Fans of the University of Maine women’s basketball team had hoped to witness significant improvement during 2008-09 after going 7-23 the previous season.
Instead, coach Cindy Blodgett’s Black Bears posted a dismal 5-25 record — the worst season in program history — and lost in the America East play-in game for the second year in a row.
Even so, those close to the program believe the turnaround is well under way.
“I don’t think it’s surprising. Things just don’t happen overnight,” said UMaine athletic director Blake James. “It’s a process to get the program back to where I and Cindy and the fans want it to be.”
The UMaine faithful must understand the program was at rock bottom — in terms of talent — when Blodgett took over as the head coach in 2007. It could take a couple more years to return to status as an America East contender.
This winter was a struggle. UMaine graduated one senior and five other players left or were asked to leave, leaving 10 roster members.
The Bears returned six veterans, three of them full-time starters. There wasn’t an impact player in the group, which was made up of one senior, four juniors and a sophomore.
Thrust into the mix was Blodgett’s first recruiting class, a promising yet unpolished quartet of freshmen.
The Bears’ strengths were their work ethic and resilience.
“Even when we had lost a number of games in a row, for the most part that [intensity in practice] didn’t change,” said Blodgett, who is in the second year of a four-year contract.
Their shortcomings included inexperience, poor decision-making with the ball, limited offensive talent, lack of overall quickness, and the absence of a take-charge floor leader with the skills to put the team on her shoulders in key situations.
UMaine’s most glaring problem was turnovers — 23.3 per game — which ranked a shocking 326th out of 328 Division I teams this season.
The three point guards, junior Kristin Baker and freshman guards Brittany Williams and Jasmine Rush, accounted for 38 percent (267) of those miscues. Turnovers cost UMaine offensive possessions and led to frequent points by opponents.
The mistakes put added pressure on a team that lacked a consistent perimeter shooter or an effective dribble penetrator to initiate its offense.
The most consistent scorer, for the second straight season, was junior forward Brittany Boser. She led the team, averaging 9.9 points and 4.8 rebounds, but often was swallowed up by taller defenders. She was among the nation’s best free-throw shooters at 86 percent.
The Bears’ points were spread out and inconsistent. Sophomore Tanna Ross (7.2 ppg, 2.9 rpg) was hot and cold, providing occasional 3-pointers. Freshman center Samantha Baranowski (6.6 ppg, 3.1 rpg) started well but wasn’t strong or tough enough in the paint.
The enigmatic Baker (6.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 4.1 apg, 1.5 spg) at times sparked the offense and also often bogged it down. Her energy and intensity were constant, but poor shooting and turnovers proved costly.
Senior forward Colleen Kilmurray (6.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg, .761 FT pct.) will be missed for her toughness and physical presence. Her play sparked the Bears in the final month. Junior guard Amanda Tewksbury (5.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg) was a quiet player coming off the bench but was an inconsistent shooter and limited defender.
Freshman guard Samantha Wheeler (4.3 ppg, 3.2 rpg) showed promise as a solid defender at 6 feet. She was limited as a scorer and rebounder and also was prone to turnovers. Rush (2.8 ppg) showed improvement. She came in offensive-minded, but committed herself to defense in spite of lackluster shooting.
Rookie point guard Williams (2.3 ppg) earned her keep as a quick, relentless defender but must get more comfortable running the offense and more aggressive attacking the basket off the dribble.
Junior Katia Bratishko (2.4 ppg, 2.2 rpg) was a backup forward who lent some muscle and rebounding underneath.
UMaine grew considerably on defense, especially playing its 1-2-2 matchup zone. The Bears must add quickness to the freshman group to bolster its man-to-man efforts and to amp up its full-court pressure.
“I think defensively we’re better and I think the toughness is getting there,” Blodgett said.
Among the recruits who signed with UMaine, two are scoring guards, one is a forward and the other is point guard Rachele Burns of Gorham, who is rehabbing a second injury to her knee.
“I think we have pieces, and I think we have a freshman class that’s coming in that’s going to help us with pieces, too,” said Blodgett, who stressed the importance of offseason workouts.
“Then it’s how quickly can we gel, how quickly can we be willing to sacrifice for one another for the better of the team?” she offered.
James said UMaine’s improvement was evident while going 3-4 in league play after an 0-9 America East start.
“Everyone understands where we want the program to be and that message comes from the head coach,” James said. “I’ll be surprised if we’re not playing in an America East championship game in the near future.”
Blodgett admits she, like the players, has continued to learn and grow during her first two seasons as a head coach.
“It’s been a great experience playing for this coaching staff, being given the opportunity to play here,” Kilmurray said.
“I think definitely everyone will see in the years to come how she [Blodgett] is changing this program and turning it back around to what it was when she was here.
“She didn’t recruit all of us and she didn’t have all of us from the beginning,” she said. “I think in the future she’ll definitely surprise those people on the [Internet] chat rooms and the rest of the people in the state, and they will get the outcome they want.”
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