ORONO – The early part of the fall semester is a critical time for college basketball teams. The players spend the preseason conditioning, playing pickup games and bonding in preparation for the season.

The University of Maine women’s squad didn’t wait until September to start getting ready for the 2003-04 season. Instead, the Black Bears went – both literally and figuratively – to summer school.

Coach Sharon Versyp’s squad spent the summer in Orono, taking classes and spending time together on and off the court. The result should be a more competitive and cohesive UMaine team once the season begins next month.

“It’s almost like we never left,” said senior Heather Ernest of Temple. “I think summer school really helped us, being here the majority of the summer and working out together and doing a lot of good stuff. It’s been amazing.”

Versyp asked the players to commit to summer school to make sure they were ready for their Nov. 22 opener in Hawaii against Washington in hopes of making a run at the America East championship and the NCAA Tournament.

Versyp asked UMaine’s freshmen, Bracey Barker of Bar Harbor, Ashley Underwood of Fairfield and Lindsey Hugstad-Vaa of Apple Valley, Minn., to take six credit hours during the summer.

“The freshmen got to know the campus, they got to know other people,” said Versyp, who explained teams in some of the nation’s top conferences also have their first-year players arrive prior to their first full semester.

“They’re already half a semester ahead, and they have added maturity understanding college life, college basketball, the intensity,” Versyp said.

Monday afternoon, the Bears vigorously attacked their third formal practice of the season at Memorial Gym. It was clear they are committed to having a memorable season.

“Everybody was in tiptop shape, because we were working out all summer together,” Ernest said. “We’re leaps and bounds ahead of where we were last year.”

One of the most obvious strengths for this year’s team is sheer numbers. UMaine had the full complement of 14 players on the floor Monday, all apparently healthy and ready to go.

Ernest said the transition of the freshmen has been smooth because they have been here since June.

“Practicing now, it doesn’t feel like the freshmen are freshmen,” Ernest said.

UMaine is blessed with tremendous experience, including a senior class that includes Ernest, Melissa Heon and Julie Veilleux of Augusta. They are bolstered by a veteran junior group that features Kim Corbitt, Monica Peterson and Missy Traversi, along with sophomore Abby Schrader, who was a key contributor last season.

They are backed up by a contingent of seven other players who will lend their talents in making this one of the deepest Black Bear teams ever.

Versyp likes what she has seen from her team so far, especially considering the Bears just got started.

“We’re already doing things that we weren’t doing last year until January,” Versyp said. “That’s why we went to summer school and why during preseason the kids were able to put in most of the offenses. Yes, we’re making mistakes, but they’re so much fun to watch right now.”

UMaine’s annual Blue-White intrasquad game is slated for Nov. 2 at 2:30 p.m. at Alfond Arena in Orono.