Most coaches in the NAIA women’s basketball ranks never have the luxury of coaching a 6-foot-5 post player.
University of Maine-Fort Kent coach Lucas Levesque, on the other hand, is adjusting to life without one.
The Bengals have begin their quest for a third consecutive conference crown after the departure of former Sunrise Conference Player of the Year Ashley Ames of Dexter.
“It’s a little tougher sometimes to play this game when you don’t have a [6-5] kid there to either lob the ball up in to offensively or have the human eraser in there defensively. It’s a big difference,” Levesque said.
Despite the loss, UMFK returns a solid nucleus headed by returning starters Kristen Violette of Eagle Lake, Amber Garrison and Talisha Herring. The Bengals are off to a 2-3 start as they continue a tough stretch of nonconference games.
UMFK has lacked depth early, since Angela Norsworthy of Presque Isle and Morgan Chasse of Veazie only recently joined the team after playing soccer and qualifying for the NAIA national tournament. Even so, Levesque thinks the Bengals have enough players to contend for the Sunrise title.
The defensive catalyst is Amber Garrison. The junior point guard is a stabilizing presence at both ends.
“She really kick-starts our defense and gets things going in the right direction,” Levesque said. “She’s our floor general, our point guard. She’s certainly the best on-the-ball defender in our conference.”
Garrison is a good rebounder and ball-distributor. She’ll be looking to set up Violette, a junior forward, and Talisha Herring, a senior guard, as key elements of the UMFK offense.
“Talisha has been a scorer for us, our shooting guard, who’s done very well in the past,” Levesque said.
“Kristen is kind of playing the 5 (center) for us,” he added. “She’s the most consistent offensive player that we’ve got in terms of scoring the basketball.”
Another important piece of the UMFK puzzle is lefthanded sophomore forward Maliesha Caesar, who has the potential to put the Bengals over the top.
“The development of Maliesha Caesar will be key,” Levesque said. “She’s long and athletic and can do great things.”
UMFK also is looking for contributions from junior forward Norsworthy, who missed much of last season with a torn knee ligament, and freshman guard Chasse. They should figure prominently in the mix, with Chasse expected to earn a starting spot.
“Morgan can shoot it, is a great defensive player and has got very good instincts,” said Levesque, who envisions his team being able to play more of an uptempo style once everyone settles in.
Juniors Cat Melton of Kenduskeag and Tara Waltz of Whitefield will come off the bench along with freshman Rebecca Stokdijk and sophomore Elsa Gelagay.
Levesque is hopeful the Bengals will be able to add a 5-10 forward for the second semester to help bolster the squad.
“I think we will definitely still be toward the top, if not the top team [in the Sunrise Conference],” said Levesque, whose team has won four of the last six league titles.
“Pretty much every year is ‘Operation Get to Sioux City,’” he said of the site of the NAIA Division II national tourney.
UMFK returns to action Thursday at Husson University in Bangor and closes out the semester with two tournaments, including its own Bengal Holiday Classic, Dec. 18-20.
Colby takes shot at breast cancer
The Colby College men’s ice hockey team will try to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research during its home game against Bowdoin College Friday night.
Both teams will wear pink laces on their skates and pink tape on their sticks for the 7 p.m. game. Fans are also encouraged to wear pink and donation jars will be set up just inside the entrances. Free tickets are available in the main lobby of Harold Alfond Athletic Center Wednesday from 5 to 6 p.m. Only one ticket per person is available, and fans must have one to get into the game.
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