WOMEN'S BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK
Vermont (8-7, 2-2) returns home to host NJIT (9-7, 4-1) in America East action Wednesday evening at Patrick Gym. Action is slated to begin at 6 p.m. on ESPN+. Fans can also listen live with Cooper Boardman on the call on AM 620 WVMT. Wednesday is the Catamounts Annual Rally Around Mental Health Game presented by Inspired Closets.
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RALLY AROUND MENTAL HEALTH GAME
Tomorrow is our Rally Around Mental Health Game presented by Inspired Closets. Donations to directly support UVM student-athlete mental health can be made here -
https://securelb.imodules.com/s/1690/19/interior.aspx?sid=1690&gid=2&pgid=1457&cid=2905.
FOUR STARTERS IN DOUBLE FIGURES
Vermont's four starters who have started every game this season –
Emma Utterback (11.5 PPG),
Josie Larkins (12.9 PPG),
Delaney Richason (10.1 PPG) and
Anna Olson (11.4 PPG) are leading the Catamounts all scoring in double figures. All four of them play an average of 29.1 minutes or more per game.
LARKINS LEADING, HITTING MILESTONES AND SCORING FROM DOWNTOWN
Graduate guard
Josie Larkins, who leads the Catamounts in scoring with 12.9 points per game, became the 23rd player in program history to reach 1,000 points and the first to do so since
Hanna Crymble '20 in 2018 last Saturday as she scored 21 points against UMBC.
Larkins is 25th in the NCAA currently shooting a career-best 43.7% from behind the arc. She's made 45 three-pointers this year which is tied for 19th in the NCAA. She is second all-time at UVM in made three-pointers with 205.
ALL STARTS ON THE DEFENSIVE END
UVM is second in America East on the defensive end this season giving up 55.7 points per game. In the Catamounts eight wins this year they've given up just 47.5 points per game. Vermont is also second in America East averaging 3.6 blocked shots per game. UVM forward
Anna Olson is second in the league averaging 1.3 blocks per game. In Vermont's last two league wins over UMBC and New Hampshire they held the teams to an average of 36.5 points.
LIMITING OPPONENTS TRIPS TO THE LINE
The Catamounts are averaging just 13.7 fouls-per game this season which is the 21st fewest in the NCAA. As a team in 15 games they have committed just 205 personal fouls. UVM committed a season-low eight fouls at Navy on November 20.
SCOUTING NJIT
The Highlanders are tied for first place with Stony Brook in America East with a 4-1 record. NJIT started league play 4-0 for the first time as Division I team this winter. Over the span of four days the Highlanders defeated preseason favorite Stony Brook at home and traveled to Maine and won there in overtime in a statement start to conference play. In its last game action NJIT fell 62-54 to UAlbany on Saturday.
Junior guard Kenna Squier leads the team in scoring with 12.3 points per game. She's also averaging 2.4 assists and 1.5 steals per game, both team highs. The Highlanders lead America East with 4.4 blocks per game. In conference play NJIT is averaging 5.8 blocks per game. NJIT has six road wins this season, including a 12-point win at Wisconsin, the six road wins are the most by the Highlanders since the 2012-13 season.
SERIES HISTORY
Vermont leads the all-time series with the Highlanders 5-1. UVM won the first four matchups between the two teams before NJIT joined America East. Last December the Catamounts played its only true road games of the 2020-21 campaign in Newark against the Highlanders. NJIT defeated UVM 70-60 on December 27 behind a career-high 20 points from Kimi Evans. The next day UVM trounced the Highlanders 65-45 on December 28.
Rise to the Top is the presenting sponsor of Vermont women's basketball
