WOMEN'S BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK
The top-seed Vermont (24-6, 14-2 AE) will host the two-seed UAlbany (22-10, 14-2 AE) in the Jersey Mike's America East Championship game at Patrick Gym on Friday evening. The game is scheduled to start at 5 p.m. and will be broadcast live on ESPNU and ESPN+. 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: ESPN+/ESPNU
Listen | Live Stats | Tickets
Game Notes (.pdf)
CatamounTV Preview: Coach Kresge | Utterback | Richason
 
SHUTTLE INFORMATION
Additional parking will be available at the Jeffords Hall parking lot, located across Main St. by the Davis Center. A complimentary shuttle bus will be dropping fans off in front of Patrick Gym. The shuttle will begin running at 3 p.m. and will run every 20 minutes.
 
CHAMPIONSHIP COUNTRY FAN FEST
Fans are encouraged to wear WHITE to both the men's and women's games and both programs will be conducting a Fan Fest at the MAC Court (in the east lobby of Patrick Gym) prior to the championship games. The Fan Fest for women's basketball will go from 3-4:30 p.m. on Friday where there will be inflatables, snack making machines, face painting, dress-up stations as well as the cheer and dance team and pep band.
 
AMERICA EAST CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES
Friday's title game against the Great Danes will be the fifth time in program history that Vermont women's basketball will be hosting the America East title game. The last time the Catamounts hosted the America East Championship was a 69-64 overtime loss to Delaware in the 2001 title game. UVM is 3-1 all-time in America East Championships at home, all three wins came against Maine (1992, 1993, 2000).
 
AMERICA EAST REGULAR SEASON CO-CHAMPIONS
The Catamounts ended the regular season with their longest winning streak since the 2001-02 season earning 14 straight victories, all coming in America East play. With their regular season finale victory, 64-41, over Bryant on Saturday (Feb. 25) the Catamounts clinched the number one seed in the Jersey Mike's America East Playoffs. With the victory Vermont earned their first America East regular season title since the 2002 season. UAlbany who also finished 14-2 in conference play earned a share of the America East regular season title. The Great Danes are seeded second, due to tiebreakers, in the Jersey Mike's America East Playoffs. The Catamounts most recently defeated UMBC in the Jersey Mike's America East Semifinal and expanded their winning streak to 16 games, the longest since the 1991-92 season. During their 16-game winning streak Vermont is 9-0 at home and 7-0 on the road. This is the first time since the 2001-02 season that Vermont clinched the number one seed heading into the conference tournament. This is the first time since the 2002 season that both the men's and women's basketball tournament top-seeds were from the same program.
 
TOP PERFORMERS IN THE AMERICA EAST
The Catamounts are second in the conference in scoring at 62.4 per game and first in points allowed and scoring margin, giving up just 53.4 points per game with a plus 9.0 scoring margin. Vermont leads America East in team field goal percentage (43.8 percent) while also leading the conference in opponent field goal percentage (36.9 percent). UVM also ranks first in the conference in three point percentage converting 37.3 percent of their chances behind the arc, with the next closest team being this UAlbany team coming in at 33.9 percent. Vermont averages the least turnovers in the conference with just 13.2 a game while their 0.67 margin is second in the conference and their 1.08 ratio leads the America East. The Catamounts are also third in opponent three point percentage allowing opponents to only convert 27.5 percent of their chances from behind the arc.  Emma Utterback is fourth in America East and leads the Catamounts with 13.9 points per game. Anna Olson is ninth in scoring at 11.8 per contest. Catherine Gilwee is 16th at 10.8 points per game and is also tied for first draining 2.3 three pointers per game on 39.5 percent shooting which is second in the conference. Olson leads the conference in field goal percentage at 52.3 percent. Utterback is 13th in field goal percentage at 41.6 percent from the field. Utterback is also first in the conference in total assists (129), first in assists per game (4.3) and is tied for the lead in the conference in assist/turnover ratio (1.7).
 
FOURTH QUARTER SCORING
The Catamounts scored a season-high 24 points in the fourth quarter of their victory over UMBC in the Jersey Mike's America East Semifinal on Sunday, March 5. Vermont is averaging 15.8 points per fourth quarter while surrendering just 13.6. Throughout 30 games this season UVM has scored 475 points in the fourth quarter and allowed just 408. Across their last 10 fourth quarters Vermont has won six of them, tied three and only been outscored in one fourth quarter (Bryant in the Jersey Mike's America East Quarterfinal 11-10. During those 10 fourth quarters the Catamounts are averaging 17.5 points per game while surrendering just 14.1 per contest. Twice UVM has held their opponents to single digits in the fourth quarter during that span and only once have allowed 20+ points (which they matched in a 22-22 against Maine on February 8.
 
