's Basketball Preseason Media Poll. Defending league champion Princeton took the top spot in the poll with 14 first-place votes and 133 total points. Penn followed in second with two first-place votes and 107 total points while Harvard (one first-place vote, 104 points) and Yale (89 points) rounded out the top half of the poll. Brown (66), Dartmouth (55), Columbia (30), and Cornell (28) filled out the fifth through eighth slots, in order.

VETERAN FEEL
Brown returns 87 percent of its scoring and 76 percent of its rebounding from a season ago as the Bears bring back seven of their top eight scorers and six of their top seven rebounders from last season.

BACK-TO-BACK ALL-IVY HONOREES
Last winter guard Shayna Mehta '19 (San Francisco, Calif.) earned Second Team All-Ivy, and guard Justine Gaziano '20 (Natick, Mass.) gained Honorable Mention All-Ivy, becoming the first pair of Brown teammates to garner All-Ivy in back-to-back seasons since Sarah Hayes '06 and Holly Robertson '05 both collected All-Ivy accolades in the 2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons. Both Mehta and Gaziano earned Second Team All-Ivy in the 2016-17 season. At the end of the 2017-18 regular season, Mehta ranked second in the Ivy League in points per game (18.5), second in 3-pointers made per game (2.8), and third in steals per game (2.2) while Gaziano ranked third in the Ancient Eight in points per game (17.9), first in free throw percentage (.872), third in field goal percentage (.486), and fifth in 3-pointers per game (1.9).

THREE STRAIGHT WINNING SEASONS
After going 15-13 overall in 2015-16, 17-13 in 2016-17, and 15-12 in 2017-18, Brown posted three straight winning seasons for the first time since registering four straight seasons above .500 from 2002-06.

ON THE FAST BREAK
The Bears lead the Ivy League this winter in points per game (70.6) and steals per game (10.0). Brown has scored 70 or more points in five of its last eight contests. As a team last year, Brown led the Ivy League in points per game (75.3), while ranking second in 3-point field goals made per game (8.1), defensive rebounds per game (29.1), and blocks per game (5.37). The Bears scored at least 70 points in 19 games and eclipsed 80 points 11 times.

START YOUR ENGINES
Brown opened its 46^th season of women's basketball on Nov. 6, and the Bears have now registered a 20-26 record all-time in season openers. Brown has won its last five openers and six of its last seven season debuts. Beginning last year with a 12-1 record, Brown established its best start in program history through 13 games. At 10-1 through 11 games, the Bears began 2015-16 with their best start since 1973-74. Brown opened the 2015-16 season at 5-0 for the first time in school history before falling at Manhattan.

NON-CONFERENCE WINS
The Bears notched a 12-1 mark in non-conference contests in 2017-18, tying for the second-most non-conference wins in school history and giving the Bears double-digit non-league wins for the sixth time. In 2016-17, the team tallied a 10-6 non-conference record as Brown posted its fifth-most non-conference wins in program history. With a 12-2 mark in non-conference contests in 2015-16, Brown finished second in program history for non-conference victories in a season. The Bears went 13-2 in non-league games in 1974-75 and notched 11 such wins in 1973-74 and 1975-76.

MEHTA ECLIPSES 1,000 POINTS
Senior guard Shayna Mehta (San Francisco, Calif.) became the 20^th 1,000-point scorer in program history and the fifth student-athlete in program history to score 1,000 points before her senior year with a 28-point effort at Colgate on Dec. 10, 2017. She netted her 1,000^th point on a corner 3-pointer with 6:14 to play against the Raiders. She became the program's first 1,000-point scorer since Jordin Alexander '16, and the program's first player to score 1,000 points before her senior year since Vita Redding '99.

REACHING TRIPLE DIGITS
Brown set a program record for points against a Division I opponent in its 102-77 win over Sacred Heart on Dec. 6, 2017. The Bears scored over 100 points against a Division I team for the first time in school history. Brown crossed the century mark for the first time in a 114-28 win over Division III Mount Ida on Nov. 19, 2015 and reached the plateau in a 100-79 win over Johnson & Wales on Jan. 5, 2018. The Bears' previous scoring high against a Division I opponent came in a 98-88 win over Princeton on Jan. 13, 2017. Against SHU, Brown trailed 32-13 at the 8:29 mark of the second quarter before outscoring the Pioneers, 89-45, over the remainder of the game.

