MEN'S BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK
 
After securing at least one home game in the America East Playoffs last time out, the Vermont men's basketball team heads back out on the road to take on the UMBC Retrievers in Baltimore.
 
Saturday's 7 p.m. tipoff can be seen via a FREE live stream available on AmericaEast.TV. Radio coverage begins at 6:30 on ESPN 101.3 FM with AJ Kanell calling the action.
 
RELATED LINKS
Vermont Game Notes (.pdf)
UMBC Game Notes
UMBC Game Coverage: Live Video – Live Audio – Live Stats
Binghamton Flashback: Game Recap – CatamounTV Highlights
 
Last Time Out vs. Binghamton: Vermont guaranteed itself at least one additional home game this season using a strong second-half defensive effort to run past Binghamton Wednesday night at Patrick Gym, 78-64. Cam Ward led the way for the Catamounts scoring a team-high 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting. Ernie Duncan and Nate Rohrer both pumped in 14 points while Kurt Steidl chipped in with 10 points and eight rebounds. Binghamton found the groove offensively to start the second half and took a 47-46 lead after Rodriguez connected on his only trifecta of the day at the 13:18 mark. After Vermont took the lead back, Beck hit a three-pointer to cut the Catamount lead to one with ten minutes to go. Ward caught fire over the next 2 ½ minutes, going on an 8-0 run by himself to put his team in front by nine. Vermont clamped down defensively over the final ten minutes of the contest holding Binghamton to just 3-of-10 from the field on its way to a seventh straight home win over the Bearcats.
 
About UMBC: UMBC enters Saturday night's contest with a 6-22 overall record and 2-11 in league play. The Retrievers are coming off an 88-65 loss to Hartford on Wednesday. Against the Hawks, Will Darley and Jourdan Grant each scored 15 points to lead the way. Jairus Lyles, one of the nation's most prolific scorers, was held to just five points. It was the first time he had been held in single digits since Jan. 27 at Binghamton. Lyles comes into Saturday's game averaging 22.9 points per contest and scored 32 in Burlington  against the Catamounts back in January. If he qualified for national leaders, he would rank in the top 10 in points per game. Rodney Elliott (13.1 ppg), Will Darley (11.1) and Joe Sherburne (10.5) all average in double-figures for UMBC. Both of UMBC's conference wins have come against Maine.
 
Series History: Vermont leads the all-time series with UMBC 27-4. The series dates back to the 2003-2004 season. The Catamounts have won 18 in a row against the Retrievers and haven't lost to UMBC since March 9, 2008 (America East Semifinals). John Becker is 11-0 in his career against UMBC. At Patrick Gym, UVM is 10-2 all-time at UMBC (last loss: Jan. 9, 2008 | 78-60)
 
Last Meeting vs. UMBC: Vermont outscored UMBC 16-6 over the final four minutes of the contest to hold off the Retrievers, 79-72, and put an end to a two-game home losing streak in the process. Dre Wills turned in a monster performance for the Catamounts finishing with his second double-double of the season. The junior scored 11 points, grabbed 10 boards and dished out six assists. Ernie Duncan reached double figures for the first time since Jan. 3 pumping in 13 and handing seven assists of his own. Kurt Steidl hit his fifth trifecta of the day to tie the game at 66 before Nate Rohrer corralled a missed jumper and laid it in for two to give his team a 72-67 lead. Vermont went 4-for-5 from the line in the final thirty seconds to lock up its 18th straight victory over the Retrievers.
 
Cats Sizzling: The UVM offense has been on fire in the last three games. Vermont is averaging 87.7 points per game during that stretch and shooting 56.6% from the field. Eight Catamounts average more than eight points per game in those three contests.
 
Window Washers: Vermont's rebounding efforts have been solid as of late, outrebounding opponents by an average of nine over the last five games. Additionally, the Cats have grabbed 40+ boards in a game six times this season.
 
Bench Mob: Over the last three games, Vermont's bench players have outscored their opposing counterparts 100-49. Against Binghamton, the Catamounts got 38 points off the bench compared to the Bearcats' seven. In league play, Vermont is +8.3 off the bench, outscoring opponents 26.2-17.8.
 
I'm Nate, Hear me 'Rohrer': After not playing against Hartford, Nate Rohrer was a key contributor off the bench in a win over Binghamton last time out. Rohrer had 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting in 19 minutes and was rated at a +18 for the game. The 14 points were a career-high.
 
Kurt and Ernie: In Vermont's last four games, Kurt Steidl and Ernie Duncan have shot a combined 25-of-51 (49%) from beyond the arc. Duncan has averaged 16.5 points per contest in those three games while Steidl has averaged 14.2.