Blend of veterans, freshmen suits UMF women

Jamie Beaudoin went into the 2001-2002 basketball season with plenty of unanswered questions.

His University of Maine-Farmington women’s basketball team had three seasoned veterans returning, but the Beavers featured only one senior and three juniors on the 11-member roster.

And the third-year coach had to get production from some of his six first-year players.

In spite of its relative inexperience, UMF put together a strong season that resulted in a Maine Athletic Conference championship. Today, the Beavers are in Sioux City, Iowa, where they’re an unseeded entry in the 32-team NAIA Division II National Tournament.

UM-Farmington takes on No. 4 Cardinal Stritch (Wis.) in a 9:30 a.m. first-round game. It is the Beavers’ third tourney appearance in the last six years.

UMF has relied on its upperclassmen to lead the way this season. Junior forward Jocelyn Sawyer is averaging a team-leading 14.2 points and 8.3 rebounds, junior guard Megan Woodcock of Farmington has contributed 12.5 points and 4.1 rebounds and lone senior Rachel Bard of Winslow checks in with 7.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 4.5 steals.

Beaudoin has built around that nucleus with productive freshmen in forward Kate LaHaye of Belfast (8.8 ppg, 7.6 rpg), Cheryl Kempton (7.6 ppg), Desirae Haines of Lincoln (6.0 ppg, 4.9 rpg) and Amanda Pepin of Madison (5.1 ppg), along with junior forward Sam Hunt of Fairfield (4.9 ppg).

Molly Bean, Sophia Stanley and Augusta’s Dorice Reitchel also have contributed.

Saint Joseph’s men in national s

Saint Joseph’s College of Standish will represent the Maine Athletic Conference in this week’s NAIA Division II National Tournament at Point Lookout, Mo.

Coach Rick Simonds’ unseeded Monks take an 18-9 record into Thursday’s 12:30 p.m. first-round game against No. 4 Northwestern of Iowa, the defending national champion. Saint Joseph’s opponent goes into the tournament with a 27-4 record.

This is the Monks’ sixth NAIA tourney appearance under Simonds and their seventh overall.

Saint Joseph’s includes a pair of Eastern Maine products in senior guard Tory McPherson of Mapleton and Presque Isle High School, along with sophomore guard Justin Underwood of Benton, who starred at Lawrence High in Fairfield.