WOMEN'S BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK
Vermont (10-15, 6-7) will be up early on Wednesday morning as they host UMBC (8-17, 1-11) at 11 a.m. in the annual Catamount Classroom Game presented by VSAC. VSAC is the administrator of the Vermont Higher Education Investment Plan, Vermont's 529 college savings plan.
 
The matchup can be heard on AM 620 WVMT with Maura Sheridan on the call. All of the action can be seen on ESPN+. Fans can access ESPN+ with a seven-day free trial, followed by a subscription fee of $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year, with the ability to cancel at any time.
 
RELATED LINKS
Live Video (ESPN+) | Live Stats | Game Notes (.pdf)
 
LARKINS HAS A CAREER DAY AT UMBC
In the Catamounts 58-44 win over the Retrievers on January 23 sophomore guard Josie Larkins had a career-high 23 points. She hit a career-high eight field goals, including another career-high seven three-pointers. In Vermont's last contest against Hartford on Saturday she established another career-high with seven assists.
 
FIRST YEAR SUCCESS WITH COACH KRESGE
With one more win the Catamounts will have their first 11-win season and first with seven conference wins since the 2009-10 campaign. With 10 wins Coach Kresge is enjoying the best debut season for a new head coach at Vermont since Sharon Dawley won 14 games in 2003-04.
 
CRYMBLE LEADING THE WAY
Junior forward Hanna Crymble leads the Catamounts in scoring with 14.1 PPG. She is fourth in America East in scoring. She has been Vermont's leading scorer in 15 of the Catamounts 25 games. She is shooting 48.5% from the field this season which is the best mark in America East. She is also shooting 89.2% from the free throw line, which is the best mark in the league. Her percentage from the charity stripe is the 15th best mark in Division I.
 
WRIGHT BLOCK PARTY
Candice Wright is Vermont's all-time block leader with 213 career blocks. She has 72 blocks this season which is third most in the NCAA. She is averaging 2.92 blocks per game, twice this season she has had eight blocks in a single game. By herself this season Candice has more blocks than four America East teams. With 213 career blocks Wright is fifth all-time in America East history. She needs five more blocks to tie Binghamton's Laura Franceski (2005-09) in fourth place.
 
FIGHTING FOR HOME COURT IN THE QUARTERFINALS
The Catamounts enter Wednesday's game in fifth place in America East at 6-7 2.5 games behind UAlbany and Stony Brook who are tied for third place. Binghamton is a half-game behind the Catamounts at 5-7. The top-four teams at the end of the regular season will host the America East Quarterfinals on Wednesday, March 6. Vermont needs to win at least two of their final three regular season games in order to have a chance at hosting a quarterfinal.
 
SCOUTING UMBC
After starting the season 6-0 for the first time in program history the Retrievers have struggled. They have won just two games in their last 19. UMBC's sole conference win came in a 64-62 decision over New Hampshire on January 26.
 
Sophomore forward Janee'a Summers leads the Retrievers in scoring with 11.6 points per game. She had a team-high 15 points against the Catamounts on January 23. Summers needs a single point Wednesday to reach the 500-point plateau in her career. She is also the team leader in rebounds, with 6.6 per game, which ranks fourth in America East.
 
SERIES HISTORY
The Retrievers lead the all-time series 18-16 against the Catamounts. UMBC has won eight of the last 10 matchups between the teams, although Vermont has won two of the last three. UMBC is 7-8 all-time at Patrick Gym but has won the last four games in Vermont.
 
FORMER CATAMOUNT NOW IN THE BLACK AND GOLD
Courtnay Pilypaitis, an assistant coach in her third season at UMBC, was one of the most prolific players in Catamount school history finishing with 1,993 points scored, 905 rebounds, and 636 assists. She led the Catamounts to back-to-back America East Championships and NCAA Tournament appearances in 2009 and 2010. The four-time all-conference selection helped Vermont earn their first ever NCAA Tournament win with an upset against Wisconsin in 2010.
 
Team Nissan North is the presenting sponsor of the 2018-19 women's basketball season.