ORONO – The University of Maine women’s basketball team was unexpectedly shorthanded during Tuesday night’s exhibition game at Alfond Arena.

With senior starter Ashley Underwood of Benton fresh off a leg injury and five other players, including starter Lindsey Hugstad-Vaa, having been suspended for violating team rules, the Black Bears were forced to make some adjustments.

In spite of having only eight healthy players in uniform, UMaine rode the play of seniors Bracey Barker and Katie Whittier to a 74-65 victory over the University of New Brunswick in front of an estimated 500 fans.

“I’m extremely proud of the girls’ effort today. It was a gutsy performance under adversity,” said UMaine coach Ann McInerney.

Sophomore Brittany Boser, Hugstad-Vaa and freshmen Tiffany Colon, Sandra Vaitkute and Katia Bratishko all served a one-game suspension for breaking an undisclosed team rule.

“It was such a gut check,” McInerney added. “I don’t care if it’s an exhibition game or if it’s the national championship, team rules are team rules.”

Those who did play got the job done despite a determined effort from the Varsity Reds of Fredericton, New Brunswick.

Bar Harbor’s Barker scored a game-high 25 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and contributed six assists and four steals, while New Gloucester’s Whittier provided 20 points and six rebounds to give the Bears a dominating frontcourt duo.

“Katie and Bracey are two of our best players, two of our smartest players, and I think that really showed tonight,” McInerney said. “Neither of them have really been a hundred percent at practice up to this point, yet they get on the court and give it all they have.”

Junior guard Kris Younan demonstrated her versatility, scoring 11 points, pulling down six rebounds and handing out eight assists. Frosh point guard Abby Greene (3 steals) was steady as was classmate Amanda Tewksbury.

“I think it gave the younger kids that were on the court a chance for some more experience,” Barker said. “It was just a good learning experience for all of us to get into the swing of things before the year starts.”

Christy McBride paced a perimeter-oriented New Brunswick team with 20 points while Katie Springer netted 14.

The Bears, who trailed by as many as seven points (32-25) in the first half, finally built and advantage in the second half.

UMaine put together a 10-2 scoring run during a span of 3:03, sparked by three straight baskets by Whittier. She hit a 10-foot turnaround from the lane, made a layup off a Younan steal and converted a fast-break layup off a Barker pass as UMaine turned a 56-52 lead into a 66-54 advantage with 6:18 remaining.

The Bears’ ability to score in transition and get the ball into the hands of Barker and Whittier at close range proved the Varsity Reds’ downfall.

“We figured out where we kind of needed to get the ball and it worked,” Whittier said, “just getting the jitters out first half and then playing the second half like that.”

UNB applied a 2-2-1 full-court press that helped it manufacture a 9-2 spurt that cut the deficit to 68-63 with 3:02 to play. However, the Bears scored six of the last eight points to preserve the victory.

“To get into a situation where at least we have some work on some things down the stretch and stress a little bit is much better than [a blowout],” McInerney said.

UMaine returns to action Sunday at 2 p.m. for its second and final exhibition contest against Assumption College.

The Bears closed out a streak-filled first half with a 13-2 scoring run in the last 21/2 minutes while taking a 38-34 halftime lead. UMaine struggled with consistency at both ends of the court, committing 13 turnovers, but still shot 48 percent from the field to help make up the difference.

UNB’s downfall was its 16 first-half turnovers, including five in the last 2:14. UMaine took advantage, with Barker making two steals and scoring five points to spark the 13-2 flurry.

BLACK BEARS 74, VARSITY REDS 65

New Brunswick Maine

Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG AF TP

Marr 4 10 1 2 9 Whittier 8 11 20

McBride 7 16 4 4 20 Barker 11 21 25

Springer 5 7 3 4 14 Younan 4 9 11

Sharpe 3 6 1 2 7 Greene 0 3 0

Corby 3 9 0 0 7 Tewksbry 3 11 1 2 7

Steed 0 2 1 2 1 Baker 1 2 2

Dinn 2 3 0 0 4 Bowen 2 7 2 7

Aimee 0 2 0 0 0 Kilmurray 0 2

Rowe 1 2 0 0 3

Totals 25 57 10 14 65 29 65 11 15 74

NB 31 65

Maine 36 74

3-pt. goals – New Brunswick (5-17): McBride 2-7, Springer 1-1, Corby 1-6, Steed 0-1, Aimee 0-1, Rowe 1-1; Maine (5-16): Barker 3-7, Younan 1-3, Greene 0-3, Bowen 1-3

Attendance: 972