WOMEN'S BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK
The three seeded Catamounts (20-10, 12-4 AE) will host the six-seed UMBC (10-18, 6-10 AE) in the Jersey Mike's America East Quarterfinal at Patrick Gym on Friday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET.
 
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Friday's quarterfinal matchup with the Retrievers will be broadcast live on ESPN+ with Rob Ryan and Bernie Cieplicki on the call. The international stream will also be available via AmericaEast.TV. Fans can 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
Game Notes: Vermont | UMBC
CatamounTV Preview: Coach Kresge | Utterback
Watch Live: ESPN+ | AmericaEast.TV (Int'l)
Live Stats
Purchase Tickets
America East Championship Central
 
PROMOTIONS
At the Jersey Mike's America East Quarterfinal, the first 500 fans will receive Rally towels courteous of Jersey Mike's. The first 100 fans will also receive an America East T-shirt.
 
ALL-CONFERENCE RECOGNITION
Vermont earned six All-Conference honors and one America East major award. Emma Utterback was named to the America East First Team for the third consecutive season. She becomes just the fourth Catamount in program history to earn three America East First Team honors. Anna Olson garnered America East Second Team for the second time in her career, All-Academic Team for the third consecutive season and All-Defensive Team for the first time in her career. Olson becomes just the fifth player in program history to be named to the America East All-Defensive Team. Keira Hanson was named to the America East Third Team while also earning America East Sixth Player of the Year, becoming the first Catamount in program history to earn that honor. Delaney Richason was also named to the America East All-Academic Team for the first time in her career.
 
CLIMBING THE LADDER
Utterback has joined Courtnay Pilypaitis, Karalyn Church and Sheri Turnbull as the only Catamounts to earn three America East Frist Team honors. Utterback has moved into seventh in program history 1,698 points in her career and she is second in most games played 129. Utterback is also fourth all-time in field goals made (687), ninth in free throws made (271) and third in career assists (497). Richason is also second in games played with 129 and has moved into second in blocks with 120 in her career. Richason is also seventh in three pointers made (162), 16th in three point percentage (34.2%), 18th in rebounds (576) and 22nd in points (1,104). Olson is fourth in career field goal percentage (53.8%), 16th in points (1,178), third in blocks (107) and 15^th in rebounds (626).
 
NET RANKINGS
Maine currently leads America East with a NET Rating of 112, followed by the Catamounts (136) in second and UAlbany (156) in third who are all in the top 200. Binghamton (233), Bryant (279), New Hampshire (296) and UMBC (300) are all also in the top 300.
 
QUARTERFINALS HISTORY
The Catamounts have played in 32 America East quarterfinals, holding a 20-12 record. In those 32 games Vermont has outscored their opponents by an average of 63.9-60.2. UVM has hosted 10 quarterfinal games in Burlington and are 10-0 in those matchups. Vermont has won their last two quarterfinal games against Binghamton (2022) and Bryant (2023). In those two games Olson has averaged a double-double, recording 14.0 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game on 55.0 percent shooting from the floor and 83.3 percent shooting from the charity stripe. In her three career quarterfinal appearances, Utterback is averaging 14.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.3 steals per game.
 
LOOKING TO REPEAT
The Catamounts are looking to repeat as America East Conference Champions for the first time since the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons. Vermont is also looking to become the first repeat champion since Stony Brook did it in 2019-20 and 2020-21.
 
SCOUTING THE RETRIEVERS
UMBC enters Friday's quarterfinal having won two of their last three games including a 67-59 home win over No. 1 Maine on February 22. The Retrievers are scoring 59.0 points per game on 39.6 percent shooting from the floor and 30.1 percent from deep on the offensive end. Defensively, UMBC is allowing 63.3 points per game on 42.0 percent from the floor and 29.8 percent from deep, while recording 6.1 steals and 2.0 blocks per game. The Retrievers are led by America East Newcomer of the Year Anna Blount who is averaging 13.2 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists per contest. Graduate Jaliena Sanchez is second on the team in scoring at 8.3 per contest alongside 2.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists. Trinity Palacio leads the team with 63 total assists and 2.3 per game.
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
This will be the 47th matchup all-time between the Catamounts and Retrievers, with Vermont holding a 26-20 advantage. The first time these two teams met was in 2006 in Burlington where Vermont earned a 74-60 victory. Vermont swept the season series having defeated the Retrievers in Baltimore, Maryland 70-55 in the first matchup and claiming a 69-45 victory at Patrick Gym in the second meeting. In the first game, Utterback and Olson led the Catamounts with 19 points each while Olson secured a game-high nine rebounds. Utterback also registered a game-high seven assists and connected on 44.4 percent (8-of-18) of her shots in the game. Hanson also scored 19 points off the bench for the Catamounts while connecting on 62.5 percent of her threes (5-of-8). In the second matchup Utterback again led the way scoring 18 points to go along with two rebounds and an assist. Olson scored 17 points on a perfect 6-6 from the field and 5-5 from the free throw line alongside six boards. Hanson and Andjela Matic combined for 27 points off the bench connecting on six threes on 10 attempts. The Catamounts have won eight out of nine contests against UMBC dating back to 2021.
 
UP NEXT
Following Friday's matchup if the Catamounts are victorious the teams will be reseeded, and Vermont's opponent will be determined. The Semifinal game is scheduled for Monday, March 11 and will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
 
Vermont Federal Credit Union is the presenting sponsor of Vermont Women's Basketball