WOMEN'S BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK
The University of Vermont women's basketball team hosts Maine in its first home conference matchup of the season on Wednesday (Jan. 6). Tip-off against the Black Bears at Patrick Gym is set for 7 p.m.
 
Radio coverage in Burlington begins 20 minutes prior to tip-off on WVMT 620-AM and SportsJuice.com with Alastair Ingram 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.
 
ABOUT VERMONT
UVM closed out non-conference play winning five games, including four of its last six, for its best start since the 2011-12 campaign. During its last four 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.
 
Vermont's defense has held opponents to just 37-percent from the field in its first 14 games, the lowest in America East, and blocked the most shots of any school in the conference with at least five blocks per game. UVM ranks 27th nationally in blocks, having registered 70 total.
 
With her first bucket in Sydney Smith's 41st career-game, she will reach the 500-point milestone as a Catamount.

LAST TIME OUT
The Catamounts dropped their opening conference game against UMBC in Baltimore on Saturday afternoon by a score of 85-48. UVM fell to 5-9 (0-1) on the season, while UMBC improved to 10-4 (1-0).

Courtney Wright scored a team-high and career-best 14 points and matched her season-best with seven rebounds. Smith registered 10 points and Kylie Butler grabbed six boards. 
 
Vermont cut its deficit to single-digits as Hayley Robertson knocked down a triple from behind the left arc at the 6:49 mark in the second quarter, bringing the score to 23-17. The Retrievers picked up where they left off in the first quarter and created a 25-point cushion on a 22-2 run for the remainder of the half.
 
UMBC maintained its edge in the fourth quarter, taking its largest lead with 2:34 remaining. Courtney Wright closed the afternoon with back-to-back buckets to finish off her career performance.
 
ONE MORE TIME FOR THOMAS
After 11 starts in 13 appearances, Andreana Thomas paces Vermont's offense shooting almost 40-percent and averaging a team-best 13.2 points per game. The Hofstra transfer is dishing out 3.6 assists per game, totaling 51 on the season.
 
Thomas matched a career-best 26 points in back-to-back games versus Delaware and Boston University in late December. She has tallied double-figure scoring performances in nine games, including six of the last seven matchups.

TWO OF A KIND
Rookie sisters Candice Wright and Courtney Wright have been a force on both ends of the floor this season for the Catamounts. Courtney had a career-game against UMBC on Saturday as she posted a season-best 14 points and pulled down seven rebounds.
 
The Cambridge, Ontario natives are each grabbing at least four rebounds per game at 4.2 and 4.9, respectively and the duo is shooting over 42-percent for a combined 185 points this season. Courtney is averaging 15.8 minutes on the floor and has seen action in all 14 games, while Candice has been awarded starts in all 13 of her appearances.
 
CATS IN THE CONFERENCE
After beginning conference play, four Catamounts remain in top-7 positions within the America East rankings.
 
Smith has made the second-most 3-point buckets (33), while averaging the most baskets from behind the arc per game, connecting on 2.36 each contest. Smith also contributes to Vermont's defense as she blocks the second-most shots per game (1.43), followed by Candice Wright in third with 1.38.
 
Thomas has totaled the second-best free throw percentage in the conference, shooting at a clip of 82.7-percent, and has made the seventh-most shots from the line (43).

SCOUTING THE BLACK BEARS
Maine (9-6) begins its conference portion of its schedule against the Catamounts after notable wins against LSU, Clemson and Harvard. In the Black Bears most recent matchup, they fell to the North Carolina Tar Heels by a buzzer-beating 3-pointer in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Maine dishes out the most assists in the conference (236), ranking 25th nationally behind Sigi Koizar. Koizar leads the Maine offense, averaging 17.0 points while tallying double-figures in 13 of the Black Bears' 15 games. Her 50.6-mark from the floor ranks tops on the team and second in the league.
 
Liz Wood is averaging 9.4 points and has been solid both on the boards and defensively. Wood leads the Black Bears in rebounding (7.3) and steals (2.7) while adding 2.8 assists. Wood has tallied double-digit rebounds in four games and finished with five or more in 11 of Maine's first 15 games. Defensively, Wood leads the league and ranks 15th nationally in steals (41) and sits second in the league in steals per game.

SERIES HISTORY
Wednesday marks the 76th meeting between the Catamounts and Black Bears. Maine has a 45-30 edge in the all-time series against Vermont. In their most recent meeting last season, Maine slipped past Vermont 57-54 in Burlington. UVM has a record of 18-19 when playing on its home court against the Black Bears.  
 
WHO'S NEXT
Vermont travels to Albany (9-3) on Saturday (Jan. 9) to face the Great Danes. Tip-off at SEFCU Arena is set for 2 p.m. UVM then has a week off before hosting Hartford in Patrick Gym on Saturday, Jan. 16 at 2 p.m.
 
Radio coverage in Albany begins 20 minutes prior to tip-off at 1:40 p.m. on WVMT 620-AM and SportsJuice.com. The game and all conference matchups can also be viewed for free via AmericaEast.tv.