WINNING STREAKS IN THE NCAA AND VERMONT
The Catamounts 16-game winning streak is the fifth longest in the NCAA. Top-ranked South Carolina has the longest winning streak in the nation at 38 games. Vermont boasts the longest winning streak in New England as well as the fourth longest winning streak among mid-major programs. Other than Toledo, Vermont is the only program in college basketball with both men's and women's teams on at least a 13-game winning streak.
 
PATRICK GYM EFFECT
Vermont has posted a 44-21 (.677) record at Patrick Gym under Mayer Head Women's Basketball Coach Alisa Kresge. This season has seen the Catamounts go 14-2 at home including 2-0 during the Jersey Mike's America East playoffs. The Catamounts are outscoring their opponents by 11.4, 64.0-52.6, in their 16 home contests. Vermont is also shooting 44.9 percent from the floor and 37.2 percent from three while holding their opponents to 37.6 percent shooting and only 26.4 percent from beyond the arc. Utterback leads the Catamounts with 13.8 points per game on 43.2 percent shooting from the floor at Patrick Gym. Utterback also is averaging 4.3 assists per contest. Olson is second on the team with 12.1 points per game to go with a team-leading 6.5 rebounds per contest on a team-high 52.8 percent shooting from the floor. The most points Vermont has given up at home this season is 73 to NJIT (Feb. 18) but they are only team to score over 65 against the Catamounts at Patrick Gym this season.
 
AMONG THE BEST IN THE NATION
The Catamounts rank ninth in team defense in the country allowing just 53.4 points per game and during their 16 game win streak have allowed less than 53 points nine times. The Catamounts are holding teams to 36.9 percent shooting from the field which is ranked 39th in the country. Vermont is also holding teams to just 27.5 percent from behind the arc which is 29th nationally. 12 times this year Vermont has held their opponents to under 50 points and six times have kept their opponents from scoring 40 points. 22 out of the 30 opponents UVM has faced have failed to reach 60 points against the Catamounts. Vermont is also tied for 19th in the country in fouls per game with just 13.7 a game. The Catamounts are knocking down 37.4 percent of their three point attempts which is 10th in the country. Vermont's .800 winning percentage is tied for 29th in the nation. Gilwee is 42nd in the country at 39.6 percent shooting from three point range while her 70 makes is tied for 71st in the nation. Olson's 52.3 percent shooting is 49th in the nation. Utterback's 4.3 assists per game is tied for 75th nationally and her 129 total assists on the season has her tied for 71st in the country. 
 
SCOUTING UALBANY
The Great Danes come into Friday's matchup with a 22-10 overall record and finished 14-2 in conference to earn a share of the America East regular season title. UAlbany is led by 15.2 points a game from Kayla Cooper who also leads the team with 8.2 boards per contest. Helene Haegerstrand is second on the team at 14.6 points per game and is third among qualifying scorers in the America East this season. Haegerstrand is also third on the team with 4.2 rebounds per game. Ellen Hahne is leading the team in passing with 2.5 assists per game while also being second on the team in rebounds at 5.8 per contest and third in points per game at 11.7. UAlbany on the offensive side of the ball is averaging 59.1 points per game on 42.6 percent shooting from the floor and 33.9 percent from beyond the arc while also knocking down 72.7 percent of their free throws. On the defensive end, the Great Danes are surrendering 54.9 points per game on 37.4 percent from the floor and an America East leading 25.3 percent from three. UAlbany is also averaging 5.9 steals and 2.8 blocks per contest through 32 games.
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
This will be the 50th matchup in the series between the two programs and third time the two teams have met this season. UAlbany leads the all-time series 27-22. The Great Danes won the December matchup behind 16 points and eight rebounds from Hahne. Haegerstrand also contributed 13 points, three rebounds and two assists in 32 minutes of action. Utterback scored 10 points and dished out two assists in the loss, while Anna Olson added seven points, seven rebounds and a team-high three assists. Maria Myklebust added 10 points on 3-4 shooting and 4-4 from the free throw line of the bench for the Catamounts. Vermont claimed the February matchup 53-49 at Patrick Gym behind 19 points and six rebounds from Olson. Delaney Richason finished with 14 points and three blocks in 36 minutes of action in that game. The last time these two teams met in the America East Playoffs was last season's semifinal where UAlbany was victorious 67-54 at home.
 
Dating back to 2018 the Catamounts have won the last five matchups against the Great Danes at Patrick Gym. Under Mayer Women's Basketball Coach Alisa Kresge, the Catamounts are 4-0 at home against UAlbany.
 
WHAT'S AT STAKE
The winner of the Jersey Mike's America East Championship game will be the conference's automatic qualifier into the NCAA tournament. The selection show for the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament is scheduled for Sunday, March 12 at 8 p.m. on ESPN. Friday night's loser will receive the league's automatic qualifier into the WNIT which begins on Wednesday, March 15. The WNIT field will be announced with matchups and game times on Monday, March 13.