So far, so good for the USM women’s basketball team who, with their 67-57 win against Bates last week, moved to 4-0 on the season.
The Huskies will now get ready to face their toughest test thus far, the perennial powerhouse and 15th ranked Bowdoin Polar Bears on Tuesday.
Coach Mike McDevitt’s squad is coming off four straight wins, including the USM Tip-Off Tournament championship where they snuck by Norwich University 64-61.
Leading the way for USM are the usual suspects. Senior forward Stacey Kent (Northwood, NH) is living up to her recognition as one of the best collegiate players in the state. Kent is one of three Huskies scoring in double-figures with a 15.8 point per game clip. Behind her is fellow senior captain Nicole Paradis (Skowhegan) who, thanks to her 29-point outburst against the University of New England, is averaging 14 points a night. Kaylie Demillo (Jay), the reigning Maine Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Player of the Week, is contributing 13.3 points per night.
But the storyline this season is depth.
And while the three leading scorers for the Huskies are doing their part to help the Huskies’ toward another Little East Conference title, some new faces have emerged and have contributed some valuable minutes for McDevitt and his crew.
Kristi Violette (Readfield) has emerged as the team’s leading rebounder and made her presence known around the basket. Grabbing 10.8 boards per game, Violette dominated the paint against the University of New England and demonstrated an uncanny knack for finding the basketball during loose-ball and rebounding situations. She’s also been contributing on the offense end in addition to her defensive prowess. The junior is averaging 8 points a night.
The Huskies got their season rolling against local rival UNE with a 77-57 victory. In what was a three-point game at halftime (27-24), the Huskies shook off early season rust – manifested in a slurry of missed opportunities and ice-cold shooting – to outscore the Nor’easters 50-33 in the second stanza.
USM then hosted the Tip-Off tournament which included the University of Maine-Farmington, Husson and Norwich, which the Huskies went on to win after an easy 76-57 victory over UMF and the aforementioned squeaker against Norwich.
The Huskies will have a tough task on their hands Tuesday. The Polar Bears are 3-1 on the season with their only loss coming in blowout fashion to unranked Brandeis University.
The Huskies and Polar Bears have had only one mutual opponent, UNE, who Bowdoin defeated in a similar fashion, 75-53.
USM will have to utilize their athleticism and get big efforts from Violette and fellow ball-hawk Haley Johnson (West Simsbury, CT) if they hope to stake claim to Maine women’s basketball supremacy.
The Huskies are currently ahead of Brandeis in the latest D3Hoops.com Top-25 poll, receiving 46 points to Brandeis’ 44.