A few days ago, as she was leaving the campus field house at the University of Maine after basketball practice, Missy Traversi was recognized by a woman and her two young daughters.

``The little girl said, `Look, there's No. 5!' And her sister said, ``That's Missy,' '' the former Bishop Feehan High School standout said via telephone from Orono, Maine. ``And the mom came up to me and said, `We just want to thank you for your four years here.'

``After I talked to them, I really got a little emotional because that was always something that mattered to me ... leaving my mark that way and feeling like I made a difference in someone's life. And I really felt that for the first time the other day,'' Traversi said.

With that in mind, there's no way that the Attleboro native and co-captain of the Maine women's basketball team is going to allow an injured right wrist to keep her out of tonight's game against West Virginia in the Women's National Invitation Tournament.

The 20-9 Black Bears will be in Morgantown, W.Va., tonight, to take on the 17-12 Mountaineers for the right to advance to the WNIT's second round, against St. John's, at a site and time to be determined.