The University of Maine men’s ice hockey team climbed three places in the weekly NCAA Tournament PairWise Rankings despite a 2-1 loss to Providence College in its only game of the week.

The PairWise rankings, a tabulation used by the NCAA tournament committee to help determine the 16 teams to make the postseason tourney. Maine has not appeared in the NCAA tournament since 2012.

The Black Bears (17-11-5, 11-9-3 in Hockey East) are ranked 15th in the latest rankings. Maine is also ranked No. 15 in the USCHO top 20 poll.

Maine host Providence College in its final regular-season game of the season at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Maine is fifth in Hockey East, just three points behind second-place Massachusetts. The top eight teams will qualify for the conference playoffs, which start on March 13.

Other Hockey East schools in the USCHO Top 20 Poll are Boston College (4), UMass (9), UMass Lowell (12), Northeastern (16), and Providence (18). UConn received votes for the top 20.

BASEBALL

AURORA 9, ST. JOSEPH’S 3: Justin Sartori hit a two-run double and the Spartans (5-0) scored six times in the fifth inning and beat the Monks (1-4) in Auburndale, Florida.

St. Joseph’s scored three times in the ninth inning, including a two-run double by Kevin Aylward.

SOFTBALL

MILWAUKEE SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING 9, ST. JOSEPH’S 1: Amanda Manssen had three hits, two RBI and scored a run as the Mustangs (1-0) beat the Monks (0-3) in Clermont, Florida.

Lauren Leidemann-Smith had two of the Monks’ five hits, including a first-inning double that scored Libby Pomerleau for a 1-0 lead.

ST. JOSEPH’S 9, HOUGHTON 5: Lauren Leidemann-Smith doubled home a run and also scored as the Monks (1-3) broke a 2-2 tie with four runs in the second inning against Houghton (0-2) in Clermont, Florida.

Leidemann-Smith finished with three hits, three RBI and a run scored. Olivia Howe also had three hits, scored twice and drove in a run for the Monks.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

(12) DUKE 88, NORTH CAROLINA STATE 69: Freshman Cassius Stanley scored 14 of his 18 points after halftime as the Blue Devils (24-6, 14-5 ACC) beat the Wolfpack (18-12, 9-10), in Durham, North Carolina

TOP 25: Kansas is the unanimous No. 1 in a week of upheaval in the AP Top 25. Gonzaga was No. 2, with Dayton, Baylor and San Diego State rounding out the top five.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

(5) UCONN 80, SOUTH FLORIDA 39: Megan Walker scored 23 points and the Huskies (26-3, 16-0) completed their seventh consecutive undefeated American Athletic Conference regular season with a rout of the Bulls (18-12, 10-6), in Hartford, Connecticut.

TOP 25: South Carolina stayed at No. 1 in AP Top 25, receiving 27 of 30 first-place votes from the media panel. Baylor was second, getting two first-place votes. Oregon had the final one to stay at No. 3.