Women’s basketball to rely on experience, versatility this season

AUGUSTA, Maine - The University of Maine at Augusta women's basketball team carries a mix of experience and versatility as the Moose prepare for the 2015-16 season, which opens on October 23 at Central Maine Community College with the annual CANAM Tournament. 

The Moose are coming off their third straight appearance in the Yankee Small College Conference Final Four and are looking to make it four in a row under sixth year head coach Jennifer Laney. The ultimate goal for this group of players is a return trip to the United States Collegiate Athletic Association National Tournament in Pittsburgh, Pa. where the Moose made their first appearance in 2014. 

"We have one returning player from our national team in Jamie Plummer, and she is setting the example of the kind of hard work, dedication and focus it takes over five months to reach that pinnacle in March," Laney said.

Plummer (Richmond, Maine) enters her junior season coming off of an outstanding sophomore season. In only her second year of college, she became the fifth 1,000 point scorer in Lady Moose history. The 5'9 forward was the leading scorer in the conference 2014-15, averaging 20.7 points per game, which also ranked her fifth in the country in USCAA Division II. Plummer's 559 points for the season was the most scored by any player in the country in Division II. Plummer also ranked second in the nation in field goal percentage and led the conference in rebounding with 11.4 boards per game. 

The Lady Moose also return their second top scorer in sophomore Carmen Bragg (Washburn, Maine), who averaged 12.6 points per game and started all 27 games in her first season. Though Bragg is a guard by trade, she also brings versatility, something that Laney feels defines this season's team.

"We have a very diverse talent base this season," Laney said. "All of the players we have are extremely versatile in the game and they all bring something different to the the table.  

UMA welcomes a pair of true freshman for the season in tall guards Lindsey Clark (Cornish, N.H.) and Caitlin LaFountain (Topsham, Maine). Clark served as a captain for her high school team and poses an offensive threat with her perimeter shooting and is extremely quick, and should help this year's team remain one of the top defensive squads in the conference. LaFountain ranked in the top-five all time in points, assists, and rebounds for her high school program, and was named as a Maine Association of Basketball Coaches McDonald's All Star in her senior year. 

Senior transfer Darby Toth is no stranger to the USCAA or its competition, having ranked tied for 12th in the country in Division II for points on the season as a member of the University of Maine at Presque Isle team. The point guard scored 400 points, averaging 16.7 points per game while leading the nation in assists with 154. 

Emily Karter (Waterville, Maine) and Morgan Card (Ellsworth, Maine) are also transfers who come in with a plethora of college experience. Karter played a season for Division III Husson University while Card played for Eastern Maine Community College. 

The Moose open the season at home against perennial top contender CMCC on November 12 at the Augusta Civic Center.