BURLINGTON, Vt. – Martina Tinklova edged gingerly toward the podium Wednesday to pick up an award presented to the members of the University of Maine basketball team for winning America East regular-season title.

The sophomore forward was favoring her left ankle, which she sprained during the Black Bears’ Tuesday morning practice before the team departed for the America East Women’s Basketball Championship at the University of Vermont. Tinklova’s injury is the latest in a series of obstacles UMaine must overcome beginning today when the top-seeded Bears try to take the first step toward a fifth consecutive league title.

UMaine, 21-5, awaits the winner of Wednesday’s late preliminary game between No. 8 Hofstra (8-18) and ninth-seeded Hartford (8-18) for today’s 6 p.m. quarterfinal at the University of Vermont’s Patrick Gym.

Vermont outbid UMaine for the right to play host to the tournament, reportedly making significant financial guarantees to ensure the Catamounts would get the nod. Last season, when the championship was played at Alfond Arena in Orono, Vermont went in as the No. 1 seed and regular-season champion.

UMaine junior Jamie Cassidy said the Bears aren’t worried about the venue.

“We’d much rather be at Alfond with all our fans, but we have some great fans that are going to be traveling down here to see us,” Cassidy said. “It adds a little bit more motivation because we wanted to be playing at Alfond, but we’re going to go out and play hard and hopefully come home with a championship.”

Injuries have been a key component of UMaine’s season. Jessica Lawson (knee), Katie Clark (ankle), Ellen Geraghty (mononucleosis), Eva Moldre (knee), Kristen McCormick (ankle), Lacey Stone (foot) and Amy Vachon (concussion). All have had their season hampered, to varying degrees, by injury or illness. Now, it’s Tinklova’s turn.

Tinklova explained Wednesday that she sprained her left ankle Tuesday when she grabbed a rebound and landed on a teammate’s foot while off-balance. While she appeared tentative even while walking, she remains optimistic.

“I was walking today. It doesn’t look that bad,” said Tinklova, a 6-foot-4 forward who is the first frontcourt player off the bench for the Bears. “It’s not swollen, it’s just the tendon that’s going up my ankle that got pulled. I’ll play [Thursday].”

Tinklova is UMaine’s third-leading scorer with 10.3 points per game and is second in rebounding with 5.0 per outing.

Ironically, the various setbacks may have helped coach Joanne Palombo-McCallie’s Bears develop into an even more formidable ballclub during the course of the season.

“When they happen we’re not very happy about it, but in the long run I think all the injuries that we’ve had to overcome have definitely helped us out,” said junior co-captain Amy Vachon. “A lot of people have had to play different roles.”

If Tinklova is unable to play, the pressure will be on 6-2 senior forward Andrea Clark and 6-3 freshman center Eva Moldre to pick up the slack. Clark has been playing especially well of late, while Moldre was a key contributor when Clark was sidelined for seven games during the middle of the season.

“That’s a little disappointment, but I think she’ll be OK,” Clark said. “It’s no big deal and we have other people who can play. Everybody has a role and they know their role. They come in and play hard no matter what happens.”

UMaine has been the dominant team in America East during the 90s, winning six titles. The Bears have posted an impressive 313-109 overall record (.741) since the league was formerly known as the Seaboard Conference. Vermont won three straight crowns from 1992-94, having played in the title game seven of the last eight seasons.