WOMEN'S BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK
The University of Vermont women's basketball team travels to the University at Albany on Saturday (Jan. 9) for another America East matchup. Tip-off in Albany is set for 2 p.m.
 
Radio coverage in Albany begins 20 minutes prior to tip-off on WVMT 620-AM and SportsJuice.com Jamie Scavotto calling the action. The game can also be viewed for free via AmericaEast.tv.
 
GAME COVERAGE
Video | Audio | Stats | Game Notes (.pdf)
 
ABOUT VERMONT
The Catamounts head to Albany with an 0-2 mark in America East play after suffering losses to UMBC and Maine to open the conference portion of their schedule. UVM closed out non-conference play winning five games, including four of its last six, for its best non-conference start since the 2011-12 campaign.
 
During its last four non-conference wins, Vermont averaged 12.3 assists per game, grabbed at least 44 rebounds and held opponents to under 25-percent from 3-point range. At least seven Catamounts put points on the board in each contest.
 
Vermont's defense holds opponents to just 37-percent from the field in its first 15 games, the lowest in America Eas,t and blocks the most shots of any school in the conference, posting at least five blocks per game. UVM ranks 27th nationally in blocks, having registered 73 total.

LAST TIME OUT | CatamounTV Highlights
Sydney Smith surpassed the 500-point milestone as a Catamount, as Vermont fell to the Maine Black Bears 62-41 at Patrick Gym on Wednesday evening in its conference home opener. UVM dropped to 5-10 (0-2) on the season, while Maine improved to 10-6 (1-0).
 
Smith and Andreana Thomas recorded double-figure scoring for Vermont, shooting a combined 11-for-22. Smith totaled 15 points with four 3-pointers and pushed her scoring average at home to 17.5 points per game. Thomas added 14 points and four rebounds and, and Gracia Hutson pulled down a team-best 10 rebounds, including eight defensive boards.
 
The Black Bears won the tip and took an early lead, but Smith and Thomas strung together a 13-4 UVM run, shooting 4-for-5 from the field and connecting on a pair of triples to give Vermont a 16-15 edge. Back-to-back pull up jumpers by Sigi Koizar put Maine ahead 17-16 after 10 minutes.
 
Maine began to pull away in the third period and extended its lead as high as 16 at the 1:13 mark. Smith knocked down two more three-balls to chip away at the Black Bear lead, but that was as close as the Catamounts would get. Two successful trips down the floor for Vermont, including a three from Lauren Handy, halted a 10-5 Maine run in the fourth quarter, but Maine closed out the conference win.

ONE MORE TIME FOR THOMAS
After 12 starts in 14 appearances, Andreana Thomas paces Vermont's offense shooting over 40-percent and averaging a team-best 13.2 points per game. The Hofstra transfer is dishing out nearly four assists per game, totaling 53 on the season.
 
Thomas matched a career-best 26 points in back-to-back games versus Delaware and Boston University. She has tallied double-figure scoring performances in ten games, including seven of the last eight matchups.

TWO OF A KIND
Rookies Candice Wright and Courtney Wright have been a force on both ends of the floor this season for the Catamounts. Courtney had a career-game against UMBC on Saturday as she posted a season-best 14 points and pulled down seven rebounds.
 
The Cambridge, Ontario natives are each grabbing at least four rebounds per game, 4.2 and 4.6, respectively and the duo is shooting over 42-percent for a combined 159 points this season. Courtney is averaging 17.1 minutes on the floor and has seen action in all 15 games, while Candice has been awarded starts in all 13 of her appearances.
 
CATS IN THE CONFERENCE
After heading into conference play, four Catamounts remain in top-7 positions within America East standings.
 
Sydney Smith has made the second-most 3-point buckets (37), while averaging the most baskets from behind the arc per game, connecting on 2.46 each contest. Smith also contributes to Vermont's defense as she blocks the second-most shots per game (1.4) followed by Candice Wright in third with 1.38.
 
Thomas has totaled the second-best free throw percentage in the conference, shooting at a clip of 77.2-percent and has made the seventh-most shots from the line (44).

SCOUTING ALBANY
The Great Danes (10-3, 1-0) are coming off their first conference win with a 77-42 victory at UMBC on Wednesday. Albany had four players in double-figure scoring, shooting 46-percent from both the field and 3-point range. As a team, the Great Danes have a positive scoring margin of 11.8 points per game and are outrebounding opponents 35-25.
 
Just before conference play, UAlbany rose up three spots to No. 15 in the College Insider Women's Mid-Major Top-25 poll.
 
Shareesha Richards is nearly averaging a double-double with a team-leading 23.8 ppg while shooting 57-percent, and grabbing 8.4 boards. Richards has collected 309 points in 13 starts this season and has been tabbed conference player of the week 18 times in her career for a league record.
 
Imani Tate is recording almost 19 ppg and picking up 3.4 steals each game. In 11 starts, Tate leads the team in free-throw shooting, knocking down 60 buckets from the line in her 81 attempts.

SERIES HISTORY
Vermont has a 16-14 edge over Albany in the all-time series history. The most recent meeting between the Great Danes and Catamounts was last season in the opening round of the America East Tournament in Vestal, New York. Albany picked up a win over UVM on its way to a conference championship title.
 
WHO'S NEXT
Vermont takes a week off before hotsing Hartford on January 16 at Patrick Gym at 2 p.m. Radio coverage in begins 20 minutes prior to tip-off at 1:40 p.m. on WVMT 620-AM and SportsJuice.com. The game and all conference matchups can also be viewed for free via AmericaEast.tv.
 
Tickets 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.