WOMEN'S BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK
Vermont (20-6, 12-2 AE) looks to extend their 12-game winning streak when they travel to Binghamton (13-14, 6-8 AE) for their final regular season road game of the campaign Wednesday (Feb. 22) night at Dr. Bai Lee Court. The start time for the game is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on ESPN+. Ryan Zimmerman, the voice of Catamounts women's basketball, will be on the radio call on WVMT (FM 96.3/Am 620).
 
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JERSEY AUCTION
The Catamounts wore special-edition lavender jerseys for Saturday's contest with NJIT. A live auction for the jerseys began 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 this upcoming Saturday, February 25 at 2 p.m.
 
AMERICA EAST PLAY
The Catamounts have earned 12 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 and most recently defeated NJIT 85-73 at Patrick Gym. During their 12-game winning streak Vermont is 6-0 both at home and on the road. The Catamounts hold the longest winning streak in America East at 12 games. The Catamounts are currently second in America East at 12-2 just behind UAlbany who is 13-2 in conference play and 19-10 overall. UMBC rounds out the top three at 10-5 in America East play and 13-13 overall. Vermont is currently the only America East team with 20 wins on the season.
 
AMONG THE LEADERS IN AMERICA EAST PLAY
The Catamounts are third in the conference in scoring at 61.9 per game and first in points allowed and scoring margin, giving up just 53.6 points per game with a plus 8.3 scoring margin, which is also first in the conference. Vermont leads America East in team field goal percentage (43.3 percent) and lead the conference in opponent field goal percentage (36.7 percent). UVM also ranks first in the conference in three point percentage converting 37.9 percent of their chances behind the arc, with the next closest team being UAlbany coming in at 33.2 percent. The Catamounts are also third in opponent three point percentage allowing just 27.9 percent of their opponents chances from behind the arc. Vermont averages the least turnovers in the conference with 13.2 per game and their 0.81 margin is second, while their assist to turnover ratio (1.05) is first. Emma Utterback is fourth in America East and leads the Catamounts with 13.8 points per game. Anna Olson is eighth in scoring at 12.0 per contest. Catherine Gilwee is 16th at 10.7 points per game and is also second draining 2.3 three pointers per game on 40.4 percent shooting (also second). Olson leads the conference in field goal percentage at 51.7 percent and is fourth in free throw percentage at 74.7 percent this year. Utterback is 12th in field goal percentage at 41.4 percent from the field. Utterback is second in the conference in assists (107), second in assists per game (4.1) and leads the conference in assist/turnover ratio (1.8).
 
WINNING STREAKS IN THE NCAA AND VERMONT
The Catamounts 12-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 33 games. In New England, only Boston University (15 games) has a longer winning streak than Vermont. UMass is tied with the Catamounts at 12 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.
 
NET RANKINGS 
The current 2022-23 NET rankings were released on Monday with Vermont coming in at 144. UAlbany followed the Catamounts at 189 while Maine rounded out the top three for America East coming in at 205. UMBC and Binghamton are the only other America East teams in the top 300 coming in at 277 and 280 respectively.
 
CATAMOUNTS ARE STREAKING
Vermont is riding a 12-game winning streak into Wednesday night's matchup and have improved to 12-2 in 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 50.6 points per game on 36.1 percent shooting and only 27.0 percent from three. The Catamounts also have a +2.5 turnover margin forcing 14.3 turnovers per contest, while only committing 11.8 themselves. On offense, Vermont is scoring 61.8 points during these 12 games while shooting 43.8 percent from the floor and 37.0 percent from three point range. Delaney Richason has stepped up her game averaging 12.7 points on 49.1 percent shooting from three, while Utterback leads the Catamounts averaging 13.5 points, 3.5 assists and 2.7 rebounds per game on 43.6 percent shooting. Olson is scoring 12.35points per game and grabbing a team-high 6.3 rebounds on 56.1 percent shooting per game during the Catamounts winning streak. The 12-game winning streak is the longest winning streak for the Catamounts since the 2002 season.
 
STIFLING DEFENSE
Throughout this season the Catamounts are averaging 6.2 steals and are forcing 14.0 turnovers per game. Vermont is also blocking 3.3 shots per game. The Catamounts are holding to teams to 36.7 percent shooting from the field which is ranked 33rd in the country and just 27.9 percent from behind the arc which is 42nd nationally. The Catamounts 53.6 points per game allowed is 10th 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 26 opponents UVM has faced have failed to reach 60 points against the Catamounts. Vermont is also 20th in the country in fouls per game with just 13.7 a game.
 
SCOUTING BINGHAMTON
Binghamton enters Wednesday's matchup currently on a three game skid with losses on the road against UAlbany and NJIT before falling at home to UMass Lowell. Binghamton is currently sitting in sixth place at 6-8 in America East play. On offense, the Bear Cats are fourth in the conference with 61.4 points per game on 39.2 percent shooting from the floor and 32.0 percent from three. On defense, Binghamton is allowing 60.4 points per game on 39.4 percent shooting and 29.6 percent shooting from three point range while grabbing down 36.9 rebounds per contest and forcing 8.8 steals and 2.7 blocks per game. The Bear Cats are led by senior guard Denai Bowman who is averaging 12.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. Her 12.7 points is fifth in the conference while her assists per game is fourth. Redshirt first year Ella Wanzer is second on the team at 11.7 points per game while leading the conference in three pointers made (68), three point attempts (165), three point percentage (41.2%) and threes per game at 2.5. Fellow redshirt first year Jadyn Weltz leads the league in assists and assists per game with 115 total and 4.3 per game. Clare Traeger leads the Bearcats and is second in America East at 8.7 boards per game. Binghamton was selected fifth overall in the America East Preseason Poll receiving 39 total points and were the only team beside UVM and UAlbany to receive a first place vote (one).
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
This will be the 44th matchup all-time and second this season between the two programs with Vermont holding a 26-17 edge. The Catamounts have won four consecutive games against the Bearcats, taking all three matchups last season and the first one this season. Last season, Vermont defeated Binghamton 47-34 on the road before defeating them 65-60 at Patrick in February and then the Catamounts beat the Bearcats 71-63 in the first round of the America East Tournament at home. The first matchup in the series came in February 2002 with Vermont winning on the road 71-51. UVM holds the longest winning streak in the series having won the first seven matchups from 2002-2004. The Bearcats' longest winning streak is six games which spanned from 2016-2018. In the first matchup this season, Richason scored a career-high 21 points to go with six rebounds and four assists on 8-12 shooting from the floor and 3-4 from three. Utterback finished with 14 points, three rebounds and three assists in 35 minutes of action. In her four career matchups with Binghamton Olson is averaging 15.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per contest a remarkable 60.4 percent shooting.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
Following Wednesday's matchup at Binghamton the Catamounts will return to Patrick Gym for their final home game of the regular season against Bryant on Saturday February 25. The start time for that game is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on ESPN+. Ryan Zimmerman will be on the radio call on WVMT. Saturday's game will be the Catamounts annual Senior Day presented by the Alumni Association. There will be a pregame ceremony for women's basketball seniors prior to the start of the game.