Tinklova bounces back, plays key role in win

BURLINGTON, Vt. – To watch Maine’s Martina Tinklova play in Friday night’s America East women’s basketball tournament semifinal against Vermont, it could have been any other game.

The talented sophomore from Olomouc, Czech Republic, used her soft shooting touch to score 10 points, outmaneuvered opponents to pull down six rebounds, and utilized her quickness to play strong defense as the Black Bears posted a 66-61 victory.

In reality, it was a minor miracle Tinklova was even able to play.

Only 72 hours earlier, the 6-foot-4 forward had barely been able to put weight on her left ankle, which she had sprained during a Tuesday morning practice in Orono. Thursday night, Tinklova watched helplessly as UMaine beat Hofstra in the quarterfinals.

However, thanks to a little luck and the tireless efforts of UMaine athletic trainer Sherrie Weeks, Tinklova emerged as a key contributor, playing 23 minutes in Friday’s victory.

Weeks, who doesn’t discuss players’ injuries and prefers to remain behind the scenes, said it was simply, lots of ice” that enabled Tinklova to recover well enough to play Friday night.

“If we played her in the first game, we would have lost her for the tournament,” said UMaine coach Joanne Palombo-McCallie. “She’s had 24-hour, round-the-clock treatment to get to the situation where she could play today.”

Tinklova’s presence inside helps take some of the pressure off teammate Jamie Cassidy, who had a field day with 34 points against the Catamounts.

“Four-for-4 [field goals], 2-for-2 [free throws], six boards, 10 points… that’s the difference,” said Vermont coach Keith Cieplicki of Maine’s good fortune in having Tinklova in the ballgame. “I think obviously she made some big plays in terms of when we tried to cheat a little bit [defensively], she came up with some big buckets.”

Tinklova knew she was fortunate to be able to play Friday. The redness in her blue eyes after the game spoke of her determination to contribute whatever she could to the cause with another trip to the NCAA Tournament on the line.

“You’re so close to another America East championship after another great season and obviously nobody wants the season to be over,” Tinklova said. “It was definitely a big relief, but we’re not there yet.”

Much of the credit, Tinklova insists, belongs to Weeks who has spent all season patching up several injured UMaine players and helping them hasten their return to the court. The rehabilitation regimen included frequent icing, a massage by Weeks, and some running in the hotel swimming pool.

“Yesterday, it wasn’t that sore and I could actually walk on it,” explained Tinklova, who took it easy during the Friday morning shoot-around, jogging up and down the floor a couple of times and shooting a few free throws.

The big test comes this afternoon. With less than 18 hours to recuperate, Tinklova may have trouble making the turnaround. But it’s a sure bet she’ll try.

“She’ll play and it’ll be hard, but kids work hard that way,” Palombo said. “She’ll do the best she can.”