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Top-seeded Vermont (28-5, 16-0) continues its magical season and the quest for a sixth trip to the NCAA Tournament on Saturday morning (March 11) as the Cats host third-seeded Albany (21-12, 10-6) in the America East Championship at 11 a.m.
TELEVISION AND RADIO COVERAGE
The 11 a.m. tip-off can be seen on ESPN2 and the watchESPN app by logging in with your cable provider. Mike Corey and Brooke Weisbrod will have the call. Westwood One will have the national radio broadcast of the game with Patrick Kinas and Mo Cassara on the call. Local radio coverage can be heard on
101.3 ESPN with Sam Hyman and Bernie Cieplicki covering the game.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
Due to the anticipated attendance, fans are prohibited from bringing any seat cushions, stadium seatback chairs, and bags of any kind into the gymnasium.
STUDENT TICKET INFORMATION
Public tickets are sold out but students will have the opportunity to get tickets on Saturday morning at 8 a.m. by visiting the Patrick Gym Box Office.
RELATED LINKS
Albany: Video | Live Stats | Audio (
Local) | Audio (National)
CatamounTV: Finals Preview | Finals Promo | Tickets & Donuts
Game Notes: Vermont | Albany
America East Playoff Central
SETTING THE SCENE
The Catamounts are making their 11th overall appearance in the America East Championship Game and vying for their sixth conference title. UVM has made the championship game a total of 10 times in the last 15 seasons. The green and gold have dominated their league foes through the first two rounds of the tournament with a +39.0 scoring margin and have held their opponents to 30.0% (30-for-100) shooting from the floor. On the offensive end, the Cats have made 58.0% (65-for-112) of their attempts from the floor, including 44.4% (16-for-36) from long distance.
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FAN FEST
UVM Athletics will host a pregame Fan Fest on Saturday morning prior to the game in the Athletics Indoor Turf facility from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Fans can access the Indoor Turf facility by entering the main lobby of Patrick Gym, then walking to their right into the west lobby, and the turf facility will be located to their left. 101.3 ESPN will be broadcasting its "Sports Saturday" show live from the pre-game celebration. Fan Fest will feature food and beverage giveaways from Juniors Downtown, Moe's, Bagel Place, Speeder & Earl's, and Coca-Cola. The festivities include games, giveaways, and free Rally Towels presented by Flat Fee Real Estate, the official Real Estate partner of UVM Athletics. A free face painter will be on hand and a kid's craft station will be available with the UVM Dance and Cheer teams. Fans are encouraged to wear gold for a "Gold Out" of Patrick Gym.
LAST TIME OUT | UNH Highlights
The top-seeded Catamounts advanced to the 2017 America East Championship Game after beating fourth-seeded New Hampshire on Monday night with a convincing 74-41 win in the semifinal round of the America East Tournament. Vermont freshman forward
Anthony Lamb dropped 24 points to lead all scorers. Lamb posted his seventh 20-point outing of the season and second of the conference tournament. The freshman shot 9-of-14 from the floor and drained 6-of-9 attempts from three-point land. Lamb also grabbed six rebounds, recorded three steals, and swatted away two shots.
Payton Henson scored 14 points for the Cats on 4-of-8 shooting, including a pair from beyond the arc.
Dre Wills added 12 points and five rebounds with four boards coming on the offensive glass.
Trae Bell-Haynes had a solid night with nine points and handed out five assists.
TOURNAMENT NOTES
UVM has won the tournament title five times (2003, 2004, 2005, 2010, 2012). Vermont is 37-27 all-time in the America East Tournament. UVM has the most wins in tournament history (37) among the 2016-17 tournament field. Since 2003, the Catamounts are 29-9 in the tournament. Head coach
John Becker is 11-4 in tournament games as a head coach. Becker was the fifth America East coach to reach the championship game in each of his first two seasons at the helm of the program.
USBWA RECOGNITION
Becker and Lamb earned 2016-17 U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) District I honors on Tuesday, based on the voting from its national membership of 900-plus. The District I region consists of schools in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. Becker was named USBWA District I Coach of the Year and Lamb was tabbed to the USWBA All-District I Team.
AMERICA EAST AWARDS & ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS
The Catamounts swept the America East Major Awards and landed two others on All-Conference teams, as the conference announced its year-end awards and All-Conference Teams last Monday. A total of seven Catamounts received recognition from America East –
John Becker (Coach of the Year),
Trae Bell-Haynes (Player of the Year, All-Conference First Team),
Anthony Lamb (Rookie of the Year, All-Conference Second Team, All-Rookie Team),
Darren Payen (Sixth Man of the Year), and
Dre Wills (Defensive Player of the Year, All-Defensive Team).
Ernie Duncan and
Payton Henson were also named to the All-Conference Third Team.
TERMINATING THE COMPETITION
Lamb has been tearing it up in his first career America East Tournament. The freshman has averaged 23.5 points per game and has sunk an astonishing 79.1% (19-for-24) from the floor. The 6-6 dual threat has found his stroke from the outside by draining 72.7% (8-for-11) of his shots from beyond the three-point arc.
SEND IN THE REINFORCEMENTS!
Vermont's reinforcements have proven to be a key asset to the team's success this season. A total of 10 Cats have played at least 26 games, including six players who have seen action in every game. In conference play, the bench bunch have averaged 26.5 points per game. Overall, the group posted 22.2 points per game during the regular season.
SCOUTING ALBANY
The Great Danes have been led by the underclass guard tandem of David Nichols and Joe Cremo throughout the regular season and their bid for a sixth America East Championship. Nichols, a First Team All-Conference selection, matched the program single-game record with a 40-point outing against
Hartford in the America East Semifinal. The guard has dropped 29.5 points per game in the tournament and has drained 52.6% from long range. Cremo, who landed on the All-Conference Second Team, has provided solid production for Albany with 13.5 points per game and has handed out 6.0 assists per game in the conference tournament.
SERIES HISTORY
Vermont leads the all-time series with Albany 26-16 after a regular season sweep of the Great Danes – its first since the 2013-14 season. The two teams have combined for 10 America East championships and are two of four America East teams to win three straight tournament titles (Northeastern, 1984-87; Drexel, 1994-96).
SELECTION SUNDAY
With a win, Vermont receives the automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament and will await the selection committee's announcement on Sunday (March 12) to find out its opponent and region. If UVM cannot capture its sixth America East crown, the Cats will compete in the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) after earning an automatic bid with an America East Regular Season title. Visit
UVMathletics.com for ticket and game information.
Canon Solutions America is the presenting sponsor of the 2016-17 men's basketball season
