Coach Amy Vachon said despite having their first two games postponed, the University of Maine women’s basketball team should be well prepared for Thursday’s 2 p.m. opener at Providence College.
The Black Bears haven’t been shortchanged on court time while enduring the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’ve probably practiced more than any team in the country, to be honest with you,” Vachon said.
UMaine teams on Tuesday were cleared to play by UMaine President Joan Ferrini-Mundy, who had imposed a two-week delay to competition for winter sports teams because of COVID-19 cases among Black Bear student-athletes.
Vachon said her team didn’t have any cases.
UMaine also is scheduled to play a 6 p.m. game Friday at the University of Rhode Island.
UMaine had its initial games against Mississippi State and an undetermined opponent at the Naismith Hall of Fame Women’s Basketball Challenge in Connecticut canceled after a COVID-19 case on the University of Connecticut team that also was in the tournament.
The Black Bears haven’t played since beating UMass Lowell in an America East semifinal game in Orono back on March 8. The championship game against Stony Brook was canceled by the pandemic.
Guard Blanca Millan, the 2019 America East Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, and forward Fanny Wadling, the league’s top rebounder in 2018-2019, have returned from injuries to join a cast of three 2020 All-America East second-team selections in seniors Maeve Caroll and Dor Saar and sophomore Anne Simon. Simon was the league’s Rookie of the Year.
Backup guard Anna Kahelin, who was injured in the AE quarterfinal win, had a knee injury and wasn’t expected to play on Thursday.
Vachon said there are other UMaine players who will miss the opener because of injuries, but would not divulge who they are.
“I’m not talking about it before the game. I don’t want the other teams to read about it,” she said.
Wadling and Carroll will reportedly miss the game with minor injuries.
Spanish guard Alba Orois and Danish forward-guard Caroline Bornemann highlight a five-member freshman class that also includes former Mt. Blue High of Farmington star Lexi Mittestadt, a Bangor Daily News All-Maine Schoolgirl Basketball third-team selection a year ago.
Vachon has been impressed by the newcomers, but wouldn’t speculate on which ones would get significant playing time.
“I am going to play the players who give us the best chance to win,” said Vachon, the school’s all-time assists leader with 759.
“I love our team and how hard they’ve been competing,” she added.
The Black Bears were understandably excited to learn they will finally be playing games.
“They’ve worked hard and made good decisions off the court which has put them in position to play. I’m excited for them,” Vachon said.
UMaine has been practicing wearing face coverings since August but won’t use them in the games. To maintain social distancing guidelines, the team will take two buses to Rhode Island instead of one.
Vachon expects Providence (already 3-3) and URI (0-3) to provide her team with a stiff challenge.