Defense, turnovers hurt Maine Graduations will make for thin team next year

VESTAL, N.Y. – When this season began, there weren’t any delusions of grandeur about the prospects for the University of Maine women’s basketball team.

Coach Ann McInerney welcomed back only two proven front-line players in seniors Bracey Barker and Ashley Underwood, along with senior part-time starters and role players Katie Whittier and Lindsey Hugstad-Vaa.

America East coaches saw the handwriting on the wall, picking the Bears to finish seventh among the league’s nine teams in the preseason poll. UMaine was a bit better than that.

The Bears wound up in a three-way tie for fourth place in the conference standings at 7-9 but were the sixth seed for the America East tournament by virtue of tiebreakers. The Bears’ 13-15 season ended with Friday’s quarterfinal loss to Vermont.

UMaine simply didn’t have enough quality players to win consistently. Aside from all-conference performers Barker and Underwood, offensive contributions from the other regulars were spotty.

Whittier and Hugstad-Vaa enjoyed only occasional offensive success, usually as part of the Bears’ high-low plays, and neither emerged as the kind of rebounding force the team needed.

Junior Kris Younan exhibited significant improvement, especially on defense, playing both point guard and shooting guard. Her energy helped give UMaine some flashes of excitement in transition, but she struggled with turnovers.

The only newcomer to make an impact was freshman point guard Abby Greene, who was a solid ballhandler, an adequate defender, and a 3-point threat.

Other freshmen made occasional contributions, including guards Amanda Tewksbury and Tiffany Colon, along with raw 6-foot-6 center Sandra Vaitkute. All played limited roles.

There were more players on the bench, but none saw much meaningful action. Sophomore guard Brittany Bowen saw spot time, while classmates Brittany Boser and Colleen Kilmurray and freshmen Kristin Baker and Katia Bratishko weren’t ready to crack the lineup.

While the Bears failed to consistently exhibit the kind of scoring balance they needed to take pressure off Underwood and Barker, it was their defense that ultimately prevented them from winning more often.

In league play, UMaine ranked seventh in scoring defense (64.2 ppg), fifth in field-goal percentage defense (.411) and seventh in rebounding margin (minus-3.5). The Bears played mostly man-to-man, mixing in some 1-2-2 and 2-3 zones and a bit of 1-2-2 full-court pressure.

The Bears were a frontcourt-oriented team that lacked the overall quickness to handle some of the more guard-dominated squads.

UMaine was a tremendously efficient offensive squad – when it didn’t turn the ball over. The Bears led the conference rankings in field goal percentage (.435), free throw percentage (.809), and assists (15.38) and were second in 3-point percentage (.379).

However, they also turned the ball over 17.7 times per contest, the second most in the league.

UMaine has struggled to a 23-34 combined record (.404) over the last two seasons, logging the first back-to-back losing campaigns in program history. The trend may continue.

McInerney and her staff have had their work cut out for them since taking over in 2005, when former coach Sharon Versyp left the program thin on talent. They will now try to continue the rebuilding process by welcoming another large recruiting class.

Next season, UMaine’s nucleus will include Greene at point guard and Younan, who will be the lone senior, at the other guard spot. Richmond transfer Whitney Morrow of South Portland should give the Bears a good perimeter shooting threat but won’t become eligible until January.

Tewksbury goes into her second season looking to make big strides as a small forward, while Colon should get minutes because of her steady defense. Vaitkute has shown good low-post skills but must improve her agility and tenacity on defense.

Juniors Bowen, Boser, and Kilmurray have yet to prove they can succeed at the Division I level.

That leaves the door wide open for the incoming freshmen to make an immediate impact. That group includes shooting guard Tanna Ross of Hampden Academy, versatile guard Emily Rousseau of Biddeford, and 6-4 center Christina Mosher from Mt. Blue of Farmington.

Tonya Young, a 6-2 post player from New Hampshire, will come in after a stellar career during which she surpassed 2,000 points. Magdala Johnson, also from New Hampshire, is a 6-foot combination guard with good quickness and athleticism.

And don’t count out sophomore point guard Kristin Baker of Bingham. The walk-on is a hard worker and intense player who is making a huge jump from Class D ball to Division I.

Sophomore forward Katia Bratishko also has a long way to go before she will be able to play regularly at this level.

UMaine is likely to experience some significant growing pains next season. The Bears will be thin on upperclass leadership and experienced, proven performers.

However, the influx of new players – which will give UMaine 11 freshmen and sophomores among their 15 roster spots – should provide a fresh start for the program.