MADISON, N.J. — Another season, another trip to the NCAA Division III championship tournament for the University of New England women’s basketball team. For the fourth consecutive year the Nor’easters have qualified for the NCAA tournament, meaning every returning player on the roster has experienced tournament play.

The same can’t be said for UNE’s opponent, Catholic University of America, from Washington, D.C. The Cardinals last made the NCAA tournament in 2013, and just three players on the roster were on that team. CUA has three juniors, with the rest of the roster spots filled by freshmen and sophomores.

UNE will have a decided advantage in tournament experience, as the Nor’easters return the same starting lineup from a team that advanced to the second round of last year’s NCAA tournament, and nearly made it to the round of 16.

Leading that charge is senior forward Kelly Coleman, the Commonwealth Coast Conference Player of the Year and three-time first team All-CCC selection. Coleman is averaging 13.6 points and 6.5 rebounds per game this season, and scored a combined 41 across two NCAA tournament games last season.

The Nor’easters have gotten a big lift from junior guard Alanna Vose, who has taken her game up a notch this season. Vose leads UNE in scoring at 14.0 points per game.

UNE also features a reliable ball-handler in junior guard Meghan Gribbin (5.0 assists per game, 2.83 assist/turnover ratio) and a shutdown defender in junior guard Lauren Hayden (2.9 steals per game), who has been named CCC Defensive Player of the year in back-to-back seasons.

“I don’t know if I’d say I like our chances, but I do know that we’re a veteran basketball team at this point,” said UNE head coach Anthony Ewing. “We shouldn’t be in any kind of shock or awe. The kids will be focused on Catholic on Friday night.”

In Catholic, the Nor’easters will find a team that has three players averaging more than 9.0 points per game. The Cardinals are led in scoring by sophomore guard Michelle DeSantis (15.0 points per game), while junior forward Josephine Migash (9.7) and sophomore forward Melissa Errico (9.1) are also consistent double-digit scorers.

Migash and Errico form a twin towers inside for CUA, as they stand 5-feet-11 and 6-feet tall, respectively. UNE’s Coleman (5-foot-10), Alicia Brown (6-foot-3) and Brooke Flaherty (5-foot-11) could have their hands full.

While the Cardinals have three reliable scorers, their coach says when they’re at their best, the scoring gets spread out.

“We’ve been working toward balance and depth all season. When we’re at our best we’ll go 9-10 deep and spread the ball around,” said Catholic head coach Matt Donohue.

The Cardinals average 62.6 points per game while giving up 58.4 to opponents, less impressive than the 68.4-58.1 margin UNE sports, but they have twice beat nationally-ranked Scranton, including on Scranton’s home court in the Landmark Conference tournament final.

UNE will enter its first round game as the higher seed and the favorite to advance, but Ewing said winning the first game is the first goal. The Nor’easters will be motivated and hungry to get past the first round for the third straight season, and if they do, will look to advance past the second round for the first time in program history.

A possible second round game will feature UNE facing off with either host Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham or Johnson & Wales University. FDU-Florham is the defending national champion and ranked in the top five in both national polls.

“It’ll be exciting. The kids are raring to go,” said Ewing.

— Sports Staff Writer Wil Kramlich can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 323 or sports@journaltribune.com. Follow him on Twitter @WilTalkSports.