There was a time not long ago that beating the University at Albany was pretty much a pipe dream for the University of Maine women’s basketball team.
Now it appears to be a realistic goal, if not an expectation, for the Black Bears.
On Saturday afternoon, the Great Danes (8-6) escaped the Cross Insurance Center with a victory for the second time in two seasons. UAlbany won the teams’ mutual America East opener 49-43, though the effort appears only to have further motivated coach Richard Barron’s UMaine ballclub.
“We know we can play better than we did, and I think everyone in the gym knew that,” UMaine junior Liz Wood said. “Moving forward, we have to get better and get some wins in conference. Then when Albany comes, we have to prepare for that game and just play our best. I think when our shots start falling, our team will gain a lot of confidence and that will help us a lot.”
UMaine (8-5) did encounter some shooting woes (35 percent), especially from the 3-point arc (5-for-20). The issues came against a UAlbany team that has claimed three straight America East championships behind a stingy defense.
The Black Bears played some solid defense of their own Saturday, forcing many of the Great Danes’ 24 turnovers while holding UAlbany to its lowest winning point total since a 40-37 win over Hartford on Jan. 2, 2012.
Even so, UAlbany shot 49 percent for the game (20-for-41), including 71 percent during the second half.
“They were open shots that we gave them,” Barron said. “We let (Amani) Tate go off in the second half, let (Shereesha) Richards score one-on-one in the post. We’ve got to take that away from them.”
Katie Abrahamson Henderson, who has built the UAlbany program into a conference power, is the first to admit UMaine is likely to be among a handful of teams in the title chase this season.
It even tugs a bit at her heart strings, as she spent two seasons (1990-92) as an assistant at UMaine under former coach Joanne Palombo McCallie.
“I’m excited about the fact they’re right back in the (thick of things),” Henderson said after Saturday’s game. “Obviously, it’s not ever going to be the same because Cindy Blodgett’s not here.”
“I just think he’s (Barron) doing a really good job and they should be excited,” she added.
There were some missed opportunities Saturday for the Black Bears, who made some pivotal mistakes during the final minute of each half. But when it came down to crunch time, UMaine was in position to win the game.
“It was a one-point game with 20 seconds to go and the ball’s loose on the floor,” Barron said. “And our best players were 6-for-24 (25 percent) from the field. For us to shoot that poorly and still be in the game says we’re doing a lot of things right.”
The Black Bears also demonstrated considerable resolve, clawing their way back from a 10-point deficit with 10:31 remaining to be on the verge of taking the lead in the final minute.
Barron and Wood agreed that the loss, while unfortunate, should contribute to the team’s growth.
“I think coming into the game we knew that we were a good team, but I think we’re a better team than Albany,” a confident Wood said. “I think we’re more versatile, and we play as a unit more.”
UMaine heads on the road this week for two games, a nonconference contest Wednesday at Yale (7 p.m.) and a Saturday league game at Hartford (2 p.m.).
BEAR TRACKS: Courtney Anderson took advantage of the holiday semester break to recuperate from Dec. 15 surgery to repair the meniscus in her left knee. The senior guard from Greene was able to contribute in Saturday’s game against UAlbany. Anderson played eight minutes and logged two points, a rebound and two turnovers. Lauren Bodine also was back in the lineup for the Black Bears. The junior made two 3-pointers and provided three assists, a steal and a rebound. Bodine had sat out the previous three-plus games with undisclosed leg injuries.