Five games into the 2003-04 season, the Deering High School girls basketball team was still searching to find its rhythm.

Three straight narrow losses – to Westbrook, two-time defending Class A state champion Catherine McAuley High of Portland, and Sanford – left the Rams with a 2-3 record.

“They were all games we could have won,” said third-year Deering coach Mike D’Andrea, whose Rams will play undefeated Cony of Augusta for the 2004 Class A state title in a 3:05 p.m. start Saturday at Portland’s Cumberland County Civic Center.

“We felt we could beat anyone, but we also felt that anyone could beat us,” he said.

Since that 2-3 start, no one has beaten Deering en route to its first-ever Western A title.

The 16-game winning streak includes two victories over McAuley, the most recent a 56-46 decision in last Saturday’s regional final that ended the Lions’ four-year reign as Western Maine champs.

“Mentally we’ve jelled as a team, and some of our younger players have stepped up a bit to go with our seniors,” said D’Andrea, better known as the architect of a Deering baseball team that has won four Class A state titles in the last five years.

The Rams (18-3) are led by 6-foot-3 senior center Megan Urban, who led the Southern Maine Activities Association with 21 points and seven blocked shots per game this winter while also averaging 11 rebounds per contest. Urban, who surpassed 1,000 career points during Deering’s 45-30 quarterfinal victory over Westbrook, has accepted a full scholarship to continue her basketball career at Division II Assumption College next season.

“Some people have said she’s a soft player, but she’s led the league in scoring the last two years, was second in the league in rebounds the last two years, and led the league in blocks the last two years,” said D’Andrea. “People can say what they want, but I’ll take a player like Megan Urban any day.”

Urban teams up front with 5-10 senior forward Stephanie Ramoulas, named outstanding player of the Western A tournament after scoring 24 points in the final against McAuley.

“She’s the best defender in our league,” D’Andrea said. “She can cover anybody, and she takes pride in her defense.”

Katie Gagnon, a 5-7 senior, averaged 10.3 points per game during the Western A tournament, scoring in double figures in each of the Rams’ three victories. Other starters are 5-2 senior point guard Lucretia Joy and 5-2 sophomore guard Rashema Murphy.

Man-to-man defense has been at the forefront of Deering’s success. The Rams allowed only 37.2 points per game during the regular season and 36.3 points per tournament outing.

“We’ve taken pride in our defense as the weeks have gone on,” said D’Andrea, “and now we’ve gotten to within one win of a state championship with our defense.”

In this state championship Battle of the Rams, Deering will face a 21-0 Cony team with a blend of size in 6-2 junior Katie Rollins and 6-1 freshman Cassie Cooper and quickness led by 5-6 junior guard Briiana Rende.

“We’ve seen them on tape, and they’re a very good basketball team,” said D’Andrea “One thing we’ve got to do is keep them from getting more than one shot.

“We know going in that it’s going to be a battle, but it’s a battle we’re ready for. It’s a battle I’m sure both teams are ready for.”