AUBURN – The seven-year-old, 16-by-20-inch team picture rested against Central Maine Community College men’s basketball coach and athletic director Dave Gonyea’s desk, destined for relocation.

It was taken days before CMCC hosted the United States Collegiate Athletic Association tournament in 2002. The men would win a national title. The women were on the cusp of a final four berth, one of two in the program’s short history.

Gonyea and the Mustangs’ close-knit coaching staffs pondered the picture, trading jabs while debating who has maintained the most of his hair, whose has turned grayest and how many combined pounds the group might have gained or lost.

One item was not up for discussion. The framed, frozen moment represents the high point of CMCC basketball, one the Mustangs will try to duplicate or exceed this week in Uniontown, Pa.

“We took the same picture this week,” Gonyea said, “and I got to thinking. It was seven years ago. Our men were the seventh seed, just like this year. Maybe it’s all coincidence, I don’t know, but I kind of like that.”

Reviving what once seemed annual tradition, both Central Maine squads received invitations to the five-day, two-site national tournament.

CMCC’s men were awarded one of two at-large berths into the USCAA Division II bracket and will take on the host school, Penn State Fayette, at 8 p.m. Wednesday. With a win, the Mustangs (18-6) would advance to the quarterfinals against No. 2 Penn State Beaver on Friday.

Ranked No. 11 in the women’s field, CMCC (19-5) takes on Penn State Beaver at 11 a.m. Wednesday. No. 3 Apprentice School will meet the survivor at 3 p.m. Friday.

For fourth-year women’s standout Tiffany Seams of Oxford and departing three-year men’s starter Nate Damm of Winthrop, the trip represents their only chance to compete at nationals. The men declined an at-large invitation two years ago.

“It’s been an awesome three years,” said Damm, who attended Eastgate Christian Academy in New Gloucester before winning a Western Maine championship at Winthrop High School. “For a while when I didn’t think we made it to nationals, being my last year to play with these guys, it was kind of depressing. When coach told me that we made nationals, I was very excited.”

Seams played a pivotal role in finalizing Central Maine’s travel arrangements. She drained five 3-pointers and scored 28 points to lead the Mustangs past Southern Maine CC, 59-49, in the Yankee Conference championship game.

CMCC avenged s pair of regular-season losses to SMCC by a total of seven points.

“We beat them when it mattered,” Seams said. “(Four) seniors knew if they didn’t play well, it would be their last game.”

Central Maine seniors may play two, three or four years, depending upon their degree program.

Seams’ senior season was cut in half by a dislocated kneecap in November. She also suffered a scare when she twisted her ankle in the Yankee semifinals before quickly returning to the floor.

In past seasons, losing Seams for any length of time would have been too much for the Mustangs to overcome. An influx of talent this year gave coach Mike Bridges both a 13-person roster and the luxury of using it almost evenly.

Michelle Holmquist of Dixfield led the Mustangs with 17.3 points per game and 12 double-doubles in her rookie campaign. Veterans Kayla Ellis (3.7 assists, 2.9 steals per game) and Kerri Harris have steadied the Mustangs’ backcourt along with Seams.

Oxford’s Teira Durgin (41 percent from 3-point range) gives CMCC a perimeter threat, while University of Maine at Farmington and Springfield College transfer Sara Martin of Strong has provided scoring punch.

“We have great depth, and I think that’s what got us so far,” Seams said. “We all have to realize that we’re sacrificing for the team, and that a win is more important than individual things.”

CMCC faced top-10 foes Apprentice and Briarcliffe during the season, so being the northern and easternmost team in the draw hasn’t left the Mustangs completely in the dark.

“They’re bigger,” Seams said. “Not deeper. They play probably five or six, but they’re bigger.”

The Mustang men enjoyed two separate six-game winning streaks during the season before dropping three of their last five contests.

Illness and injury hampered CMCC down the stretch. Cam Angell (17 points per game) didn’t play in a 77-75 semifinal loss to eventual Yankee champion University of Maine at Augusta. Point guard Matt Sceviour suffered from the flu for an extended stretch.

“We were tired. It’s been a long season,” said USCAA All-American Tyler Smithgall of Winthrop. “Now we’ve had some time to recuperate and play. We’ve been scrimmaging every night just to get that feel again.”

Smithgall (17 points, 8 rebounds per game), Damm, Sceviour (No. 3 nationally with 5.1 assists per game), Matt Lyons and Angell comprise an experienced starting five. Rhode Island’s Farrell Jean-Gilles joined the Mustangs as a sixth man during the second semester and juiced up the offense.

CMCC’s seed is deceiving. The Mustangs were ranked No. 2 in the nation most of the winter and currently are third.

“This year has been pretty steady the whole year. We know what we have to get done. We know we’re usually one of the better teams,” Sceviour said. “After everything we went through at the end, it’s just nice to get a bid and be able to go. We’ll go in, play as hard as we can, do what we do best and hope it’s enough.”