WORCESTER, Mass. – Bracey Barker is the player the University of Maine women’s basketball team is counting on to lead it back to prominence in America East this season.

During most of Thursday night’s game at Holy Cross, all the senior from Bar Harbor could do was cheer on her teammates from the sideline.

Wearing a splint on her injured right wrist, Barker sat on the bench and watched as Holy Cross ended the Black Bears’ four-game winning streak with a 72-64 victory at the Hart Center.

UMaine slipped to 5-2, while Holy Cross boosted its record to 4-6.

Barker injured the wrist just 3:11 into the game when she was called for traveling while taking a shot and subsequently falling to the floor.

UMaine trainer Tovan Willey tended to Barker and placed an ice bag on the wrist, which appeared to be causing Barker considerable discomfort. After the game, Barker went with her parents to a local hospital to have the wrist X-rayed.

The injury left coach and Worcester native Ann McInerney and the Bears understandably worried, both about Barker’s well-being and the team’s prospects.

“Bracey does everything for us. She plays our one through five (positions) and she’s our heart and soul,” McInerney said. “We have to do some damage control.”

Even so, senior Ashley Underwood of Benton said the team was intent on getting the job done after Barker got hurt.

“We haven’t been an individual team all year,” Underwood said. “Injuries happen. It sucks, but we weren’t going to focus on that.”

The Bears initially responded well to Barker’s absence, taking a short-lived 14-13 lead at the 12:21 mark. However, Holy Cross went on to outscore UMaine 24-4 over the next 7:10 to build a 37-18 advantage.

“When your star player gets hurt in the first three minutes of the game, I don’t care where you are, it puts the whole team in a situation where people were out of synch,” McInerney said.

As the Bears managed only two Katie Whittier baskets, Holy Cross was able to take advantage of UMaine turnovers with transition baskets and by gettong some good looks at the basket.

UMaine mounted a determined comeback in the second half, eventually closing to within six points in the final minute. It wasn’t enough.

“The first half killed us,” Underwood said. “We kept fighting, which was good. We kept working until the end and that shows character for us, but it was just too late by that point.”

Underwood was the catalyst during the Bears’ resurgence, scoring 13 of her team-high 21 points in the second half. She also added four steals.

“Ashley Underwood tried to carry us, as we knew she would,” McInerney said.

Senior Katie Whittier of New Gloucester contributed 12 points and 10 rebounds, while freshman Amanda Tewksbury added 11 points. Kris Younan chipped in with nine points.

Brittany Keil, the player who Barker was supposed to have guarded, connected for 22 points and grabbed nine rebounds to pace Holy Cross. Bethany O’Dell scored 21 points for the Crusaders, who hit nine 3-pointers and outrebounded UMaine 37-28.

Holy Cross also suffered a key loss early in the second half when guard Laura Aloisi injured her left knee and was carried off the court.

Holy Cross didn’t take any pity on UMaine after Barker’s injury, connecting on six 3-pointers on its way to a 37-24 halftime lead. The Crusaders were able to work the ball around for numerous open shots from the perimeter, then later got the ball inside effectively.

CRUSADERS 72, BLACK BEARS 64

Maine (5-2) Holy Cross (4-6)

Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG AF TP

Whittier 6 10 0 0 12 McLghlin 2 6

Barker 0 1 0 0 0 Foley 3 7 8

Undrwood 6 17 6 6 21 Aloisi 2 4 5

Greene 1 4 0 0 2 Keil 8 15 22

Tewksbury 5 8 1 5 11 O’Dell 6 13 21

Younan 3 7 3 4 9 Cushnie 0 0 0

Hgstd-Vaa 2 4 2 2 7 McFaddn 1 8 4

Boser 0 2 0 0 0 Merrihue 1 2

Colon 0 0 0 0 0 Gruzynski 2 4

Bowen 0 1 0 0 0

Vaitkute 1 1 0 1 2

Totals 24 55 12 18 64 Totals 25 56 13 18 72

Maine 24 64

Holy Cross 37 72

3-pt. goals – Maine (4-13): Underwood 3-8, Hugstad-Vaa 1-1, Tewksbury 0-1, Bowen 0-1, Greene 0-2; Holy Cross (9-23): Keil 4-5, O’Dell 3-8, Aloisi 1-2, McFadden 1-8

Attendance: 1,277