The University of Maine women’s basketball team hasn’t brought home much America East hardware during its struggles of the last few years.
Samantha Wheeler helped end that trend this season.
Wheeler, a sophomore from Derry, N.H., has been named to the America East All-Conference Third Team.
League honors were handed out during an awards luncheon on the University of Hartford campus, the site of this year’s America East Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships.
UMaine senior Kristin Baker of Bingham was among five players named to the America East All-Academic Team.
Regular-season champion Hartford dominated the individual honors as Sophomore Diana Delva was named the AE Player of the Year, senior Erica Beverly was tabbed the top defensive player and Jennifer Rizzotti was selected the coach of the year.
Chantell Alford of Boston University was the rookie of the year and joined unanimous picks Delva, Beverly and Vermont’s Courtnay Pilypaitis and May Kotsopoulos on the all-league first team.
The 6-foot Wheeler has been the Black Bears’ catalyst all season from her small-forward spot. She is UMaine’s first all-conference selection since Bracey Barker (first team) and Ashley Underwood (second team) in 2007.
Tanna Ross was an all-rookie pick in 2008.
Wheeler has sparked UMaine this season, averaging a team-best 10.8 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. She ranks second on the squad in average minutes played (31.4), field-goal percentage (.427) and free-throw percentage (.779) and is third in steals (32) and fourth in assists per game (1.5) and blocked shots (8).
“There’s no question she competes every single day in practice and every game, regardless of the score, whether we’re home or away,” said UMaine coach Cindy Blodgett. “Her effort is consistent. I love her effort.”
Wheeler, who verbally committed to former Bears coach Ann McInerney and signed after the arrival of Blodgett, is the granddaughter of former UMaine and pro quarterback Manch Wheeler (Class of 1962).
Baker, a scrappy guard for UMaine, earned all-academic accolades after posting a 3.61 grade point average while studying kinesiology and physical education.
On the court, she averaged 10.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.7 steals.