Owls gain honors
PRESQUE ISLE — University of Maine at Presque Isle women’s basketball players Emily Pelletier and Olivia McNally have been named to the Association of NCAA Division III Independents “All-Independent” second team.
Owl teammate Amanda Hotham received “Honorable Mention.”
Both McNally and Pelletier earned AD3I “Player of the Week” distinctions during the 2012-13 season.
Pelletier, a senior from Fort Kent who narrowly missed a first team nod, capped off her collegiate career in style putting up career highs in points, rebounds, assists, free throws and steals. Included in her season highlights is a game-winning three-pointer over Thomas College during the Star City Classic. The Owls went 2-0 in the home tournament and Pelletier was named MVP.
Feb. 10 was Pelletier’s 22nd birthday. It was also the day that the 5-foot-5 sharpshooter topped 1,000 career points with a first-half three at the College of St. Joseph’s in Vermont. She finished her four-year career at Presque Isle with 1,026 points and 261 made three-pointers.
McNally, a junior from Sherman, also had a memorable year as she put up career-highs in every offensive category. While she improved her scoring from 6.2 to 9.4 points per game, it was her ability to fill a box score in other categories that earned her post-season recognition. While starting and playing roughly the same amount of minutes this season as she did in her sophomore campaign, the 5-foot-5 guard more than doubled her rebound totals (57 last year, 121 this season) and nearly tripled her assist totals (30 last year, 81 this season). Perhaps an even more impressive note on ball handling is that while she dished out 51 more assists, she committed just one more turnover (56 in 2011-12 and 57 in 2012-13).
During a win on Feb. 3 over Fisher College, McNally flirted with a triple-double by scoring 18 points, notching nine assists and pulling down eight rebounds. In her next game, the physical education major went out against UM-Fort Kent and put up a line of 12 points, 11 rebounds and five assists.
The team’s strongest offensive threat off the bench was Hotham, a freshman from Fort Fairfield. During a rookie season that was sidetracked by injuries and illness three different times, Hotham proved that, when healthy, she can light up a scoreboard. She had no problem throwing her 5-foot-7 frame around to get rebounds and drive to the basket. For the season she averaged 9.2 points per game, was second on the team with 5.1 rebounds, and despite missing five games, led the team in free throws made and attempted (55 for 72).
On Jan. 4, Hotham came off the bench to score 20 points on 8-of-14 shooting from the field to help beat Fisher College, 56-44. Later in the month, she began a six-game stretch that saw her average 13 points and 5 rebounds a game.
This marks the first time that three members of the UM-Presque Isle women’s basketball team have received “All-Independent” recognition in the same year. Owl athletics has been participating in the AD3I since 2004-05.
