Vaitkute boosts Bears as playoff race looms

ORONO – It’s never too late in the season for a team to find another contributor.

That’s why University of Maine women’s basketball coach Ann McInerney and the Black Bears were so pleased with Saturday’s effort by freshman Sandra Vaitkute.

The 6-foot-6 center had seen spot time this season, but this time had an impact as UMaine pulled out a 59-56 America East victory over Binghamton.

Vaitkute scored a career-high 10 points, grabbed five rebounds, blocked two shots and added an assist and a steal. She demonstrated she could be a viable weapon as the Bears (12-10, 6-5 AE) make their stretch run.

“She’s ready now,” said McInerney, who has tried to help the native of Lithuania improve her skills and make the transition to Division I ball.

“Our coaching staff has done a tremendous job of working with her collectively and making sure that she is ready not only for next year but to give us the minutes like she gave us [Saturday] and come through,” she added. “We’re trying to give her some action and really allow her to start getting her feet wet a little bit more each game.”

Vaitkute, the tallest female player ever to wear a UMaine uniform, also is beginning to sense she can help the team.

“As soon as I make my first shot, I feel more confident,” said Vaitkute, who played her high school ball at The Miller School in Charlottesville, Va.

Vaitkute has appeared in 16 games, averaging only 7.3 minutes per contest. She has continued to develop her footwork and defensive skills and doesn’t try to get too fancy at the offensive end.

She is averaging 2.8 points and 1.1 rebounds, but is shooting 50 percent (17-for-34) from the field and 65 percent (11-for-17) from the foul line.

“She has continued to show improvement every day in practice,” said McInerney, who described Vaitkute as the understudy to senior post players Bracey Barker, Lindsey Hugstad-Vaa and Katie Whittier.

Vaitkute also could benefit from the Bears’ recently increased use of zone defenses as she is a formidable obstacle and shot-blocking presence inside.

“I think the last couple of games she’s really kind of stepped up and distorted some of [opponents’] shots and [been] a bigger rebounding presence in there,” McInerney added.

Underwood puts it on the floor

Ashley Underwood of Benton initially carved a niche for herself on the UMaine basketball team as a 3-point shooting specialist.

Last week, she reminded America East opponents they’ll have to respect her other offensive skills.

The senior shooting guard frequently drove to the basket in the Bears’ wins over Albany and Binghamton, leading to two stellar offensive performances.

Underwood averaged 24.5 points, five rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals while setting the tone for UMaine. She went to the foul line 14 times in the two contests and cashed in by making 24 of 27 free throws, including a 14-for-14 effort Wednesday against the Great Danes.

“I think they were playing me for the 3-[pointer] a lot, so I could swing through and just take it to the basket,” said Underwood, a senior tri-captain. “We knew we had to take it to the basket, draw fouls.”

Underwood, a former standout at Cony High in Augusta, leads the conference in 3-pointers made (2.18 per game), is second in free-throw percentage (.837), is fourth in scoring (14.6 ppg) and is sixth in 3-point percentage (.381).

“You can tell Ashley’s worked a great deal on her game,” said Binghamton coach Rich Conover. “She’s an outstanding player. She has a very complete game.”