BATON ROUGE, La. – The University of Maine women’s basketball team began making preparations for a possible trip to the NCAA Tournament back in November and December.

It was then the Black Bears played testy road games against the likes of Top-25 powers George Washington, Western Kentucky and North Carolina, and lost. Each of those teams has qualified for the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament, which begins Friday.

Maine, 22-7, also has earned the right to chase the dream of winning a national championship. Coach Joanne Palombo-McCallie’s team has done so with its youngest lineup in years, a group that includes four freshman who play regularly.

The Bears’ lack of big-game experience could be a concern Saturday at approximately 9:30 p.m. when the 13th-seeded Bears battle No. 4 seed Louisiana State University in a Mideast Region first-round game at the Maravich Assembly Center.

Palombo’s intent with non-league games is to expose her team to the kind of high-level competition it can only face occasionally – outside the Bears’ America East schedule and in the NCAA Tournament. This season, the adjustment to the higher level of competition was further magnified by the presence.

Maine’s fifth-year coach believes the Bears’ non-league schedule, with leadership from the team’s veteran players, should have provided a good foundation to prepare the rookies for the NCAA experience.

“I feel good about the experience the young players have had relative to traveling to Western Kentucky and places like that,” Palombo said from her hotel room in Baton Rouge. “This is where the non-conference schedule and having the experience, really helps traveling far away and going after this team.”

To Maine’s credit, the team was going through some major adjustments early in the season. The freshmen were learning new systems and trying to blend in with the veteran players, all while trying to balance their increased academic load.

In spite of those factors, the Bears nearly upset George Washington, James Madison and Western Kentucky and held their own against North Carolina and Wake Forest.

Maine’s youth seemed to show in last Saturday’s America East championship game against Vermont. It was particularly noticeable in the first half, when the freshmen combined for only nine points and two rebounds while committing six turnovers.

“I think we were a little bit high-strung,” Palombo said. “There are nine underclassmen on this team, that’s a lot.

Maine has been starting freshman point guard Amy Vachon of Augusta, while getting major contributions from first-year forward Jamie Cassidy and freshman guards Katie Clark and Kristen McCormick. Sophomores Klara Danes and Gabrielle DeShong, neither of whom have significant NCAA experience, are two others who will be getting their first significant playing time.

Talented junior guard Cindy Blodgett hopes she can use her experience to help her teammates make the adjustment to the excitement of tournament play.

“I think it will help the four [players] that have been there,” she said of Maine’s NCAA experience. “That’s all right, because there’s been new experiences the whole year. We’ve played a lot of big teams, so I don’t think that’s a concern. We’ve played more highly ranked teams this year than we ever have.”

In spite of the team’s youth, Palombo remains confident the Bears can put together a strong performance against LSU.

“This group has done a great deal this year as a team,” Palombo said. “Obviously, we’re playing an excellent opponent. We just want to go after it with everything we have.”

What the Bears have in terms of experience is Blodgett, along with seasoned senior center Stacey Porrini and junior guard Sandi Carver.

How well they handle the pressure of Saturday’s big game will go a long way toward helping the underclassmen keep their heads and perform at a high level.

“I think our leadership has been very good, particularly from Cindy,” Palombo said.