WOMEN'S BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK
Vermont (19-6, 11-2 AE) look to extend their winning streak to 12 games when they host NJIT (13-12, 8-5 AE) on Saturday afternoon in their annual Rally Against Cancer Game presented by Mascoma Bank. The start time for that game is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on ESPN3. Ryan Zimmerman, the voice of Catamounts women's basketball, will be on the radio call on WVMT (FM 96.3/AM 620).
 
RELATED LINKS
Watch: ESPN3 | International Stream
Listen | Live Stats | Tickets
 
RALLY AGAINST CANCER
Saturday's game with NJIT will be the Catamounts annual Rally Against Cancer game presented by Mascoma Bank. Please consider making a gift to support the important work of the UVM Cancer Center. Your support is critical to providing top-notch clinical care and advancing cancer research right here in our community. Mascoma Bank bolsters its support and commitment by pledging to match up to $10,000 for the Rally Against Cancer game through the month of February. If you are interested, please donate here. To find out more information about other upcoming Rally Against Cancer games as well as how you can get involved, please visit https://uvmathletics.com/sports/2015/9/2/MKT_0902151913.aspx?path=mkt.
 
JERSEY AUCTION
The Catamounts will wear special-edition lavender jerseys for Saturday's contest. A live auction for the jerseys will begin at the 2 p.m. tip at https://uvmathletics.com/auctions/. Bidding starts at $125 with the proceeds going to the University of Vermont Cancer Center. The auction will close Saturday, February 25 at 2 p.m.
 
AMERICA EAST PLAY
The Catamounts have earned 11 straight victories, all coming in America East play. Vermont got critical victories over UAlbany Saturday (Feb. 4) and Maine at Patrick Gym Wednesday (Feb. 8) and then defeated UMass Lowell and New Hampshire on the road. During their 11-game winning streak Vermont is 5-0 at home and 6-0 on the road. The Catamounts hold the longest winning streak in America East at 11 games. The Catamounts are currently second in America East at 11-2 just behind UAlbany who is 12-2 in conference play. Maine rounds out the top three at 9-4 in America East play. 
 
AMONG THE LEADERS IN AMERICA EAST PLAY
The Catamounts are fourth in the conference in scoring at 61.0 per game and first in points allowed and scoring margin, giving up just 52.8 points per game with a plus 8.1 scoring margin, which is also first in the conference. Vermont leads America East in team field goal percentage (42.9 percent) and lead the conference in opponent field goal percentage (36.1 percent). UVM also ranks first in the conference in three point percentage converting 37.2 percent of their chances behind the arc, with the next closest team being Maine coming in at 33.5 percent. The Catamounts are also third in opponent three point percentage allowing just 28.0 percent of their opponents chances from behind the arc. Vermont averages the least turnovers in the conference with 13.4 per game and their 0.64 margin is second, while their assist to turnover ratio (1.01) is first. Emma Utterback is fourth in America East and leads the Catamounts with 13.5 points per game. Anna Olson is eighth in scoring at 11.8 per contest. Catherine Gilwee is 16th at 10.9 points per game and is also second draining 2.4 three pointers per game. Olson is second in the conference in field goal percentage at 50.9 percent and is fourth in free throw percentage at 74.7 percent this year. Utterback is 11th in field goal percentage at 41.1 percent from the field. Utterback is second in the conference in assists (105), first in assists per game (4.2) and leads the conference in assist/turnover ratio (1.8).
 
NET RANKINGS
The current 2022-23 NET rankings were released on Thursday with Vermont coming in at 145. UAlbany followed the Catamounts at 187 while Maine rounded out the top three for America East coming in at 207. Binghamton and UMBC are the only other America East teams in the top 300 coming in at 271 and 288 respectively.
 
