The University of Maine-Fort Kent reached the NAIA Division II National Tournament last season behind a trio of talented guards.

This winter, the Bengals have added a post presence to an already potent mix.

Former Dexter High standout and two-time NEWS All-Maine second-team choice Ashley Ames has made a smooth transition to her new surroundings while helping lead coach Lucas Levesque’s team to a strong 7-3 start.

Ames, a 6-foot-4 center, is averaging a team-best 17.4 points and 10.9 rebounds while leading the NAIA Div. II national rankings with 4.5 blocked shots per contest.

“Getting Ashley was a big help. She’s doing extremely well,” Levesque said. “Without Ashley first semester, we’re .500 at best.”

Ames played last season at Division III Emmanuel College in Boston, but elected to transfer. The sophomore ranks third in the country, grabbing 8.7 defensive rebounds per game.

The presence of Ames has complemented what was already a veteran UMFK lineup. The Bengals return four starters from the squad that went 19-10 and won the Sunrise Conference championship before losing to top-ranked Cedarville (Iowa) in the national tourney.

UMFK boasts senior guards Nicole Corbin of Van Buren, Dana Lemon of Richmond, Va., and April Allen of Milo.

Lemon is a heady point guard who is averaging 13.4 points along with 3.9 assists and 2.1 steals while shooting 93 percent from the foul line. Corbin (14.7 ppg) and Allen (9.3 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 3.9 apg) also provide experience and scoring production.

Allen has converted 52 percent of her 3-point attempts and Corbin has made 45 percent, helping UMFK lead the NAIA with a .462 3-point percentage.

The defensive attention paid to Ames and her passing skills have helped create open shots for the guards.

“Ashley’s probably one of our top two or three passes. She makes a huge difference,” Levesque said.

Junior forward Traci Weatherhead of Limestone (8.4 ppg, 6.8 rpg) and sophomore Geneice Bassue are other contributors. UMFK played a few games with only six players because of injuries, but soon hopes to have 10 people on the roster.

Sophomore forward Arcilla Jeffers of St. Kitts, a starter last season, also will become eligible for the second semester. She’ll give the Bengals another threat inside.

UMFK is without sophomore Amanda Davis, who is coming off knee surgery.

UMFK has added some tough nonleague games this season. The Bengals have played the likes of Smith College (Mass.), Worcester State (Mass.), Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (N.Y.) and Williams College (Mass.), losing to the last three of those schools.

“Once we get to the national level, that’s the type of defense we’re going to see,” Levesque said. “[Lack of] depth is the biggest thing for us.”

The Bengals are preparing for this weekend’s Star City Classic at UM-Presque Isle where it will play Morrisville State (N.Y.) and Sunrise member Fisher in nonleague action. They then move into league play with their sights set on earning a nationals berth.