ORONO – Consistency is one of the key characteristics on which championship basketball teams build their success.

The University of Maine women’s basketball team has struggled to establish consistency on the court during the 2001-2002 season, but there’s no time like the present to put a handful of games together.

Heading into next week’s America East Championship at the University of Hartford’s Chase Family Arena, coach Sharon Versyp’s Black Bears know that if they play well on three consecutive days, they could be headed back to the NCAA Tournament after a one-year absence.

This UMaine team is looking forward to the chance to prove how far it has come this season.

“I’m excited about our prospects,” said junior co-captain Ellen Geraghty. “This is a very competitive league this year. Anybody can win it. I’m hoping and praying and confident we are going to do what it takes to get the job done.

The young and the restless

UMaine, which at press time sported a solid 16-10 overall record, has played very much like the youthful team it is. The squad includes four sophomores and four freshmen among its 12 players and the top six performers in terms of points scored and minutes played are underclassmen.

“I think we’ve shown our immaturity in spots, but we’ve also shown maturing in dealing with certain obstacles,” Geraghty said. “It is tough, and a little bit frustrating, yet it’s exciting to see the potential that this new group of players and coaches has.”

The Bears have experienced some ups and downs, but didn’t lose more than two games in a row at any point this season. Versyp rotated a pair of freshman point guards into the lineup.

Missy Traversi has emerged as the team’s No. 3 scorer while exhibiting good ballhandling and floor generalship, along with a potent 3-point shot. Kim Corbitt gives UMaine a speedy press-breaker who can attack opposing defenses off the dribble.

They also can play at the same time, giving the Bears all the above elements simultaneously.

“We’ve done a good job, especially with Kim and Missy having the experience that they’ve had,” Versyp said.

The other freshman regular is one of the league’s most productive inside players, Monica Peterson. Despite giving away three or four inches inside, she has been a consistent force in the paint while leading the team in rebounding.

The big challenge for this group has been to learn the value of maintaining intensity every minute of every game, regardless of the opponent.

“Day in and day out, as a young team, you need to learn to compete every day,” Versyp said. “Hopefully you can be consistent and play solid and be pretty close to the top of your game when you go into the tournament.”

Having survived the long season, UMaine’s first-year players should be ready to handle postseason pressure in any form. The key is staying within themselves and not attempting to do too much.

Seasoned sophomores

The Bears’ sophomore regulars – forward Heather Ernest of Temple, shooting guard Melissa Heon, and swing player Julie Veilleux of Augusta – have helped school the younger players after battling through a difficult freshman season. They are the core of the club.

Ernest leads UMaine in scoring and ranks second in rebounding, but has been subjected to constant double-teams and a physical pounding by opponents under the basket. If she can remain poised and calm in the face of that defensive pressure and not get caught up in the emotion of the post battles, she can carry the team at the offensive end.

Ernest also must avoid silly fouls that will land her on the bench prematurely with foul trouble.

Heon serves as the Bears’ defensive catalyst and can score from beyond the 3-point arc or with driving moves to the basket. Her intensity is contagious and the team can’t afford for her to spend very long on the sidelines.

The versatile Veilleux can post up inside or shoot from outside. She hits the boards hard and can defend all over the court. Her challenge is to restrict her offense only to shots that come within the natural flow of the offense without exhibiting a quick trigger that leads to long rebounds and transition chances for the opposition.

Production off the bench

Another key element on which the Bears can rely this season is depth. Even though Anna James has been out due to illness, Geraghty is limited because of back problems and Pam Cruz is coming off a bad knee, UMaine can call on its reserves.

Senior captain Tracy Guerrette of St. Agatha is an experienced guard capable of providing a spark with her 3-point shooting capability. Geraghty also can pitch in with some defensive intensity, quickness, and leadership on the court.

Up front, senior Eva Moldre is capable of taking some of the pressure off Ernest and Peterson on the offensive end. If she can avoid foul trouble, her defensive presence and rebounding can be big assets.

Freshman center Nicole Jay lacks refinement of her skills, but she can take advantage of her height and long arms to grab a couple of rebounds, block a shot, or score from close range.

UMaine also can rotate some of those players in if they need to turn up the defensive intensity and apply full-court pressure. That was virtually unheard of last season, when the Bears went to the AE tourney with only seven players.

“Having depth is huge,” Versyp said. “We can press to win a ballgame.”

Continuing the tradition

Playing in the NCAAs is the ultimate goal to which the Bears aspire, but first things first.

“I think last year’s definitely fresh in our minds,” Geraghty said of UMaine’s one-and-done showing in the league tourney at Vermont. “We want to get back to what UMaine women’s basketball has been all about, playing in the championship game and being competitive in it.”

In spite of Vermont’s surge into the postseason, Versyp said the balance shown among America East teams this season should make for a wide-open tournament that any team, including UMaine, can win.

“There’s so much parity in our conference,” Versyp said, “but our kids know they need to play well in order to succeed. We should have a fair shake like everybody else.”

The upperclassmen who have experienced the thrill of NCAA Tournament play want to restore UMaine’s status as a tournament-caliber program.

“We feel the need to help the younger guys understand what it is to have been there,” Geraghty said. “Hopefully as a team we’ll all be able to experience that together.”

However, the Bears must concentrate on their more immediate task, winning their quarterfinal contest.

“We need to get back to the attitude of we’re at this game and we’re going to play each moment and each possession hard, hopefully with the result of a ‘W,'” Geraghty said.

“My hope is that we will reach our potential,” she added. “Consistency is the key, especially come tournament.”

Black Bear tourney keys

UMaine must set the tone with tenacious man-to-man defense and aggressive rebounding. Those keys will enable the Bears to take advantage of their fast break, limit second shots on the defensive end, and provide for some second-chance points on offense.

The Bears absolutely must play straight-up interior defense and stay out of foul trouble, keeping their best players on the court and the opponents off the foul line.

Finally, UMaine needs a good mix of dribble penetration, poised play in the paint, and 3-point shooting from a variety of players. That should get everybody involved in the offense and give the Bears they confidence they need to win in Hartford.