WOMEN'S BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK
The three-seed Catamounts (21-10, 12-4 AE) will travel to face the two-seed UAlbany Great Danes (25-5, 13-3 AE) in the Jersey Mike's America East Semifinal on Monday (Mar. 11) night, in what will be a rematch of last year's America East Championship game. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
 
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Monday's semifinal matchup with the Great Danes will be broadcast live on ESPN+. The international stream will be available via AmericaEast.TV. Fans can also listen to the game 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, with Ryan Zimmerman on the call.
 
RELATED LINKS
America East Championship Central
Quarterfinal Post Game: Coach Kresge | Richason | Utterback
Watch Live: ESPN+ | AmericaEast.TV (Int'l Stream)
Listen on WVMT
Live Stats
Purchase Tickets
 
TICKET INFORMATION
Vermont Women's Basketball fans wishing to attend Monday's semifinal at UAlbany can purchase tickets directly through this link: BUY NOW. The Catamount sections will be in the gold level section of 102 or in the purple or gold levels of sections 110 or 111.
 
STARTING THE PLAYOFFS RIGHT
Vermont earned a 54-41 victory in the Jersey Mike's America East quarterfinal over UMBC at Patrick Gym on Friday night. Emma Utterback led all-scorers in that victory with 21 points alongside four rebounds, two assists and two steals. Anna Olson registered a game-high eight rebounds to go with seven points and three assists. Keira Hanson was also in double figures for the Catamounts finishing with 10 points alongside two assists and a block. Vermont held UMBC to 33.3 percent shooting from the floor and just 8.3 percent (1-for-12) from beyond the arc. The Catamounts also won the rebounding battle in the quarterfinal (33-25) improving to 14-3 on the season when they outrebound their opponent.
 
SEMIFINAL HISTORY
The Catamounts are 12-9 overall in the semifinal round and are 3-2 as the No. 3 seed. The last time Vermont was the three seed in the America East playoffs was in 2022 where they fell 67-54 at the two-seed UAlbany. Last year, the Catamounts defeated UMBC at Patrick Gym in the Jersey Mike's America East Semifinal 75-63. In her two semifinal appearances, Utterback is averaging 18.5 points, 6.5 assists and 2.5 rebounds per game on 50 percent shooting. Olson in her two semifinals has averaged 15.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game on 57.1 percent shooting from the floor.
 
LAST YEAR'S TITLE GAME
Last season saw the Catamounts and Great Danes face off in the Jersey Mike's America East Championship game at Patrick Gym. In a defensive matchup, the Catamounts earned a 38-36 victory and a NCAA Tournament birth for the first time since the 2009-10 season. Utterback led the way for Vermont in that game finishing with a game-high 18 points alongside six boards and two steals on her way to earning America East Tournament Most Outstanding Player. Olson set a career-high in that championship game with 16 rebounds to go with nine points and two blocks.
 
NET RANKINGS
Maine currently leads America East with a NET Rating of 116, followed by the Catamounts (136) in second and UAlbany (158) in third who are all in the top 200, while Binghamton (230) is in fourth.
 
MAKING PROGRAM HISTORY
Utterback currently ranks seventh in program history with 1,719 points and has moved into third all-time with 499 assists in her career. Utterback along with Delaney Richason are currently tied for second all-time with 130 career games played and will tie Courtnay Pilypaitis on Monday for the most games played in program history. Utterback also currently ranks ninth in career free throws with 274. Richason has moved into 20th with 1,113 points scored in her career and 18th with 579 rebounds. Her 163 career three point field goals made is seventh all-time.
 
BATTLE OF DEFENSIVE POWERS
UAlbany leads America East and the nation surrendering just 50.9 points per game, while Vermont ranks second in the conference and the country allowing only 52.0 points per contest. The Catamounts three point percentage surrendered (27.7%) is 32nd in the nation while their 3.9 blocks per game is 76th nationally. Vermont is also holding teams to just 37.7 percent from the floor which is 54th in the country. Vermont is also 12th in the country in fouls per game (13.1). The Great Danes are 31st in the country in field goal percentage allowed (36.9%) and are 19th in three point percentage surrenders (26.8%). UAlbany's 12.9 fouls per game ranks eighth in the nations and their 3.9 blocks per game is tied with the Catamounts for 76th in the country.
 
SCOUTING THE GREAT DANES
UAlbany enters Monday's matchup with a 25-5 overall record after finishing second in the America East regular season and defeating NJIT 57-42 in the Jersey Mike's America East quarterfinal. The Great Danes are averaging 61.8 points per contest on 43.3 percent shooting from the floor and 37.7 percent from deep. On defense, UAlbany boasts the number one defense in the country surrendering just 50.9 points per game on 36.9 percent shooting from the floor and 26.8 percent from three. The Great Danes are also forcing 15.3 turnovers per game with 7.4 steals and 3.9 blocks per game. Senior Kayla Cooper leads the Great Danes averaging 15.7 points and 7.5 rebounds per game on 52.7 percent shooting from the floor. Sarah Karpell is leading the team in passing with 3.2 assists per game alongside 6.8 points and 2.1 rebounds per game.
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
This will be the 53rd matchup all time between the Catamounts and the Great Danes, with UAlbany holding a 27-25 advantage. The first time these two teams met was in 2002 in Albany, Ney York where Vermont earned a 69-65 victory. The last time these two teams met was earlier this season at Patrick Gym where Vermont earned a 67-35 victory. Vermont earned a regular season sweep of the Great Danes for the first time since the 2010 season. In that game, Andjela Matic led all scorers off the bench with 18 points alongside two assists. Matic was a perfect 5-for-5 from the floor and 4-for-4 from the free throw line and three point line. Utterback finished with 12 points while Richason and Olson both scored 10 points and grabbed three rebounds each. Vermont's longest winning streak in the series is nine games, dating back to the first nine matchups played between the two teams.
 
UP NEXT
Following Monday's semifinal matchup, the Jersey Mike's America East Championship game will be held on Friday, March 15 at 5 p.m. That game will be broadcast live on ESPNU. The highest remaining seed will host the Championship game.
 
Vermont Federal Credit Union is the presenting sponsor of Vermont Women's Basketball