Newcomer Asta Blauenfeldt has provided the University of Maine women’s basketball team with something it hasn’t had in a while.
“She’s a true point guard,” said Black Bears head coach Amy Vachon, a former point guard herself at UMaine who has not had a real floor general in two seasons.
With her impressive play so far, Blauenfeldt, a Seattle University transfer, has helped the Black Bears compensate for the loss of two former America East Players of the Year in Anne Simon and Adrianna Smith along with highly touted incoming freshman Maddie Fitzpatrick. Simon turned professional after last season, while Smith and Fitzpatrick are out this season due to injuries.
The 5-foot-6 Blauenfeldt, a junior from Denmark, leads the team in field goal shooting percentage at 52.6 percent, 3-point percentage (49) as well as free throws (90.5). She also leads the team in steals (1.4 per game) and is second in scoring (9.5) and assists (3.1).
Over her last seven games, she has averaged 13.7 points, 3.6 assists and 1.7 steals while shooting 58.2 percent from the floor and a blistering 58.1 percent from long distance. UMaine is 7-8 overall but has won its first two America East games heading into a Thursday game at Binghamton.
“It has been a good start to the new year. It feels great. The team is starting to click,” said Blauenfeldt.
Seattle was 12-47 in her two seasons there with six-win campaigns each year. She transferred to UMaine “because I wanted to win and be in a place where people are honest with each other and there is a family feeling.”
Her UMaine debut didn’t go exactly the way she wanted it to go as she turned the ball over seven times. But she also had six assists, five points and four rebounds as UMaine beat LaSalle (Pa.) 65-51.
“In the beginning, I was still learning the offense,” explained Blauenfeldt. “But I’m much more comfortable now. We know where each other is going to be and what we want to do.”
She now knows where her teammates like to receive the ball to get off a shot. They also know where she likes to shoot from.
“She is a real good point guard,” said UMaine senior guard Paula Gallego. “She leads us on the court and makes us play the way we need to play. It’s great having her on offense and defense.”
Blaunfeldt is from a basketball family. Her father, Christian, and mother, Marieke, were both basketball players and Asta said they met through basketball. Her two younger brothers also play. The family watches her games and have group chats the day after games.
“They have a lot of input,” she said.
In Denmark, Blaunfeldt said she had a choice of five different sports as a child. Her parents told her to pick one. She chose basketball over soccer, handball, swimming and gymnastics and has always been a point guard.
She grew up in a small town in northern suburbs of the capital city of Copenhagen and was chosen the Young Player of the Year in her country. She has also played on their age-level national teams, including the senior national team.
She came to Orono in July and bonded with her coaches and teammates including fellow Dane Caroline Bornemann, a graduate student guard-forward and the team’s leading scorer and rebounder. The two had played against each other before and also shared time on the national team one summer.
“She is really good,” Bornemann said. “I’m happy we have her here.”
Blauenfeldt is enjoying her time at UMaine. She praised the team for having fun but locking into their play when they need to. She enjoys playing at the Memorial Gym, noting that “we get a lot of support from the crowd.”
Blauenfeldt averaged 5.2 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists in her 57 games at Seattle and said she has had to adjust to a more prominent role at UMaine, where Vachon expects her players to take shots when they are open.
She is studying media studies and marketing. When she gets spare time, she like to hang out with friends, go for walks and do puzzles. Her teammates have introduced her to country music.
“You have to [like country] to live in Orono,” she quipped.
Her goals over the final 14 league games include driving to the basket more to set up some passes to open teammates and continuing to shoot the ball well. Vachon said she has told Blauenfeldt to be a more vocal leader.
“That doesn’t come naturally to me, but that comes with me knowing the offense and knowing when I say something to my teammates that it’s right,” Blauenfeldt said.
