Last season, former University of Maine women’s basketball coach Sharon Versyp became Purdue University’s winningest first-year coach when she led her alma mater to a 31-6 record and a berth in the NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight.

They appeared to have a solid nucleus back to make another run at an NCAA title but when they lost standout power forward Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton (14.8 points per game, 8.2 rebounds) and three-point specialist Jodi Howell (40.6 percent) to season-ending surgeries before the campaign began, the Boilermakers were in scramble mode.

They played the second toughest non-conference schedule in the country, according to Versyp.

They lost 72-36 to Michigan on Feb. 21 and lost three of their last four regular season games.

But they went on to win their second straight Big Ten Tournament by topping Indiana (64-54), Iowa (80-73) and Illinois (58-56). That earned them an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament with an 18-14 record.

“We’ve had so many ups and downs. This has been one of the most satisfying and gratifying seasons of my career,” said Versyp. “This was one of the best teams I’ve ever coached in terms of having players willing to do anything to better the team. They were very coachable, they worked hard and they put in extra work.”

She said it was also extremely rewarding for her staff, which includes former Maine assistant Jody Benner.

“This was one of the best situations we, as a staff, ever had to go through. We had to really work together with this group of women and build their confidence. We had to tell them they were great players because they were used to being role players. And they had to become leaders,” said Versyp, who was 98-51 in her five seasons at Maine and was a two-time America East Coach of the Year.

She said they used a lot of “positive bonding and positive energy” to help their players elevate their play and her team “refocused and peaked” in the Big Ten Tournament.

“We were a totally different team [in the tournament],” said Versyp whose Boilermakers erased a 17-point deficit to beat Iowa.

They have just two players who average in double figures (Danielle Campbell and Lakisha Freeman) and they each averaged 12.3 PPG. Campbell leads in rebounds (7.5) and FahKara Malone is the assists leader (3.7).

“We aren’t a great offensive team. We’re a very good defensive team and a very good rebounding team that gets to the free throw line,” said Versyp whose team averages 59.1 ppg while allowing 61.2 ppg.

They have outrebounded their opponents 37.5-36.1.

Even though they probably won’t earn a high seed, they will get to play at home asMackey Arena will serve as a regional host for the first two rounds.

“It’s a great situation. With a team like ours that is young and inexperienced and starting to peak at the right time, it’s a great asset. Especially with our sixth man, which is our fans. Our fans are phenomenal,” said Versyp.

Versyp, Benner and former Maine field hockey coach and senior women’s administrator Terry Kix, the director of women’s basketball operations at Purdue, keep tabs on the Black Bears.

“I’m glad Cindy [first-year coach Cindy Blodgett] is there. Maine’s in good hands,” said Versyp, who has a top 10-rated recruiting class coming in next year to go with a strong nucleus including Wisdom-Hylton and Howell.

“The future is extremely bright,” said Versyp who left Maine for Indiana and produced the second best turnaround in school history with a 19-14 record in 2005-2006.