Auburn, ME - Another trip to the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) National Championship Game seemed like business as usual for the Lady Mustangs, but this season, was far from their usual. The end result may have been similar to years past, but the journey there was very, very different. With only 6 returning players, 10 first year players, and 1 transfer, the makeup of roster was vastly different and took a lot of tinkering, trust, and adversity to mold everything together.
In each of the Mustangs first 6 games, they used 6 different starting lineups. A trend that would continue throughout the 31-game season. In fact, the longest stretch of identical starters was just the last 7 games of the year. Twelve different players started at least 2 games, while 10 of the 14 Mustangs who finished the season averaged at least 10-minutes per game, with 7 of them averaging 6 points per game or more. The Mustangs knew they would need this balance and diversity in their lineup in order to compete for championships.
Led by juniors Natalie Thurber and Kristen Huntress, the Lady Mustangs were once again playing their best basketball in late-February and March - the team's goal from the get-go. However, it did not come easy, and the there were plenty of bumps in the road along the way.
The first bump came in early-November when the Mustangs had their 56-game conference win streak snapped (11/5/19 @ UMA). This was an extra hurtful loss because first-year standout Abby Nadeau went down with a serious ankle injury. One that would sideline her for over a month. That same week, sophomore, Elena Tool, went down with a stress fracture in her foot, seriously depleting the Mustangs depth in the post. To pile it on, three days later, first-year post player Makenzie Beaudry also went down with an ankle injury. Tool would sit out until mid-January while Beaudry reappeared in the lineup after a 4 week absence before missing 3 more weeks after injuring her other ankle.
In true CM fashion, not a single excuse was made - the players just rolled up their sleeves and went to work. The Mustangs rattled off 14-straight wins with a limited roster, including two wins against USCAA DI Bryant & Stratton Albany, two wins against CCRI, and a road win at Southern Maine CC, all by double-figures.
A road set-back at USCAA DI, UMaine Fort Kent sparked the Mustangs who rolled through 5 more wins - again all by double-figures. During this stretch, CM avenged their losses to UMaine Augusta and UMaine Fort Kent, while also shutting down Southern Maine CC at home during Student-Athlete Recognition Night.
The final loss of the regular season, came during the last game, on the road to UMaine Machias - the Clippers first win over the Mustangs since 2011. CM took the loss in stride though, as they had already clinched their 4th straight Yankee Conference Regular Season Championship, which was also their 6th title in the last 8 years.
After defeating Great Bay CC and UMaine Augusta, both by 30+ points, in the first two rounds of the Yankee Conference Tournament, the Mustangs found another familiar foe in the YSCC Championship game; the Seawolves of Southern Maine Community College. With the tournament set in South Portland, the host Seawolves seemed primed to beat the Mustangs for the first time since February of 2016. Despite trailing by 1 point going in to the final quarter, the Mustangs rallied, blistering SMCC for 25 points in the final stanza to pull away for the 74-67 win. The win marked their 4th straight YSCC Tournament Championship, and their 7th in the last 9 years - extending the most dominant run in YSCC Women's Basketball history.
It was on the the USCAA National Tournament at Penn State Fayette, a place where the Mustangs have had monstrous success. However, this year's tournament had, by far, the deepest and most talented field the tournament has seen since its inception in 2013. Earning the #2 overall seed, the Mustangs took on Johnson & Wales Charlotte in the first round. JWU and CM faced off in the 2018 USCAA National Championship Game, with the Wildcats besting the Mustangs. Although JWU cut the CM lead to just 4 points in the second half, the Mustangs shrugged off the rust and came away with the 79-63 win.
In the national semifinals, CM took on Villa Maria College (Buffalo, NY), who the Mustangs defeated in the 2019 USCAA National Championship Game. The Vikings, who were certainly out for revenge, led at halftime, and by as much as 8 in the 3rd quarter. However, once again, CM found a way! The Mustangs dominated the 2nd half, stunning the Vikings with an 80-62 victory, advancing to their 4th straight USCAA National Championship Game.
Gutting out tough wins all season finally took its toll on the Mustangs when they ran into Penn State Beaver. With no gas left in the tank, the Mustangs sputtered to keep up with the tempo and defense of Beaver - ultimately falling 79-61 in the title game.
Head Women's Basketball Coach, Andrew Morong, commented, "This was, by far, one of the most challenging and rewarding seasons I have ever experienced. We had some roster turnover, whether it was by design, out of our control, or injury related - and that made things uneasy at times. This team was faced with adverse situations over and over and over again this year, and not only did it bring them closer together, but it made them stronger. Everyone had to step up, coaches, captains, players, everyone, and I am proud that each member of our program was ready and willing to take on the challenge. We bent a lot this year, but we never broke, and that is a testament to the women we have in our program. For those of us who trusted the process and invested in each other, we were rewarded with memories and experiences we will not soon forget. We hope that each member of this program will take what they learned this year, specifically when it comes to battling adversity and valuing others, and apply that to their everyday lives, because although winning is fun, basketball is just a tool to help get them ready for what's next."
Notable Honors
Eliza Brault - YSCC 1st Team All-Conference, USCAA 2nd Team All-American
Natalie Thurber - YSCC 2nd Team All-Conference, YSCC Tournament Best Defensive Player, USCAA Honorable Mention All-American
Kristen Huntress - YSCC Tournament MVP, YSCC Player of the Week, USCAA National Player of the Week, USCAA Academic All-American, USCAA Honorable Mention All-American, USCAA Tournament All-Tournament Team
Abby Ferland - USCAA Academic All-American
Elena Tool - USCAA Academic All-American
Season Highs
Points: Natalie Thurber - 29 - vs. UNB Saint John, Can-Am Tournament
Kristen Huntress - 29 - vs. Southern Maine CC, YSCC Championship Game
Rebounds: Makenzie Beaudry - 15 - vs Unity
Assists: Rebecca Davila - 9 - vs. Great Bay CC, YSCC Quarterfinal
Blocks: Kasie Maloney - 5 - vs. Southern Maine CC
Steals: Eliza Brault - 11 - vs. Great Bay CC
3FG made: Kristen Huntress - 6 - vs. Bryant & Stratton Albany
Charges: Natalie Thurber - 14 - full season
Triple-Double: Eliza Brault - 22 points, 11 steals, & 10 rebounds - vs. Great Bay CC
Double-Doubles: Kylee Joyce - 17 points & 13 rebounds - vs. Great Bay CC
Makenzie Beaudry - 13 points & 11 rebounds - vs. UNB Saint John
Makenzie Beaudry - 12 points & 10 rbeounds - vs. Vermont Tech
Makenzie Beaudry - 27 points & 15 rebounds - vs. Unity
