Andrew Mitchell learned what it’s like to coach a championship club this winter when his Livingstone women’s basketball team entered the CIAA wars wearing the crown of defending tournament champ.

Mitchell learned that you can’t take anything for granted.

Bringing back the league’s best center in 6-foot-5 Julie Tarrance and arguably the best wing guard in Erica Deas, the Blue Bears figured they’d run through the conference and put some more hardware in the trophy case.

As it turned out, Livingstone finished fifth in the 6-team Western Division and 18-10 overall.

“It was my first year coaching a championship team,” said Mitchell, a North Rowan graduate, “and we had some ups and downs. It was a matter of being focused every night and we weren’t able to do that.”

The team lost in the second round of the CIAA Tournament. The sad part for Mitchell was that he lost Tarrance, his all-everything star.

But he perks up when talking about her future. She may well end up being Livingstone’s first female professional ballplayer.

“There’s a lot of interest in Julie right now,” said Mitchell. “She had a great year.”

The WNBA has expressed interest. Mitchell has also heard from Miami Soul coach Wali Jones.

Tarrance had double-doubles in 24 of Livingstone’s 28 games, averaging 15 points and a CIAA-high 11.8 rebounds. She was second in blocked shots.

The South Atlantic Region second-team All-American has been invited to the WNBA Combine April 5-7.

“She’s pretty excited and optimistic,” Mitchell said. “And the best part is, she’s not only a great basketball player but a nice person.”

Livingstone won all of its home games but lost every division game on the road. That disappointed Mitchell but wins like the one he got over North Carolina Central late in the year that broke Central’s 16-game winning streak showed what kind of team he had when the focus was there.

“When we got up to play ball, we could play well against anybody,” he said. “We played the type of defense we like to play and we rebounded with a vengeance.”

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A real downside came in the final regular season game against Fayetteville State when Deas drove the lane and there was contact.

“She went one way, her knee went the other,” Mitchell cringed.

The result was a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

Deas somehow gathered up the courage to play in the CIAA Tournament but was obviously less than full strength.

She was scheduled to have surgery this week on the knee and five to six months of rehabilitation will be required.

It will be a challenge for Deas but Mitchell is confident his star player, who should be a candidate for CIAA Player of the Year next season, can rebound from the disaster.

“Erica sees that in one play, you’re career could be gone,” Mitchell said. “This injury has shed some light for her. She’ll still be one of the top 2-guards because she’ll work hard.”

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And Mitchell is certain his team will work hard after not meeting the goals this season.

Mitchell was sky-high after making the regionals in 2000. His team will work hard to achieve that goal again.

“I see that hunger that I didn’t see last year after we won it all,” he said. “The preseason wasn’t as intense.”

Point guard Angela Thomas is leading the charge to the weight room and into the gym.

Mitchell is close to signing a combination guard in Georgia and another 6-5 center from the Washington D.C. area that Tarrance told him about. If he gets those two recruits to go with his returning players, Livingstone could move back to the top of the CIAA.

“Now, they understand that when you’re on top, people come at you a little harder,” Mitchell said.

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Ronnie Gallagher is the sports editor of the Post.