| Follow @UVMmbb
PORTLAND, Maine - The Vermont men's basketball team, which is 1-0 in America East after an 81-69 win over Hartford on December 3, begins league play in earnest with the first road trip of the conference season to Maine. The game, which will be played at the Portland Expo in Portland, Maine, is set to tipoff at 7 p.m. The game can be heard on ESPN 101.3 FM (online: 1013ESPN.com) and can be seen online for free via AmericaEast.tv.
The Catamounts are 5-8 overall and coming off an 0-2 trip to the West Coast where they fell 64-56 at USC and 64-57 at UC Santa Barbara. Vermont is looking to snap a four-game losing streak, it's longest of the year. Maine enters the game with a record of 1-12 and is 0-1 in America East, having dropped an 80-56 decision at Albany on January 3.
RELATED LINKS
Game Coverage - Live Stats | Live Audio | Live Video
Game Notes (.pdf)
CatamounTV Highlights - USC | UCSB
CatamounTV Interview - Marqus Blakely
OneBidWonders.com Profile - Zach McRoberts
LAST TIME OUT - UC Santa Barbara 64, Vermont 57
Ethan O'Day led three Catamounts in double figures with 11 points, but UCSB out scored UVM 10-3 over the final 3:41 of the contest to pull out a 64-57 victory.
ABOUT MAINE
Maine stands at 1-12 overall and is 0-1 in league play after falling to Albany, 80-56, in the conference opener on Saturday … UM's lone win on the year was a 82-81 overtime victory against Wagner … Till Gloger is the team's leading scorer at 11.2 points per game and is shooting 54.5 percent from the floor … Shaun Lawton and Zarko Valjarevic are chipping in 10.8 points per game each … As a team, Maine is averaging 63.5 points per game while giving up 80.5 to opponents ... The Black Bears are shooting 40.6 percent from the floor, 30.4 percent from 3-point range and 72.3 percent from the foul line ... Maine is being out rebounded by a +7.3 margin ... Head coach Bob Walsh is in his first season on the Maine sidelines … Walsh came to Orono following nine seasons at Rhode Island College where he posted a record of 204-63 and made eight straight trips to the NCAA Division III Tournament.
THE SERIES
Wednesday marks the 130th meeting between Vermont and Maine … The series between the regional rivals began in the 1949-50 season … The Black Bears lead the series 70-59 … Vermont has won three straight, seven of the last eight and 13 of the last 15 meetings … UVM swept the season series last year, winning 83-46 in Orono and 93-65 in Burlington.
OLD FRIEND
Former UVM assistant coach Matt O'Brien is now on the Maine sidelines, he joined Walsh's staff this summer ... O'Brien spent six seasons at Vermont.
LEAGUE LEADERS
The Catamounts lead America East in field goal percentage, shooting 45.3 percent from the floor and also lead the league in field goal percentage defense at 39.8 percent ... Ethan O'Day leads the conference in field goal percentage (60.2%) and Ryan Pierson is the top free throw shooter in the America East at 90.0 percent.
SHARP SHOOTING
The Catamounts have shot better than 40 percent from the floor in 15 of 24 halves this season ... Ethan O'Day (60.2%) leads America East in field goal percentage.
DRE DOING IT ALL
Dre Wills has filled the role that former Catamount Brian Voelkel '14 played throughout his career ... Wills, the team's top defender, ranks fifth on the team in scoring (7.5 ppg), ranks second in rebounding (5.0 rpg), leads the team in assists (2.8 apg) and steals (18) ... In the America East opener versus Hartford, Wills posted a line of 11 pts, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, 6 steals and 2 blocks.
WHO'S NEXT
Vermont returns to Patrick Gymnasium to host Stony Brook on Saturday (Jan. 10) ... Tipoff is scheduled for 12 p.m. ... Tickets can be purchased online at UVMathletics.com, in person at the UVM Athletic Ticket Office (M-F: 9am-5pm) located on the balcony in Patrick Gymnasium, via the phone at 802-656-4410, or in person one hour before tipoff in the Patrick Gymnasium Lobby ... A.J. Kanell will be calling the action on ESPN 101.3 FM (online: 1013ESPN.com) ... The game will also be broadcast online via ESPN3.com.
