University of Maine at Augusta women’s basketball coach Heath Cowan leads a drill during practice Feb. 28 at the Augusta Armory. Andy Molloy/Kennebec Journal
The University of Maine at Augusta women’s basketball team is moving on in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association Division II tournament.
The Moose beat Penn State Fayette 54-48 in overtime in the play-in game Monday night at Richard Bland College in Petersburg, Virginia. Hope Butler and Kaeti Butterfield each scored 15 points to lead UMA (18-8).
The Moose will meet a familiar foe in the quarterfinal round tonight, taking on rival Central Maine Community College. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m.
UMA swept CMCC (25-3) in the regular season, beating the Mustangs 78-66 on Dec. 6 and 75-58 on Feb. 2. Despite the regular season sweep, CMCC went on to win the Yankee Small College Conference championship, beating Southern Maine Community College 57-50 on Feb. 26.
Multiple central Maine players will be involved in the matchup. UMA is led by forward Madeline Suhr, a Brunswick graduate, who is averaging 16 points and nine rebounds per game. The Moose also have Butterfield, a Monmouth Academy graduate, Sydney Farrer (Maine Central Institute grad), Autumn Sudsbury (Cony) and Sydney LeBlanc (Madison).
CMCC has first-year forward and Waterville graduate Kali Thompson, who is averaging 7.1 points per game and eight rebounds per game for the Mustangs. CMCC has also received production from first-year forward and Lawrence graduate Sarah Poli (6.6 points, 6.9 rebounds per game).
The winner of the UMA-CMCC contest may meet SMCC in the semifinal round. The SeaWolves (20-4) will play Cincinnatti-Clermont at 10 p.m. this evening, with the winner of that game playing either UMA or CMCC. It was the SeaWolves that knocked the Moose out of the YSCC tournament, beating UMA 79-57 on Feb. 23.
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
