WOMEN'S BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK
Vermont heads back out on the road this week as they travel to face the two-time defending America East Champion Maine Black Bears on Wednesday night. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN+. The action can also be heard on WVMT AM 620/FM 96.3 with the voice of the Catamounts Maura Sheridan on the call.
 
RELATED LINKS
Live Video | Live Stats | Listen Live | Game Notes (.pdf)
 
BETTY '93 AND PAUL MAYER ENDOW WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HEAD COACHING POSITION
On Saturday afternoon UVM Athletics announced the largest gift in department history specifically for women's athletics. Betty '93 and Paul Mayer will permanently endow the Elizabeth F. Mayer '93 and Paul J. Mayer, M.D. Women's Basketball Head Coach. Third-year coach Alisa Kresge becomes the first ever women's coach at UVM to hold an endowed position and also the first in the history of the America East conference.  With their gift, the Mayers have added UVM to a short—and prestigious—list of universities with endowed women's basketball coaches that includes Stanford, Notre Dame, Cornell, Dartmouth, Drake, and the University of Miami.
 
BLOCK PARTY
The Catamounts lead America East in blocks with 102. They are also tied for 26th in the NCAA. Hanna Crymble is the individual leader in America East with 45 blocks this season, which is tied for 28th in Division I. Crymble had 38 blocks over the last two seasons combined. She is 13 blocks away from surpassing her total blocks from the last three years combined.
 
40-PERCENT AN INDICATOR FOR SUCCESS
When the Catamounts shoot 40% or better from the field they are 9-2 this season. Vermont also has a 5-2 record when shooting 40% or better from three-point range. Catamount starters Hanna Crymble, Delaney Richason and Emma Utterback are all individually shooting above the 40% mark.
 
SCOUTING THE BLACK BEARS
 
After a win at Hartford on Saturday, the Black Bears are 5-4 in conference play. They are led by three players averaging between 10 and 11 points-per-game. Dor Saar is at the front of the pack at 11.6 points per-game. Maeve Carroll is Maine's leader on the glass with 7.2 rebounds-per-game.
 
Freshman Anne Simon won her fourth America East Rookie of the Week honor on Monday. She has won the award more than any first-year player in the league this season. In their win over Hartford she paced all scorers with 18 points on 8-of-14 shooting.
 
Maine has steadily sat in the middle of the conference in scoring offense and defense. Their opponents have put up 63.0 points-per-game, ranking them 6th in the conference in scoring defense. Their field goal percentage defense is the worst in the league, allowing opponents to hit 43.3% of their tries. 
 
The Black Bears are notably without returning America East player of the year Blanca Millan. She averaged 18.2 points-per-game before suffering a season ending injury in December. They also lost the America East's leading rebounder, Fanny Wadling, to injury. 
 
SERIES HISTORY
 
Wednesday night will be the 89th meeting between the Catamounts and Black Bears. Maine has won each of the last six games, and leads the all-time series 55-33. Vermont's last win was a 55-52 victory at home in 2017. The Black Bears have won nine straight home games against the Catamounts. Vermont's last win at Maine came on February 3, 2010 in a 66-44 win.
 
In their meeting back on January 22, Maine left Burlington with a 65-47 win. Maeve Carroll had a career-high 23 points. Maine was without their star freshman Anne Simon. The Black Bears shot 41% from the field and 44% from three in the win. Hanna Crymble and Emma Utterback paced the UVM offense. Each of them had 15 points as they both played over 35 minutes.
 
CATHY INGLESE PATCHES
This season the Catamounts are wearing jersey patches to honor our former Head Coach Cathy Inglese. Inglese was the head coach at Vermont for seven seasons, from 1986 to 1993. She led UVM to unprecedented success with its first two conference titles, in 1992 and 1993, and its first two trips to the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship.
These patches will be worn at home and on the road this season to honor the memory of Coach Inglese who tragically passed away this summer.
 
Rise To The Top is the presenting sponsor of the 2019-20 women's basketball season.