Central Maine Community College’s Chantel Ouellette, left, takes a charge against Paul Smith’s Abbey Bateman during a December 2023 game in Auburn. Ouellette, an Edward Little graduate, was named defensive MVP of the YSCC tournament earlier this month. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal

Defense has fueled the Central Maine Community College women’s basketball team’s conference title defense and its return to the national tournament.

The Mustangs (28-1) are in Buffalo, New York, to compete in the USCAA Division II Small College national tournament. They will face Cincinnati-Clermont in the quarterfinals Wednesday at 6 p.m.

CMCC is seeking its fourth national title to go along with its eighth consecutive Yankee Small College Conference championship, which the Mustangs earned by defeating UMaine-Augusta, 74-61, in the final earlier this month.

Chantel Ouellette, a fourth-year player who graduated from Edward Little High School, earned defensive MVP of the YSCC tournament. She said the Mustangs’ strong defense comes from team trust, a point of emphasis within the program.

“Trusting each other on defense, being able to be aggressive on the defensive end, knowing that our teammates have our back; I think that’s just been our main focus when you come to CM, that’s the biggest thing that you need to focus on when you get here,” Ouellette said. “You have to rely on the whole defensive system, and that’s something we rely heavily on.”

The CMCC offense, which averages 89.4 points per game this season, is fueled by the defense, Ouellette said. The Mustangs allow 50.8 points, which ranks third in the USCAA. They also are second in rebounding with 48.5 per game.

“We have enough length, we have enough athleticism and quickness that we’ll get steals, we’ll get rebounds, and we’ll just fly off the court,” Ouellette said. “So I think just focusing on our defense and everything else will come after that.”

Sophomore Rosa Prieto, the YSCC tournament MVP, said CMCC is known for its defensive press.

“It’s like our weapon, we go into that press, and just intimidates every team we play,” Prieto said. “I also think we’ve really embraced our defense, every small thing (like) jumping into deny, getting into rebounding position, and the really small things. … I think we’ve really embraced that this year.”

She credits CMCC coach Andrew Morong for making sure the Mustangs do everything necessary to win.

“If you’re not going to do the little things, if you’re not going to have high energy, you just won’t play,” Prieto said. “It’s definitely a personal thing, I just think everyone has to hold themselves accountable and do what they know they’re expected to do on the court and off the court.”