The Vermont men's basketball team looks to snap a two-game losing skid Wednesday night when it hosts the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos at Patrick Gym. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. and it will be Vermont's first home game since Nov 29.
 
The game will be streamed live and for free in HD on AmericaEast.TV and can be heard on ESPN 101.3 FM with AJ Kanell and Bernie Cieplicki on the call.

RELATED LINKS
Vermont Game Notes (.pdf)
UCSB Game Notes (.pdf)
Live Game Coverage vs. UCSB: Live Video -- Live Audio -- Live Stats
St. Bonaventure Game Coverage: Recap -- CatamounTV Highlights
 
Last Week at St. Bonaventure: Despite 19 points from Kurt Steidl and three other Catamounts in double figures, the Vermont men's basketball team couldn't outgun sharp-shooting St. Bonaventure and fell to the Bonnies in non-conference action, 80-68. Steidl had his best shooting game of the season connecting on seven-of-nine from the field including five-of-seven from downtown. His 19 points tie a career-high, which was set in his freshman season against Sonoma State. Trae Bell-Haynes had 13 points and six assists while Drew Urquhart played his best game of the season chipping in nine points and a game-high 12 rebounds. Vermont started the second half on an 8-2 run to tie the game at 45. Bell-Haynes and Steidl sandwiched a pair of triples around a Dre Wills layup to force a Bonnie timeout just 90 seconds into the half. St. Bonaventure took control from there, however, and handed the Cats their second straight loss.
 
About UC Santa Barbara: UC Santa Barbara returns three of its top four scorers from a team that won 19 games and advanced to the College Basketball Invitational. The Gauchos were picked to finish second in the Big West Conference preseason poll behind UC Irvine. UCSB has three players averaging double figures through seven games this year led by Michael Bryson, who leads the Big West in scoring at 18.5 points per game. Reigning Big West Freshman of the Year Gabe Vincent, who made 21 starts as a freshman, is averaging 10.6 points per game. The Gauchos are coming off an 86-68 loss to South Dakota State on Sunday. Bryson scored 21 points in the losing effort. Bob Williams is in his 18th year at the helm of the Gauchos and is the longest tenured head coach west of the Mississippi River.
 
Series History: This will be just the second all-time meeting between the Gauchos and Catamounts. The two teams played each other last season in Santa Barbara and UCSB handed Vermont, at the time, its fourth straight loss, 64-57. UC Santa Barbara is the only current member of the Big West Conference that Vermont has ever faced.
 
Sharing the Wealth: Balance has been a key for Vermont in the early going. Through ten games, five different players have led the team in scoring. Trae Bell-Haynes has led the team three times, Ernie Duncan, Cam Ward and Kurt Steidl twice and Ethan O'Day once. Four different Catamounts are averaging over 10 points per game.
 
O'Day Milestone Watch: Ethan O'Day is looking to become the 34th Catamount to reach the 1,000-point plateau and is 55 points away from doing so. The senior is also 54 rebounds away from 500. In a loss at Yale back on Dec. 5, O'Day made the 400th field goal of his career.
 
Tickets to Wednesday's game can be purchased online at UVMathletics.com, in person at the Athletic Ticket Office located on the balcony in Patrick Gymnasium (Mon - Fri; 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.), over the phone during office hours at 802-656-4410, or one hour before game time in the lobby of Patrick Gymnasium.