ORONO – When the University of Maine and Creighton meet tonight in the first round of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament, mental preparation may play as important a part as the physical aspects of the game in determining a winner.

Coach Sharon Versyp’s 25-5 Black Bears appeared destined for the NCAA Tournament last week, only to have their dream shattered by Boston University in the America East championship game.

The 21-8 Bluejays of coach Jim Flanery were likewise hoping to win the Missouri Valley Conference bid to the NCAAs, but wound up getting knocked out in the semifinals.

So when the ball goes up tonight at 7 p.m. at Alfond Arena, the team that is able to put its disappointment behind it likely will have the upper hand.

“The end of our season was a little disappointing and I’m sure Maine’s more than a little disappointed,” Flanery said. “A lot of the game is going to be determined by who can get excited to play and to prepare.”

UMaine exhibited its determination and grit all season. Without those qualities, the Bears never could have put together such a long win streak and racked up 25 victories.

With two or three days of practice under their belts, the Bears believe they will be able to rebound from their recent setback.

“There’s no doubt that we will go in there and play with a lot of pride and work hard the whole time,” said UMaine junior Heather Ernest of Temple. “We still have a lot to prove to the rest of the country that we are a top contender.”

UMaine should enjoy a big advantage since it is playing at home in front of what the Bears hope will be a large, vocal crowd. UMaine is 10-1 this season at Alfond Arena, where it is averaging 2,082 fans.

Creighton is 8-8 this season when playing on the road.

Versyp has stressed to the Bears the WNIT bid is reward for their outstanding season and that it gives them another opportunity to demonstrate they are among the best teams in the country.

“I told them it is a privilege and an opportunity and that we did work hard and we deserve it,” Versyp said.

If UMaine is able to knock off Creighton, it is likely to earn a second-round home game. But the Bears know they can’t afford to look past the Bluejays.

Creighton includes a handful of players with NCAA experience from last season. And the Jays’ Rating Percentage Index of 59 is higher than UMaine’s 69. In fact, the MVC was rated 11th among the 31 Division I leagues, so it could be argued they have been playing a higher caliber of basketball.

In addition to MVC champion Southwest Missouri State’s appearance in the NCAAs, league entries Indiana State and Northern Iowa also are entered in the WNIT.

Senior captain Ellen Geraghty hopes the Bears can look at the WNIT as the means to eventually achieving their NCAA goal next season.

“A lot of [NCAA] teams that came up on the screen, they were NIT teams last year,” Geraghty pointed out. “It’s almost a stepping stone that you have to take.”

UMaine is 2-8 all-time in NCAA and WNIT games, with the last victory coming during the 1999 NCAA tourney. Creighton is 4-5 combined in the big tournaments.