CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The University of Maine women’s basketball team will not participate in the 2013 America East Women’s Basketball Championship presented by SEFCU that begins on Friday, the university announced.

The announcement comes in the aftermath of the Feb. 26 bus accident on Interstate 95 near Georgetown, Mass. in which the bus driver was injured and a Maine player sustained a broken hand.

“It has been a difficult time for these student-athletes following the accident,” said Robert Dana, vice president for student affairs and dean of students. “Our focus has been and continues to be the health and well-being of these players in their athletic and academic lives. Knowing students as I do and having consulted with experts, my recommendation to President Ferguson, AD Abbott and Coach Barron is that the UMaine women’s basketball team end its season to spend this time continuing to recuperate. They are back in the UMaine community and that’s what matters. Seeing them back on the road for the tournament would have been difficult and not in their best interest.”

Coach Richard Barron and Athletic Director Steve Abbott talked with the student-athletes Monday morning and afternoon before notifying America East of Maine’s decision.

Maine was the No. 8 seed in the 2013 America East Championship and was scheduled to play No. 1 seed Albany in session two of the tournament on Friday at 6 p.m.