MEHTA ON THE MARK
Guard Shayna Mehta '19 (San Francisco, Calif.) scored a then career-high 33 points and set a single-game program record with nine made 3-pointers in the Bears' game against No. 20 California on Nov. 19, 2017. Mehta hit 9-of-15 shots from 3-point distance and earned Ivy League Player of the Week honors on Nov. 20. She came within one 3-pointer of tying the Ivy League record for made 3-pointers in a single game and posted her second career game with 30 or more points.

HISTORY MADE BEYOND THE ARC
Against No. 20 California on Nov. 19, 2017, Brown set single-game program records for 3-pointers made (16) and 3-pointers attempted (41), shooting 39.0 percent from distance in the contest. In the first quarter alone, the Bears connected on 7-of-17 shots (41.2 percent) from behind the arc.

DOMINIQUE DISTRIBUTES
Sophomore guard Dominique Leonidas (Stone Mountain, Ga.) stepped up her level of play during Ivy League competition last year as she posted 5.9 points, 2.0 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 20.0 minutes per game. Overall for her rookie season, she averaged 17.6 minutes, 4.1 points, 2.5 assists, and 2.2 rebounds per game. During a three-game span from Feb. 10-17, Leonidas tallied 15.3 points per game and shot 63.3 percent (19-of-30) from the floor.

NON-LEAGUE WINNING STREAK
During non-league play last winter, Brown went on a 10-game winning streak from Nov. 24 to Jan. 5, marking the second double-digit win streak in program history. The Bears posted one other double-digit win streak during a school-record 13-game stretch from Jan. 23 to Mar. 5 during the 1992-93 season.

STEEVES SCORES SECOND-MOST POINTS
Forward Erika Steeves '19 (Montreal, Quebec) scored 38 points – the second-highest single-game total in school history – in Brown's 100-79 win over Johnson & Wales on Jan. 5, 2018. She netted 8-of-10 shots from 3-point distance, marking the second-most made 3-pointers in a game in program history. Her 14 made field goals tied for the fourth most in a contest in the Brown record book. Her 38-point effort helped the Bears score 100 or more points for the second time on the season and for the third time in program history.

SUMMER WELL SPENT
During the summer of 2018, junior guard Justine Gaziano (Natick, Mass.) spent 30 days in Samoa through a Brown University Royce Sport and Society Fellowship. During her time in Samoa, Gaziano explored the athletic experiences of a select group of high performing female athletes with an emphasis on how sociocultural attitudes towards female athletes have impacted their experiences. Also this past summer, sophomores McKenna Dale (Storrs, Conn.) and Dominique Leonidas (Stone Mountain, Ga.) and assistant coach Sara Binkhorst volunteered in Kenya with the non-profit Play BOLD, assisting with sport clinics, classroom education, and infrastructural projects. In the summer of 2017, senior forward Erika Steeves (Montreal, Quebec) spent 23 days traveling through China, studying the market for amateur and professional basketball there through a Royce Fellowship for Sport and Society while during that same summer senior guard Shayna Mehta (San Francisco, Calif.) spent 18 days in Chennai, India with Crossover Basketball and Scholars Academy, using basketball as a vehicle to impact the education rates of marginalized communities there.

THE SPLASH SISTERS
The Bears feature the first pair of Indian American sisters to play NCAA Division I basketball for the same team in senior guard Shayna Mehta (San Francisco, Calif.) and freshman guard Nina Mehta (San Francisco, Calif.). The sisters have their own Instagram account – brownsplashsisters – in homage the "Splash Brothers" duo of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson from the Mehtas' hometown NBA team, the Golden State Warriors.

STEEVES EARNS COSIDA ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT AGAIN
Senior forward Erika Steeves (Montreal, Quebec) has gained CoSIDA First Team Academic All-District accolades in each of the last two seasons as a sophomore and junior. In order to earn CoSIDA Academic All-District honors, a student-athlete must participate as a starter or an important reserve, have reached sophomore academic standing, and maintain at least a 3.30 cumulative grade point average.

