Underwood has become Maine-stay Versatility is key for Bears’ guard

Ashley Underwood wanted to play basketball for the University of Maine ever since she was a little girl.

Now having fulfilled that dream, the Benton native takes tremendous pride in wearing a Black Bears uniform.

Today, she and three classmates will play their last game at Alfond Arena in Orono when UMaine meets Maryland Baltimore County in an America East game on “Senior Day.”

“It’s such an important game for us to win and that has to be our biggest focus,” said the former Cony High School star. “I know it’s going to be emotional. I love playing in Alfond and it’s hard to imagine this being the end.”

Underwood has been a relentless and tireless player on a UMaine team that has struggled this season to win consistently.

The tenacious 5-foot-8 guard has developed from a 3-point shooting specialist on the Bears’ NCAA Tournament team in 2004 into a versatile scorer and hard-nosed defender who is the heart and soul of coach Ann McInerney’s team.

“She’s such a competitor. I think she would do anything to win,” McInerney said. “She’s such a diehard.”

Underwood has been the Bears’ offensive catalyst, especially of late. She is the league’s No. 3 scorer with 15 points per game and ranks second in free-throw percentage (.839). She is 13th on the school’s career scoring list with 1,122 points.

“She’s so confident with the ball in her hands,” McInerney said. “It’s not a question of if she’s going to score, it’s when.”

Underwood is determined to help the team hit stride heading into the league tournament.

“I’ve been more comfortable in taking more of the scoring role,” Underwood said. “Coach [McInerney] has given me the ‘green light’ to attack the basket and get to the foul line and that has really opened things up for the posts down low as well as for my outside shot.”

Underwood leads America East, averaging 2.33 3-pointers, and ranks second while shooting 41 percent from the arc. When opponents play her tight on the perimeter, Underwood has shown the ability to drive to the hoop or shoot the midrange jumper.

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

Underwood has developed herself into a strong defensive presence and routinely covers opponents’ top guard. She does all of that while playing more than 35 minutes per game.

“There are points in the game when it’s transition after transition and you get tired and your legs start feeling it, but you just have to buckle down and push through,” she said.

Underwood has never missed a game because of injury, playing in 114 of the Bears’ 115 games in her career. She sat out an exhibition last fall after a preseason stress fracture but hasn’t missed a beat since.

“She has made herself into the best player she could possibly be,” McInerney said.

Underwood’s stamina and mental toughness have been tested, particularly this season. The nursing major has juggled a rigorous curriculum along with clinical rotations last fall at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor and a partnership at MaineGeneral Medical Center in Waterville this semester.

“I’ve kind of always wanted to be a nurse,” Underwood said. “My sister [Lindsey] is a nurse, and she’s helped me a lot throughout my experience.”

The partnership involves a requirement of 192 hours during which Underwood works with a nurse on the oncology floor at MaineGeneral. That has involved one nine-hour day per week this semester.

Underwood also works Tuesdays with the school nurse at Lawrence High in Fairfield. Add six hours of classes on Mondays and a full slate of basketball practices and games, and it has been a hectic winter.

“The teachers and coaches work really well together,” Underwood said. “It would be that much more difficult if I wasn’t working with the people that I am. The nursing program is an outstanding program here and I’ve been lucky to be able to be a part of it and part of the basketball team, and I thank them for really working with me because it is a lot to balance.”

A little fatigue and stress are a small price to pay for the privilege of representing UMaine for Underwood, who attacks everything she does with unmistakable resolve.

That is what makes the Bears’ inconsistency this winter so tough to swallow. But Underwood and the seniors still expect UMaine to make a serious run at the AE title.

“It’s always a challenge when you have as many young kids as we do,” Underwood said. “We’ve just tried to be leaders on and off the floor and work hard and instill a sense of Maine pride.”

Underwood credits her parents, Chuck and Theresa, with showing her a great work ethic.

“I really am thankful for having parents that pushed me to pursue my dream of playing basketball,” Underwood said.