WOMEN'S BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK
Vermont women's basketball will embark on its final America East Tournament tune-up this Sunday (Feb. 26) with a 2 p.m. matchup at Stony Brook. The game will be played at Island Federal Credit Union Arena.
 
Fans can follow along from afar with live video on ESPN3 as well as the WatchESPN app. Tyler Terens will have the play-by-play on WVMT 620-AM as well as Catamounts All-Access. Live stats will be accessible through SIDEARM Stats.
 
RELATED LINKS
Video | Audio | Live Stats
Vermont Notes (.pdf)
 
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PLAYOFF PICTURE
Both Vermont and Stony Brook will be seeded either seventh or eighth in next weekend's America East Quarterfinals in Portland, Maine. The winner of Sunday's regular season finale will claim the seven seed, while the loser will be slotted eighth.
 
CATAMOUNTS RECAP
Senior Kylie Butler had 10 points to go with four rebounds and three steals, but Vermont could not contain Albany's Imani Tate (33 pts) as the Catamounts fell 67-52 on Senior Night (Feb. 23) at Patrick Gymnasium.

Albany managed to build momentum right out of the gate, using a 7-0 run in 1:09 to take an early lead. Tate took over during the stretch, putting down her first five of 19 first quarter points.
 
SCOUTING STONY BROOK
Stony Brook (12-16, 5-10 AE) is coming off back-to-back wins over Binghamton (Feb. 18) and UMBC (Feb. 23). In the latter contest with the Retrievers, Christa Scognamiglio finished with her second double-double this season (12 pts, 12 reb) and freshman Gio Perez grabbed a career-high six rebounds.
 
Kori Bayne-Walker and Davion Wingate head up the Seawolves' offense with just under 12 points per game each, including double-figure performances for both in six of their last seven games. In addition to posting a team-best 5.8 rebounds per game, Scognamiglio boasts 2.1 steals per game. The latter figure ranks third in America East.
 
Despite sitting seventh in the conference in scoring offense (57.6 ppg), Stony Brook is surrendering 57.9 points per game which ranks second across the league. In addition, the team's 3-point field goal defense (27.6 percent) leads the conference and is just ahead of the Catamounts (29.6 percent).
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
The Green and Gold hold the upper hand over Stony Brook by an 18-14 margin, which includes victories in the series' first five games (series began in 2001-02) as well as eight straight from 2008-11.
 
Last season, the teams split the regular season series with the Catamounts emerging on top in the finale. In part supported by 10 points along with a pair of blocks by Lauren Handy, combined with nine points and 10 boards from Hayley Robertson, UVM shut down the Seawolves in the fourth quarter to preserve a 44-37 Senior Day victory at Patrick Gymnasium.
 
UVM has not swept the season series with the Seawolves since 2010-11.
 
LAST TIME AROUND
Sydney Smith had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds and three other Catamounts had at least nine points as Vermont topped Stony Brook 53-43 at Patrick Gymnasium on January 28. Candice Wright led all scorers with 15 points in addition to three blocks.
 
THAT'S HANDY, THANKS!
Lauren Handy's 19 points in the UMass Lowell win (Feb. 15) reset her previous career high of 17 points, which came in a Feb. 16, 2016 contest at Binghamton. She previously finished one point short of that mark, putting down what was then a season-best 16 in Vermont's Catamount Classroom game against Brown on December 8.
 
The sophomore reached her new career-best on 6-of-12 shooting from the field as well as 4-of-6 from the charity stripe. Her 50 percent effort led all players with at least seven attempts from the field. She also recorded two blocks in a 27-minute span free of turnovers.
 
ALL THE 'WRIGHT' REASONS
Sophomore Candice Wright continues to leave a mark in the record book. The native of Cambridge, Ontario has registered 89 blocks in less than two seasons and is tied for sixth all-time in program history. Former Catamount Lani Boardman (2001-05) also swatted 89 shots in her career.
 
Wright holds the distinction of being the fastest in program history to reach that mark. Of the top-6 blockers all-time, none had more than 47 through their their sophomore campaign (Karalyn Church through the 1997-98 season). As a freshman last year, Wright logged 50 blocks, setting a single-season program record. If she continues at her current pace of 1.7 per game, she will break Katie McNamara's (2001-05) all-time program record of 102 career blocks no later than her junior campaign.

I'D LIKE TO THANK THE ACADEMY
On February 13, freshman Hanna Crymble took home her second consecutive America East Rookie of the Week award and third on the season. She started all three games on the week (has started all 26 on season) and averaged 12.3 points in the span. In spite of a setback at Binghamton (Feb. 6), she turned in 18 points on 7-of-12 (58 percent) from the field.
 
Crymble boasts four double-doubles on the season and is the first Catamount rookie to do so four times since Kylie Butler in 2013-14.
 
GOOD THINGS COME IN THREE'S
In Vermont's January 4 win over Maine, UVM allowed just three second quarter points, representing a tie for the fewest allowed by the team in a single 10-minute period. In a Feb. 28, 2016 victory over Stony Brook, UVM surrendered just three points in the fourth quarter in preserving a 44-37 victory over the Seawolves at Patrick Gymnasium.
 
WELCOME TO VERMONT, COACH
A 1997 graduate of West Chester University in Pennsylvania, head coach Chris Day arrives in Vermont following a three-year stint as an assistant at the University of Pennsylvania. During his time at Penn, the Quakers punched two tickets to the NCAA Tournament and captured two Ivy League titles. The squad amassed 67 wins during his tenure, including a remarkable 36-6 mark in conference action.
 
The eighth head coach in UVM history, Day also spent time in coaching capacities at Indiana (2012-13), Saint Joseph's (2005-12) and La Salle (2004-05). He served a three-year stint (2000-03) as head coach at Division III Widener University in Chester, Pennsylvania, helping Widener make its first postseason appearance in 20 years.
 
NEXT UP
Vermont will open the America East Tournament with the conference quarterfinals next Saturday (March 4) against either New Hampshire, Albany or UMBC. The game will be played at Cross Insurance Arena in Portland, Maine.
 
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