BEARS SIGN ELLIE LEO THROUGH TEAM IMPACT
Brown officially signed Ellie Leo, then a 12-year-old, seventh grade student from Norton, Mass., to its roster through a Team IMPACT Cystic Fibrosis Project "Draft Day" Sponsored by Vertex Pharmaceuticals on Nov. 30, 2017. As part of a ceremony in the Pizzitola Sports Center's Joukowsky Room, Ellie – a high honors student who loves gymnastics, basketball, and art – signed an official Letter of Intent before her family and friends and received an authentic team jersey from the Bears.

STEEVES NORTH OF THE BORDER
Senior forward Erika Steeves (Montreal, Quebec) took part in a pair of camps with Canada Basketball's Women's National Team in the summer of 2017. Steeves competed in the program's Assessment Camp from May 12-22 in Edmonton, Alberta and in the organization's Development Team Tryouts from July 29 to August 8 in Toronto, Ontario.

THE CAPTAINS
The four members of Brown's senior class – forward Mary Butler (Bangor, Maine), guard Shayna Mehta (San Francisco, Calif.), forward Erika Steeves (Montreal, Quebec), and guard Taylor Will (Arlington Heights, Ill.) will serve the Bears as captains during the 2018-19 season. Steeves returns for her second year as a captain for the Bears.

CLASS OF 2022
Brown welcomes six freshmen to its roster for the upcoming season in a Class of 2022 that includes forward/center Elle Baker (Scottsdale, Ariz.), guard Traiva Breedlove (Rochester, N.Y.), forward Ashley Ducharme (Milton, Mass.), guard/forward Alana Kelley (Phoeniz, Ariz.), guard Nina Mehta (San Francisco, Calif.) – senior guard Shayna Mehta's younger sister – and Maddie Mullin (Wellesley, Mass.).

STAFF CHANGES
Brown head coach Sarah Behn has brought three new staff members to the program for the 2018-19 season. The Bears feature two new assistant coaches in Eddie Benton – a former assistant coach at Cincinnati and Duquesne – and Kanika Cummings – a former assistant coach at Connecticut College – in addition to a new operations coordinator in Olivia Healy – a former standout student-athlete at Richmond and New Hampshire.

THE MAINE SERIES HISTORY
Brown and Maine have met 12 times on the hardwood with the Bears trailing the Black Bears in the all-time series, 5-7. The Bears hold a 3-1 record at home and 2-6 record on the road all-time against the Black Bears. Maine won the last meeting, 58-53, on Nov. 29, 2014. Brown last topped Maine on Nov. 26, 2011.

SCOUTING THE BLACK BEARS
Maine enters Saturday's match-up with a 6-2 record and on a four-game winning streak. The Black Bears hold two wins this season over Ivy League opponents – vs. Penn (47-46) and at Harvard (67-60). Blanca Millan leads the team with 18.3 points per game, Tanesha Sutton has scored 12.9 points per game, and Fanny Wadling has averaged 11.0 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. Last season, Maine won the America East regular season and tournament titles.

UP NEXT
After playing at Maine, Brown makes a trip to the state of Illinois to play at Chicago State (Dec. 30, 3:00 p.m. ET) and at Northern Illinois (Dec. 31, 2:00 p.m. ET) to close out the 2018 calendar year.

THIRD ANNUAL IVY LEAGUE TOURNAMENT
Brown will look to compete at the third annual Ivy League Tournament, which is set to take place at Yale University's John J. Lee Amphitheater in New Haven, Conn., from Mar. 16-17, 2019. Semifinals for the tournament will take place at 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. on Mar. 16 on ESPN3, and the final for the tournament will tip off at 4:00 p.m. on Mar. 17 on ESPNU.

TICKETS!
Tickets for all Brown women's basketball games can be purchased online, by calling the Brown Athletics Ticket Office at (401) 863-2773, or by walking up to the box office located in the Pizzitola Sports Center, open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Women’s Basketball Travels North to Meet Maine on Saturday

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Players Mentioned

Traiva Breedlove

Mary Butler

McKenna Dale

Ashley Ducharme

Justine Gaziano

Haley Green

Alana Kelley

Dominique Leonidas

Nina Mehta

Shayna Mehta

Maddie Mullin

Erika Steeves

Taylor Will

Brown University Athletics