CATAMOUNTS ARE STREAKING
Vermont is riding an 11-game winning streak into Saturday's matchup and have improved to 11-2 overall in the America East after starting out 0-2. During their streak, Vermont has been dominant on defense outscoring teams by 11.2 a game and holding them to just 48.5 points per game on 34.7 percent shooting and only 27.0 percent from three. The Catamounts also have a +2.3 turnover margin forcing 14.5 turnovers per contest, while only committing 12.2 themselves. On offense, Vermont is scoring 59.7 points during these 11 games while shooting 42.9 percent from the floor and 35.2 percent from three point range. Delaney Richason has stepped up her game averaging 11.9 points on 49.0 percent shooting from three, while Utterback leads the Catamounts averaging 12.8 points, 3.6 assists and 2.9 rebounds per game on 43.2 percent shooting. Olson is scoring 12.3 points per game and grabbing a team-high 6.5 rebounds on 54.5 percent shooting per game during the Catamounts winning streak. In two victories last week Olson averaged a double-double with 11.5 points, 10.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks. During this stretch Vermont is 5-0 at home and 6-0 on the road with victories over the other eight teams in America East. The 11-game winning streak is the longest winning streak for the Catamounts since the 2002 season.
 
WINNING STREAKS IN THE NCAA AND VERMONT
The Catamounts 11-game winning streak is tied for ninth in the NCAA as the longest in the country. #1 South Carolina has the longest winning streak in the country at 32 games. In New England, only Boston University (14 games) has a longer winning streak than Vermont. UMass is tied with the Catamounts at 11 wins.
 
The longest winning streak in program history is 29 games. The 1991-92 Catamounts were undefeated in the regular season going 26-0 before winning the North Atlantic Conference to go 29-0. In the NAC Tournament, the Catamounts won their three games by an average margin of 28.6 points. The 1991-92 team was the first Vermont basketball team to make the NCAA Tournament. They fell 70-69 in the First Round against George Washington.
 
STIFLING DEFENSE
Throughout this season the Catamounts are averaging 6.2 steals and are forcing 14.1 turnovers per game. Vermont is also blocking 3.2 shots per game. The Catamounts are holding to teams to 36.1 percent shooting from the field which is ranked 20th in the country and just 28.0 percent from behind the arc which is 51st nationally. The Catamounts 52.8 points per game allowed is sixth in the nation. 10 times this year Vermont has held their opponents to under 50 points and six times have kept their opponents from scoring 40 points. 19 out of the 25 opponents UVM has faced have failed to reach 60 points and Maine is the only team in the last 10 matchups who has scored 60 points against the Catamounts. Vermont is also 19th in the country in fouls per game with just 13.6 a game.
 
SCOUTING THE HIGHLANDERS
The Highlanders enter Saturday afternoon's matchup with a 13-12 overall record and are 8-5 in the America East. In conference play, NJIT has defeated UNH, UMass Lowell, Bryant, and Binghamton. They have lost to the top two teams in the America East in Vermont and UAlbany while also falling against Maine and to UMBC twice. NJIT enters this matchup averaging 60.0 points per game on 40.7 percent shooting from the field and 30.8 percent from behind the arc, while hitting 64.8 percent of their free throws. Defensively, the Highlanders are giving up 62.4 points per game on 40.5 percent shooting and allowing 30.6 percent from three point range while averaging 5.9 steals per game and 3.4 blocks per game. First year guard Alejandra Zuniga leads the team in scoring with 12.4 points per game and is their best passer with 2.5 assists a game to go with 2.4 rebounds and 1.2 steals per contest. Zuniga leads all America East first years with her scoring while also being ranked seventh overall in the conference in scoring. Senior guard Kenna Squier is second on the team averaging 10.9 points per game and 5.2 rebounds while leading the conference with 51.2 percent shooting from the floor. The Highlanders were selected one spot behind Vermont at fourth overall in the America East Preseason Poll, receiving 42 total points with zero first place votes.
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
This will be the second matchup against NJIT this season, and 10th matchup all-time between the two teams with Vermont holding an 8-1 edge in the series. Vermont defeated NJIT in Newark 65-32 on January 25. Olson led the team in scoring with 14 points on a perfect 7-7 shooting from the floor. Richason finished the game with 10 points and a career-high six blocks for Vermont in the win. The Catamounts have swept the last three meetings winning by an average margin of victory of 25.0 points per game. Olson has had her way with the Highlanders over those three matchups averaging 13.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and 2.3 assists on a remarkable 79.2% (19-24). Richason has averaged 8.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks in those three victories while Utterback has registered 10.7 points, 4.3 assists and 4.0 rebounds through those games.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
Following Saturday's matchup with NJIT the Catamounts will head to Binghamton for their last road game of the regular season on Wednesday, February 22. The start time for that game is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on ESPN+. The voice of Catamounts women's basketball, Ryan Zimmerman, will be on the radio call on WVMT.