ORONO – A team’s character is best measured by how it handles adversity.

After Saturday’s second-half performance against Xavier in the Dead River Company Classic consolation game, no one is likely to question the heart and resolve of the University of Maine women’s basketball team.

The injury-thinned Black Bears trailed by as many as 20 points in the first half, but overcame the deficit with an emotional second-half effort on their way to a memorable 79-67 victory at Alfond Arena.

“I just told them they had to play,” UMaine coach Sharon Versyp said of her halftime speech. “It wasn’t about coaching. It was about them having heart.”

In the championship game, Bradley posted a 70-63 victory over Wisconsin-Green Bay to win the Dead River Classic title.

Bradley’s Sara Bailey was voted the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. She was joined on the All-Tournament squad by teammate Genny Mueller, UMaine freshmen Missy Traversi and Monica Peterson, and Wisconsin-Green Bay’s Mandy Stowe and Kristy Loiselle.

Coming off three consecutive uninspired halves, the 2-2 Bears responded with their most impressive 20 minutes of the season. UMaine shot 59 percent from the floor after intermission while holding 2-2 Xavier to 23 points on 22 percent accuracy. The hosts posted a 27-13 rebounding advantage and committed only four turnovers.

“We got in the passing lanes, we switched our screens. We just played harder, with complete intensity,” said UMaine’s Melissa Heon, who scored 14 of her 16 points after intermission and grabbed seven rebounds.

Heon made three straight baskets during an 11-0 run early in the second half that got the Bears back into the game at 46-38. At the same time, it was evident the Musketeers were deflated.

UMaine kept up its high-intensity man-to-man defense, rebounded well at both ends, and took Xavier out of its preferred uptempo game.

“Once we got the lead, we went back and played like we did [Friday] and tried to protect a 17-point lead,” said Xavier coach Melanie Balcomb.

The Bears outscored the visitors 20-9 to open the half with crisp offensive execution. And they dug in defensively, holding the Musketeers scoreless for six minutes playing man-to-man.

Traversi and Heon helped keep UMaine’s momentum going. Traversi hit a 3-pointer, then banked in a seven-footer off a Heon feed that got the Bears within one at 53-52. That sent the crowd of 1,931 into a frenzy and precipitated an Xavier timeout with 8:01 remaining.

“You’ve got a tremendous crowd here, you’ve got fantastic support,” Balcomb said, “and when [the players] get on a roll, it was like everybody was hot.”

UMaine regained the lead (54-53) on Heon’s driving layup, but didn’t let up. Peterson hit a 10-footer off an offensive rebound, Traversi threw in a driving scoop shot and Peterson converted a low-post move as the Bears pulled away.

UMaine made 13 of 19 free throws down the stretch, extending its lead to as many as 14 points.

“All I say to my kids when I came in after the game was, ‘Wow!’ ” Versyp said. “They just really got it done in the second half.

“This is how we’re capable of playing, but we need to do it all the time,” she added.

Despite playing only 19 minutes because of foul trouble, Traversi scored a game-high 22 points, 19 in the second half, and dished out five assists.

Power forward Peterson was superb underneath, contributing 13 points and a game-high 13 rebounds for her first collegiate double-double.

Senior guard Tracy Guerrette of St. Agatha turned in a clutch effort, scoring 15 points and playing outstanding defense. With freshman Kim Corbitt (thigh bruise) sidelined and Traversi in foul trouble, Guerrette held the Bears together in the first half.

“The one who really stepped it up was Tracy Guerrette,” Traversi said. “She came out there, played the point, ran the offense incredibly, hit her threes.”

Senior center Eva Moldre (6 points, 7 rebounds, 5 blocked shots) was a force inside, while soph Julie Veilleux of Augusta added four points, five rebounds and aggressive defense.

Reeta Piipari (7 assists) and Kate Kreager paced Xavier with 19 and 18 points, respectively. Shavon Bell added 13 points and six rebounds.

Xavier had built a 20-point bulge with an excellent transition attack and a 7-for-14 effort from beyond the 3-point arc. The Musketeers used a 13-2 surge that included three 3-pointers to make it 44-24 with 1:52 left in the half.

In Saturday’s championship game, Bradley executed at the offensive end in the late going while pulling out the victory over a solid Wisconsin-Green Bay club.

MVP Bailey poured in 29 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead the Braves, who shot 55 percent from the field and outrebounded the Phoenix 38-29.

Genny Mueller added 10 points and six rebounds for the winners, who committed 23 turnovers.

Stowe scored 19 points to pace Wisconsin-Green Bay and Loiselle provided 12 points and six boards.

BRADLEY 70, WISCONSIN-GB 63

Wisconsin-Green Bay (2-1) 63

Leonhard 3-0-7, Boyer 2-3-7, Dudley 2-2-7, Loiselle 4-4-12, Stowe 9-1-19, Grassell, Mor, E. Johnson, C. Johnson 3-5-11

Bradley (4-0) 70

Lugge 3-1-7, Webber 0-1-1, Love 3-1-7, Sides 3-2-8, Bailey 13-1-29, Mueller 4-2-10, Mozingo, Waterman, Williams 3-2-8

3-pt. goals: Leonhard, Dudley; Bailey 2

Halftime: Wisconsin-Green Bay, 42-36

BLACK BEARS 79, MUSKETEERS 67

Xavier (2-2) Maine (2-2)

Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG AF TP

Waugh 2 9 2 4 7 Heon 6 11 16

Piipari 7 14 2 2 19 Traversi 7 11 5 6 22

Kreager 8 14 2 4 18 Moldre 2 4 6

Bell 4 9 2 2 13 Guerrette 6 9 15

Henderson 1 7 0 1 2 Peterson 5 13

Statuto 0 0 0 0 0 Ernest 0 2 3

Cuncic 2 4 0 0 6 Jay 0 1 0

Sarajlija 1 2 0 2 2 Veilleux 2 4

Cruz 0 0 0 0

Totals 25 59 8 15 67 Totals 28 51 17 23 79

Xavier 44 67

Maine 27 79

3-pt. goals – Xavier (9-23): Waugh 1-7, Piipari 3-6, Bell 3-5, Henderson 0-1, Cuncic 2-3, Sarajlija 0-1; Maine (6-12): Heon 0-1, Traversi 3-4, Guerrette 3-6, Veilleux 0-1

Attendance: 1,931

Championship: Bradley 70, Wisconsin-Green Bay 63