MEN'S BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK
Vermont (13-6, 3-1 AE) will try to match a season-long four-game winning streak at Maine (6-13, 2-3 AE) on Wednesday (Jan. 22). The opening tip is set for 7 p.m. on the hardwood of the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor. Tickets are available for purchase at
TicketMaster.com.
TELEVISION AND RADIO COVERAGE
The conference matchup can be seen on ESPN+ with a paid subscription. Fans can also listen live on the Vermont Sports Network, from Learfield IMG College, on 101.3 The Game or online at
Catamounts All-Access with Jake Marsh on the call.
RELATED LINKS
Maine: Video | Live Stats | Audio | Tickets
Game Notes: Vermont
STEF-ICIENCY
Stef Smith ranks second among America East players with a 39.3% three-point percentage. The junior sits behind UMass Lowell's Christian Lutete (41.3%). Smith is also near the top 10 in overall field goal percentage (44.4%).
DOUBLE FIGURE DUNCAN
In a 2-0 sweep of Binghamton and Hartford last week,
Robin Duncan averaged 10.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and shot 61.5% from the floor. He also hit 2-of-5 attempts from downtown and doled out six assists.
NEW ENGLAND'S LEADER
Vermont has won a baker's dozen 13 games this season - tied with Yale for the most by a New England team. Harvard and Rhode Island are hot on the Cats and Bulldogs' tail with 12 victories each. First-year Division I program Merrimack and Providence follow with 11 wins apiece.
LAMB VS. FLEMING
As freshmen,
Anthony Lamb and Maine forward Andrew Fleming were named to the America East All-Rookie Team. As seniors, the pair landed on the Preseason All-Conference Team. Lamb has averaged 16.8 points and 5.1 rebounds per game against the Black Bears. Fleming has posted similar numbers against the Catamounts with 12.2 points and 4.7 rebounds per game.
SCOUTING MAINE
The Black Bears bring a 6-13 overall record into Wednesday, but have won their last two conference games – a 104-98 overtime victory against UMass Lowell last Wednesday then cruised to an 86-63 win over Binghamton on Sunday. Fleming is at the forefront of the Maine offense. He boasts team highs in both scoring (15.3) and rebounding (5.9). Sergio El Darwich leads Maine with 4.3 assists per game and joins Fleming as the only Black Bears averaging double figures with 14.0 points per game. He also earned America East Player of the Week honors on Monday. Nedeljko Prijovic is another option up front as the 6-8 forward has posted 9.3 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.
INSIDE THE SERIES
The Catamounts have won 17 straight games over the Black Bears, their longest active winning streak against an America East team, and lead the all-time series 73-70. The conference foes have the second-longest standing rivalry in school history, trailing only a 154-game series with New Hampshire. In his nine years at the helm, Cioffi Men's Basketball Head Coach
John Becker is a combined 20-1 versus Maine. Last year, the Cats earned a 73-49 win in Bangor and beat the Black Bears again 86-63 at home last February. The two teams met later in the America East Quarterfinal where the Green and Gold notched a 73-57 victory behind a 34-point effort from Lamb.
National Life Group is the presenting sponsor of the 2019-20 Vermont men's basketball season
