Top-ranked Bowdoin College features considerable talent and depth on its women’s basketball roster this season.

Among the players who have helped the Polar Bears maintain their status as one of the nation’s top Division III programs, and reach the NCAA Tournament “Sweet 16,” is freshman Sabrina Cote.

The former Dexter High School star has earned playing time coming off the bench at the shooting guard position for coach Stefanie Pemper.

“She’s a really good basketball player, just really fundamental,” Pemper said after Bowdoin beat Keene State in Saturday’s NCAA second-round game at Morrell Gymnasium in Brunswick.

The 5-foot-8 Cote has appeared in 25 of the Polar Bears’ 29 games this season and is averaging 3.6 points in 14.2 minutes per contest. She has earned the confidence of her coach.

“She’s a smart player. She’s efficient,” Pemper said. She’s just got a good way about her. She’s not a nervous player. There’s a good confidence level.

Cote, a former BDN All-Maine second-team selection who helped lead Dexter to two Class C state titles, actually leads Bowdoin in 3-point percentage at .444 (12-for-27).

Pemper believes that with more experience, Cote will become an even more valuable contributor to the squad.

“The big reason why I like to give her minutes in games is to make her better defensively,” Pemper said. “I have a lot of confidence in her ability to defend down the road.”

The next game for Cote and Bowdoin is Friday’s 5 p.m. Sweet 16 contest against Rochester at the University of Scranton (Pa.).

MMA seniors finish careers

A talented and productive group of five seniors have closed out their basketball careers for Maine Maritime Academy of Castine.

Coach Craig Dagan’s Mariners closed out a 25-4 campaign last Friday night in a loss to Keene State in the first round of the NCAA Division III tournament at Bowdoin College.

“We’ve got five seniors that have meant an awful lot to this program that played in their last game [Friday night],” Dagan said referring to Alyssa Burns of Dixfield, Shelly Gott-Stilwell of Tremont, Julia Knights of Brookton, Rebecca Moore of Winthrop and Ashley Hayden of Bangor.

“I’m really proud of what they’ve done, not only for the program but for Maine Maritime Academy as a whole,” Dagan said. “We lost five very quality individuals.”

Knights had the most traumatic end to her stellar career. She suffered a nasty gash above her left eye during a fall to the floor midway through the second half and did not return until there were only 47 seconds left.

Knights was taken to the training room, where she received seven or eight stitches to close the cut. With that repaired, the blood washed off her head and face and a fresh uniform on, she came back and finished the game.

“Most people would have probably been rushed off to the hospital,” Dagan said. “I knew that she would find a way to get back and I think that kind of shows what we’re about and what our kids are all about.”

Burns earned the North Atlantic Conference Player of the Year award in each of her three seasons with the Mariners and is glad she decided to transfer to MMA from Division II American International College.

“I wanted to go to a school where I could make an immediate impact,” Burns said. “I came to a small school and really got three years of good, quality basketball and good teammates, good people, great teachers. I really made the right decision.”

This senior class posted a combined 84-28 record, won the league title in 2005, and made three straight trips to the NCAA Tournament. Burns, Knights and Gott-Stilwell also own numerous single-season and career statistical records at MMA.

“It’s no secret that I became a good coach when Alyssa and Shelly and them all arrived on campus,” Dagan said. “It’s been a good ride.”

SMCC’s Worster All-American

Mike Worster of Southern Maine Community College in South Portland has been honored as a United States Collegiate Athletic Association basketball All-American.

The 6-1 guard from Rockland averaged 14.1 points per game this season for the Seawolves (21-11), who finished fourth in last week’s USCAA Division II National Tournament held at SMCC.

Top-seeded Cincinnati-Clermont won the national championship.

Colby skiers compete at NCAAs

Colby College of Waterville has four men competing in the NCAA Skiing Championships that began Wednesday in New Hampshire.

Fred Bailey of Andover and Nick Cline of Cape Elizabeth competed in Wednesday’s 10-kilometer freestyle cross country event. Bailey finished 20th and Cline took 25th. They will run the 15K classical race Friday at the Jackson Cross Country Center.

Bailey was an All-East second-team selection this season.

On the Alpine side, Jody Centauro and Josh Kernan are the White Mules’ qualifiers. They will compete in today’s giant slalom and in the slalom even on Saturday.

Centauro placed 16th in the slalom in last year’s NCAA meet.

UNE to add men’s hockey

The University of New England in Biddeford will add men’s ice hockey as an NCAA Division III program in 2010. It will have a club hockey team until then.

During the 1970s and ’80s, the former St. Francis College competed as an NAIA program and won three straight District 5 championships.

In a press release compiled by the U.S. College Hockey Online staff, athletic director Kim Allen said, “This is an incredible opportunity to bring back a program that accomplished so much. It will energize our campus and our alumni and contribute to building an athletic program that is nationally prominent.”

She also said there is a great tradition of college hockey in Maine and there is a lot of support and interest in the Portland and Biddeford areas.

The team will practice and play its games at the Biddeford Ice Arena.

There are currently three men’s NCAA Div. III programs in the state: Bowdoin College, Colby College, and the University of Southern Maine.

Colby swmimers at NCAAs

Kelly Norsworthy of Colby College in Waterville will chance national championships in the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke events during the NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships that begin Thursday in Houston.

Norsworthy, a junior All-American, will swim the 100 Friday and then the 200 on Saturday. She is seeded third in the 100 and sixth in the 200.

She also will compete in the 200 individual medley and team up with Kelsey Potdevin, Maryl Warlaumont and Danielle Carson in the 200 medley relay. Potdevin is racing in the 100 backstroke.

UMFK Nordic team wins title

The Nordic ski team at the University of Maine-Fort Kent recently won the Maine Reynolds Division championship in its first season of competition.

Coach Roy Michaud’s squad beat UMaine 46-35 in the overall team competition. The Bengals took the women’s title 29-10 over UMaine-Farmington, while the men wound up third.

Heather Hickey of Fort Kent went undefeated in league races, while Eamonn Harding of Ellsworth was termed the most consistent competitor by Michuad. Luke Sawyer of Sweden also was among UMFK’s top skiers and, along with Hickey, competed in both Nordic and Alpine events.

Bates skier 11th in NCAA 10K

Sylvan Ellefson of Bates College in Lewiston finished 11th Wednesday in the men’s 10K free technique race at the NCAA Skiing Championships in Jackson, N.H.

Ellefson will race Friday in the men’s 20K free classic race.