WOMEN'S BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK
The University of Vermont women's basketball team hosts Hartford at Patrick Gym on Saturday (Jan. 16) for another America East matchup. Tip-off in Burlington is set for 2 p.m.
 
Radio coverage begins 20 minutes prior to tip-off at 1:40 p.m. on WVMT 620-AM and SportsJuice.com with Jamie Scavotto calling the action. The game can also be viewed for free via AmericaEast.tv.
 
GAME COVERAGE
Video | Audio | Stats | Game Notes (.pdf)
 
TICKETS
Tickets can be purchased online at UVMathletics.com, in person at the Athletic Ticket Office located on the balcony in Patrick Gymnasium (Mon - Fri; 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.), over the phone during office hours at 802-656-4410, or one hour before game time in the lobby of Patrick Gymnasium.
 
PROMOTIONS
Camper Reunion Day – All campers can e-mail whurd@uvm.edu to receive free admission to Saturday's game.
 
Dads and Daughters Day – We are offering a special ticket deal for this game as well. Dads can bring their daughters to the game and get free admission for the child by checking in at the ticket desk in the lobby of Patrick Gym.
 
Kids Conference presented by DoubleTree – Fans are invited to stick around after the game on for a chance to ask players on the team a question. Each child that asks a question will receive a cookie from the DoubleTree in return.
 
ABOUT VERMONT
The Catamounts return home with an 0-3 mark in America East play after suffering losses to UMBC, Maine and reigning America East champion Albany to open the conference portion of their schedule.
 
Vermont leads the league on the boards, collecting the most offensive rebounds (13.5 rpg) and second-most defensive rebounds (25.7 rpg) per matchup. As a team the Catamounts block the most shots per contest, averaging five per game, and recorded 80 total on the season to rank 35th nationally.
 
UVM closed out non-conference play winning five games, including four of its last six, for its best non-conference start since the 2011-12 campaign. During its last four non-conference wins, Vermont averaged 12.3 assists per game, grabbed at least 44 rebounds, and held opponents to under 25-percent from 3-point range. At least seven Catamounts put points on the board in each contest.

LAST TIME OUT
UVM dropped its third conference matchup at Albany 72-43 on Saturday afternoon at SEFCU Arena. Vermont fell to a 5-11 (0-3) record and Albany improved to 11-3 (2-0).
 
Andreana Thomas led the Catamounts in scoring as she recorded a team-best 10 points and grabbed three steals. Thomas has netted double-figure scoring in 11 games this season, including eight of Vermont's last nine matchups. Candice Wright matched her career-high with five blocks.
 
Thomas picked drew a foul and connected on a bucket from the line to create a big three-point play, cutting Albany's advantage to single digits (11-19) to open the second quarter. A block by Candice Wright put the ball back into Kylie Atwood's hands, as she drew another foul and knocked down a pair from the line. Zakiya Saunders hit a layup in the final seconds of the quarter to put together an 18-point cushion, 37-19, at the end of the half.

UVM posted a solid performance from the charity stripe, shooting 88.2-percent after going 15-for-17. The Great Danes pushed ahead in the fourth quarter to easily close out the game for their second conference win.

ONE MORE TIME FOR THOMAS
After 13 starts in 15 appearances, Andreana Thomas paces Vermont's offense shooting 40-percent and averaging a team-best 13 points per game. The Hofstra transfer is dishing out nearly four assists per game, totaling 55 on the season, and has led the team in assists eight times. Thomas matched a career-best with 26 points in back-to-back games versus Delaware and Boston University in late December.
 
SENIOR SPOTLIGHT
The senior trio of Kylie Atwood, Gracia Hutson and Andreana Thomas make up the women's basketball class of 2016. The veterans record 18.5 ppg and grab a quarter (11.5 rpg) of Vermont's rebounds each game.
 
Atwood has accumulated 48 starts, including all 16 this season, and has made appearances in 97 games during her career as a Catamount. Hutson, a 6-2 forward from Minnesota, is nearing the 100-game milestone as well with 98 appearances in four seasons. She pulls down the second-most rebounds on the team, averaging at least five per game. Hutson grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds at Holy Cross on December 2nd.
 
Thomas is averaging 31.8 minutes on the floor per game and is responsible for the most steals on the team with 25 on the season.
 
LEAGUE LEADERS
Sydney Smith has made the second-most 3-point buckets (37) in the conference, while averaging the most baskets from behind the arc per game, connecting on 2.31 each contest. Smith also contributes to Vermont's defense as she blocks the third-most shots per game (1.4) in the league. Candice Wright matched her career-high five blocks against Albany and averages 1.64 per game, the second-most in America East.

SCOUTING HARTFORD
The Hawks (5-10, 1-1) arrive in Vermont after splitting their first two conference games against UMass Lowell and Binghamton. In the win over UMass Lowell, the Hawks shot a season-best 50-percent from three (8-for-16) en route to scoring a season-high 72 points. The 13-point win marked Hartford's largest margin of victory this season.
 
In each of the Hawks' wins this season, Deanna Mayza has been a contributing factor, averaging 15.4 points on 35.8-percent shooting from the field while adding 6.0 assists. However, the junior recently suffered ain injury against Binghamton. Senior Mallory Shickora suffered a career and season-ending injury against the Bearcats as well.
 
For the first time this season, each player that checked into the game against UMass Lowell last Wednesday recorded at least nine points. Head coach Jennifer Rizzotti went nine-deep that game, which featured a season-best three players finishing in double-figures (Shickora-17, Darby Lee-16 and Mayza-10).
 
In its most recent matchup against the Bearcats, Hartford shot 32.8 percent (19-of-58), including a 28.6-percent clip (4-of-14) from three. Hartford received 31 points from its bench, outscoring that of the Bearcats by 29 points.

SERIES HISTORY
Saturday's game marks the 67^th meeting between UVM and Hartford as the Catamounts have a 35-31 edge in the all-time series. The Hawks claimed both matchups against Vermont last season as the Catamounts fell to Hartford 62-46 at Patrick Gym. When playing on its home court, UVM has a 19-11 advantage over the Hawks.

WHO'S NEXT
UVM travels to Lowell, Massachusetts to face the UMass Lowell River Hawks on Monday (Jan. 18) at 1 p.m. Radio coverage in begins 20 minutes prior to tip-off at 12:40 p.m. on WVMT 620-AM and SportsJuice.com. All conference matchups can also be viewed for free via Americaeast.tv.