Teams that experience a high roster turnover from one season to the next usually can expect some struggles.

University of Maine-Fort Kent women’s basketball coach Lucas Levesque went into the 2005-06 season with only one returning regular.

In spite of having to undergo a drastic overhaul, the Bengals are on a roll as they prepare for next week’s Sunrise Conference playoffs.

UMFK, 16-9 overall record and 8-0 in league play, takes a school-record 12-game winning streak into Saturday’s regular-season finale against Saint Joseph’s College of Standish.

“It’s been a weird, up-and-down year but everything’s fallen into place,” said UMFK’s third-year coach. “We gave talented kids who are competitors and winners.”

Since last winter, UMFK graduated five seniors and had one of its best players transfer because she feared the Bengals would not be competitive. Then a newcomer, who emerged as the team’s leading scorer, became academically ineligible in December.

The Bengals have persevered.

Easing the transition was the return of junior point guard Dana Lemon of Richmond, Va. The third-year starter is averaging 8.3 points and 3.4 rebounds per game and has contributed a team-best 4.1 assists and 3.1 steals per outing.

“She’s a one-woman press-breaker on offense and probably the best defensive player I’ve ever seen at this level,” Levesque said.

Lemon, along with junior April Allen of Milo, are the catalysts of UMFK’s half-court man-to-man defense.

“Those two are so intense that everybody picks it up,” Levesque said.

Allen is among three nursing students who weren’t on the team last season.

The addition of Allen (11.2 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 3.6 apg, 2.9 spg), along with junior guard Nicole Corbin Van Buren and junior forward Traci Weatherhead of Limestone, gave the Bengals a big lift.

Corbin, who is averaging a team-high 17.2 ppg, including 39 percent accuracy from 3-point range, is playing her first season of college ball. The same is the case for Weatherhead (8.7 ppg, 8.7 rpg).

When Allen decided to join the team, Corbin opted to play. Her decision, in turn, prompted Weatherhead to suit up.

“Now that the rust is gone and the three of them have adjusted to their teammates, it’s like they’ve been playing together for years,” Levesque said.

UMFK also welcomed freshman Arcilla Jeffers. The 6-foot center from St. Kitts is contributing 10.2 points and 8.0 rebounds per game while giving the Bengals a solid post threat.

While UMFK isn’t tremendously deep, it has excelled with strong defense and a well-balanced offensive attack.

The Bengals try to score in transition when possible, but have a potent perimeter attack and a solid inside game.

“We’ve got some spot-up shooters, but obviously we can’t get into a track meet with a limited bench,” Levesque said. “We’re sitting back and playing simple basketball.”

UMFK also has received valuable contributions from freshman forward Geneice Bassue, along with senior Heather Hartman, one of three recruits off the soccer team who have bolstered the roster.

Other team members include Maria Williams, Nichole Jandreau and Polly Pelletier.

The Bengals open Sunrise Conference postseason play Feb. 26 with a semifinal game at Lyndonville, Vt.

Rodgerson earns coaching honor

Amanda Rodgerson, the women’s basketball coach at Southern Maine Community College in South Portland, has been named the Maine Small College Conference Coach of the Year.

The Hampden native, a former standout at the University of New England, guided SMCC to a 17-5 overall record, including a 12-2 mark in the Yankee Conference, this winter.

SMCC has won back-to-back MSCC titles under Rodgerson, who also is an assistant athletic director at SMCC.