Versyp’s Bears sporting a new attitude UM Women have confidence

Things have changed for the University of Maine women’s basketball team.

Call it a new attitude, a fresh outlook, improved chemistry, whatever. But ever since last Thursday, the Black Bears appear to have things figured out, almost all at once.

Coach Sharon Versyp’s team knocked off Drexel, then the second-place team in America East, then followed with Saturday’s 19-point win over Hofstra. The players appear relaxed, confident and more comfortable with each other than ever.

“It at least puts a smile on all our faces for a while, for a couple days anyway,” Versyp said after the Hofstra win. “I’ve always had confidence and I knew it would come at some point. The kids have given me everything that they can and it is about them.”

In winning back-to-back games for the first time since starting the season 2-0, UMaine has played not only with enthusiasm and intensity, but has begun to demonstrate more polished execution and teamwork.

“I think that definitely we’ve become a lot more disciplined,” said sophomore forward Anna James, who achieved a career high with 16 points against Hofstra. “At the start of the season we struggled with that, being a young team… but once we’re disciplined we can run through the offense more and it flows so much more nicely.”

Versyp hopes some of her team-building activities, including last Thursday’s “hot seat” session during which team members showered each other, one at a time, with compliments and positive thoughts, have helped the Bears work through their slump.

“I’m the leader and I’m trying to give them a process and trying to have them look at things a little bit differently this week,” Versyp said. “We made some changes defensively, made some changes in our minds.”

The best evidence of UMaine’s coming together may have been Saturday’s game, during which the Bears placed five players in double figures for the first time this season. Freshman forward Heather Ernest of Temple continues to provide the spark.

Ernest, who garnered America East Rookie of the Week honors for the second straight week, is averaging 18.8 points and 14.4 rebounds in her last five games, posting a double-double in each. She ranks seventh in the league in scoring with 13.6 points per game and is third in rebounding at 10.5 per outing.

Ernest is among only three America East players averaging double-figure points and rebounds. Christina Rible of Delaware and Northeastern’s Lani Lawrence are the others.

Versyp explained that part of the Bears’ woes may be attributable in part to a difficult schedule. Prior to the recent two-game homestand, UMaine played nine of its previous 12 games on the road, going 2-10 during the six-week stretch.

“[We had] nine out of 12 on the road and [when] you’re inexperienced and you’re young, and you have a whole month off [from school] at Christmas and the kids don’t have much balance, I think that’s been a little bit of a struggle,” Versyp said.

Clearly, the Bears have achieved more of a comfort level with each other, both on and off the court. The players believe it bodes well for the future.

“I think that as we progress, we’re learning, we’re growing,” James said. “We’re just realizing that we need to relax and let the game come to [us] and stop trying to force it too much. At the beginning we were thinking a little too much and really trying to get the gameto come to us, but you’ve just got to play.”

The Bears will have to play well later this week when they head back on the road. UMaine visits league-leading Delaware (14-3) Thursday night, then takes on 1-15 Towson (Md.) Saturday afternoon.

If nothing else, the Bears will take some confidence with them.

“I think [the improvement] has come at the right time,” Versyp said. “As a coach, you try to make sure that your athletes peak at the right time. I think this is the right time if we’re going to peak, going into the next eight to 10 games and going to into the conference tournament.”