Final Score: Vermont 69, UMBC 45
BURLINGTON, Vt. – Four Catamounts finished in double-figures to help propel Vermont (17-8, 9-2 AE) past UMBC (8-15, 4-7 AE) 69-45 Saturday afternoon at Patrick Gym in their annual celebration of National Girls and Women in Sports Day game. The victory extends UVM's winning streak against conference opponents at home to 6-0 on the season, coming out victorious for the second game in a row.
 
RELATED LINKS
Box Score | Box Score (.pdf)
CatamounTV Highlights

COACH'S QUOTE
"This is one of the coolest games. I think University of Vermont does an outstanding job," Mayer Women's Basketball Head Coach Alisa Kresge said. "To look around and see young women doing jobs that grown adults are doing essentially, and shadowing them, there's so much pride in it. It's really special."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• UMBC opened scoring first to take the early lead but Anna Olson answered by going on a 6-0 scoring run alone capped off by a jumper near the foul line, giving Vermont the 6-2 lead.
• Utterback got on the board after speeding past the defender and scoring her first layup attempt at the 5:29 mark of quarter one to maintain the Catamount lead, 8-5.
• UVM closed out the first quarter dialing up a 13-8 run highlighted by two separate and-one buckets scored by Utterback and Keira Hanson. Both Catamounts swished their free throws. At the end of quarter one Vermont was ahead 21-13.
• Nikola Priede began scoring for Vermont to start the second frame, followed by Andjela Matic drilling a three-point shot to grab an 11-point lead, 26-15.
• A block from Richason ignited a fast break for the Catamounts with 3:00 remaining in the second quarter, where Olson corralled the original missed shot and banked in a layup plus the foul. Olson made her free-throw to give Vermont the 31-21 lead.
• Vito concluded scoring for the Catamounts in the quarter after connecting on a jump shot from the baseline to earn her first two points of the game. The Catamounts entered halftime up, 34-21.
• Richason set up Utterback under the basket after the outlet pass from Vito to get scoring started in quarter three for the Catamounts. Richason and Utterback would continue to score the next five points for UVM as they took the twenty-point lead, 41-21.
• Both teams took turns trading baskets for the majority of the third as Vermont consistently held a seemingly comfortable lead. Hanson kept the Catamounts offense hot by scoring two threes in the quarter. Vermont entered the final quarter ahead, 54-35
• Utterback orchestrated a 6-0 scoring run after the Retrievers opened scoring in the fourth, scoring three consecutive layups that was capped off by Olson scoring a layup of her own to put Vermont up, 62-37.
• Matic swished her fourth three-pointer of the game with 1:28 remaining of gametime to seal the deal and earn Vermont the 69-45 victory over UMBC.

 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Utterback led all players in scoring, earning 18 points on 8-16 shooting from the floor while also contributing an assist and two rebounds.
• Olson scored 17 points, shooting 100 percent from the floor (6-6 FG, 5-5 FT) and grabbing six rebounds (four offensive, two defensive), an assist, and a steal.
• Matic scored a career-high 14 points while also earning a new career high in three-pointers made in a game, connecting on four triples against the Retrievers. Matic also tallied five rebounds and two assists.
• Hanson was the fourth Catamount to score double figures, adding 13 points to Vermont's total.
• Richason led Vermont in rebounds, corralling nine total which marked a new season high.
• Vito snagged six total steals in Saturday's victory, setting a new career high for herself and marking the second most steals in a single game for Vermont Women's Basketball since Jan. 7, 2002 when Karalyn Church earned nine in a single game against Idaho.
•  Priede tied a season-high in offensive rebounds, registering five for Vermont, and seven total. Vito also led all Catamounts in assists, earning five total against UMBC.
• UVM won the battle in the paint, scoring 34 points to UMBC's 24. The Catamounts bench also outscored the Retrievers bench 29-20.
• Vermont shot better in all three categories Saturday afternoon, shooting 45.8 percent (27-of-59) from the floor, 38.9 percent (7-of-18) from three, and 88.9 percent (8-of-9) from the free throw line.

 
UP NEXT
Following Saturday's matchup with the Retrievers in the Catamount's annual National Girls and Women in Sports Day, Vermont will travel for a one-game road trip against New Hampshire on Thursday, February 15. Tip is scheduled for 6 p.m. and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN+ with the international stream available via AmericaEast.TV. Fans can also listen to the voice of Catamounts women's basketball, Ryan Zimmerman, for free on the Varsity Network App, from Learfield on WVMT, which will air on 96.3 FM in Burlington, 105.9 FM in Plattsburgh, and 620 AM around the rest of the region.
 
Vermont Federal Credit Union is the presenting sponsor of Vermont Women's Basketball