Bears must first play in if they’re going to play on UM women in unfamiliar role as tourney long shot

ORONO – In keeping with recent America East tradition, the conference will hold its awards banquet a few hours before a play-in game between the eighth- and ninth-seeded teams to determine the opponent for the top seed.

Playing hours after the banquet, however, is most decidedly not University of Maine tradition.

But that’s the position in which the No. 8 Black Bears find themselves Thursday night. For the first time in the history of the program, Maine will need to defeat No. 9 Albany in order to make the tournament quarterfinals.

The Bears will take on the Great Danes at 7 p.m. at the Chase Family Arena in West Hartford, Conn.

Maine hasn’t been seeded lower than fourth since 1993, when the No. 7 Black Bears beat No. 2 New Hampshire 59-55 in the quarterfinals and made it to the final, where they lost to No. 1 Vermont.

Keeping the team loose Thursday will be a challenge for coach Ann McInerney.

“Just knowing that we are only one of two teams at the banquet that day who will have to play that night, I think the big thing is to stay focused and keep the kids focused,” the first-year coach said after practice this week. “It’s another game, but it’s a big game. You have to survive and advance.”

Junior Ashley Underwood of Benton has never finished second-to-last in a basketball season, either as a standout at perennial high school power Cony of Augusta or playing with the Bears, who have gone into the tournament as the No. 1 seed three years in a row.

So going in as the No. 8 seed is a bit “weird,” she said.

“It doesn’t matter what you’re ranked when you go into the tournament, it’s how you play,” Underwood said. “We’re going to show some heart and show some Maine pride.”

The Black Bears are familiar with upsets. Maine lost to No. 8 Boston University in the quarterfinals last year. And Maine doesn’t have a good tournament history in quarterfinal games against close seeds. Ranked fourth in both the 2001 and 2002 tournaments, Maine fell to the No. 5 team both years.

The return of Katie Whittier to the lineup may give Maine a boost.

Whittier, a senior from New Gloucester, played Saturday for the first time in five weeks. Whittier was averaging 8.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game before suffering a stress fracture. She also led the team in field goal percentage at 63.1 (70-for-111).

Whittier won’t start tonight, but whatever minutes she can play may help a team with an overworked starting five.

“Having Katie somewhat back adds another dimension that we missed,” McInerney said. “We just need her versatility on the court, her defensive presence.”

Whittier played nine minutes Saturday against Stony Brook. She hit one of four field-goal attempts for two points.

“It felt great. I was a little shaky, but I’m glad I got out there and got the jitters out,” she said. “I’m ready for the big game.”