ORONO – As the lone senior on the University of Maine women’s basketball team, Kizzy Lopez easily could have tried to claim this season as her personal opportunity to steal the spotlight.

The talented and versatile guard-forward – and sometimes post player – from Hemmingford, Quebec, had been instrumental in the Black Bears’ last two trips to the NCAA Tournament. She returned to the team with by far the most experience of any UMaine player.

In spite of her effective combination of size and savvy, the 5-foot-11 Lopez has dedicated her senior season not to personal pursuits, but to helping her team reach the highest level of success possible.

Lopez takes the court at Alfond Arena one final time today when UMaine entertains Northeastern in a 1 p.m. America East matchup that likely will decide fourth place in the league standings.

Serving as a captain and team leader under first-year head coach Sharon Versyp has been a challenging but rewarding role for Lopez, who seems to feed off her teammates and coaches.

“She likes to see other people be successful,” Versyp said. “She wants to have everybody play well and everyone play hard and everybody have the best experience. That’s what Kizzy’s all about.”

Lopez has emerged as the Bears second-leading scorer this season with 11.2 points per game. She’s also averaging 5.0 rebounds and leads the team with 29 steals.

When Lopez sets the pace with her crafty penetration moves, outside shooting touch and expressiveness, UMaine follows her lead.

“All of a sudden, she’ll fake and the whole defense will jump and she’ll just turn and knock down a shot,” Versyp said. “She definitely has a style about her game. It’s exciting basketball.”

Throughout her career, Lopez has been able to fill different roles for the Bears, depending upon what was needed. This season, she has played small forward and power forward, providing a threat either inside or outside.

“You can post her up, she’s very strong, yet she has a very quick first step,” Versyp said. “She is a finesse player.”

Yet from a basketball perspective, Lopez has difficulty reading too much into her accomplishments over the years.

“I’ve definitely struggled on the basketball court, no doubt,” she said. “Nothing’s ever going to turn out the way you want it, but you learn from those situations and I’ve learned a great deal.”

Still, Lopez’ basketball ability makes up only a small part of her value to the program. Her teammates know they can lean on her and count on her for support and guidance.

“She’s so unselfish. Everything she does is for the team,” said junior co-captain Tracy Guerrette. “She’s good at communicating and leading in a calm way. There’s a presence about her.”

Nothing is more important to Lopez than people.

“She’s a feel-good leader. She’s there to pick people up,” Versyp said. “The kids love to turn to her because she always has something warm and positive to say.”

Lopez, who is majoring in communications with a minor in public relations, may be headed for a career in some service field. She worked last summer as a psychiatric technician at Acadia Hospital in Bangor and lists a stint in the Peace Corps among her possible postgraduate pursuits.

Ultimately, the opportunity to share challenges with teammates, friends and coaches is what has made the Division I experience so special for Lopez.

“I enjoy playing basketball and I enjoy it even more when I can share it with people and have fun with people and travel,” Lopez said. “The most rewarding part has been the sense of community, the way I’ve built relationships with people. I feel very fortunate in that respect.”