MEN'S BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK
Vermont caps off a three-game home stand on Saturday (Dec. 17) with a visit from Eastern Michigan at 1 p.m. on the hardwood of Patrick Gym. Single game tickets can be purchased at UVMathletics.com/Tickets or at the Patrick Gym Box Office on gameday. All UVM men's basketball games can be heard on ESPN 101.3 FM and online at 1013ESPN.com with Sam Hyman on the call.  Free live video is available at AmericaEast.TV by clicking the link below.
 
RELATED LINKS
Eastern Michigan: Video | Live Stats | Audio | Tickets
Game Notes: Vermont (.pdf) | Eastern Michigan (.pdf)
 
SETTING THE SCENE
Vermont owns the top scoring defense in America East and 39th-best in the country by holding its opponents to only 63.3 points per game. From the beyond the arc, the Cats are surrendering a league-low 32.7% (65-for-199). In home victories, the Catamounts have a +25.3-scoring margin and have only given up 47.7 points per contest.
 
The green and gold have two of the top rebounders in the conference. Payton Henson is tied for fifth place by muscling 6.4 rebounds per game and also ranks sixth with a 53.1% shooting percentage. Anthony Lamb follows on the rebounding charts in the 10th spot with 5.6 boards per game and has recorded 11 blocks this season – the most in America East.

FOCUSED FRESHMAN
Lamb has scored a total of 111 points through the first 11 games of his Catamount career. Lamb's point total is the second-most since teammate Trae Bell-Haynes scored 117 through his first 11 contests two seasons ago.

LEADING AT THE POINT
In the last five games, Bell-Haynes has averaged 11.8 points and 2.2 steals per contest. During the five-game stretch, he has shot 51.2% (21-for-41) from the floor, 50.0% (3-for-6) from beyond the arc, and 77.8% (14-of-18) from the charity stripe. Among the league leaders, the junior guard has dished out 44 assists which is tied for the second-most and trails Henson in seventh place with a 51.2% shooting percentage.

LAST TIME OUT | Northeastern Highlights
Vermont overcame a seven-point deficit in the final two minutes with a game-tying layup from Bell-Haynes with 42 seconds remaining, but could not get past former America East rival Northeastern last Saturday with a 59-57 heartbreaking loss at Patrick Gym. The junior guard scored a team-high 15 points and dished out five assists. Henson added 13 points and four rebounds while Kurt Steidl followed with 11 points, seven rebounds, and four steals. The defeat snapped a nine-game home winning streak dating back to last season.
 
SCOUTING EASTERN MICHIGAN
The Eagles are one of the top teams in the country at wreaking havoc on opposing offenses. Eastern Michigan ranks second in the nation in steals per game (12.6) and turnover margin (+8.3). EMU sits third in turnovers forced per game (20.22), fourth in total steals (113), and lead the Mid-American Conference in each respective category. EMU comes into Saturday with four players averaging double figures as Ray Lee leads the way with 19.1 points per game. Ray has posted 20-point outings in three out of the last four games. Willie Mangum IV follows with 17.4 points per contest and ranks 49th in the country with 2.11 steals per game. James Thompson IV averages a double-double with 15.9 points and 11.0 rebounds per game. Thompson IV has recorded six double-doubles this year which ranks eighth-best in Division I and pulls down 4.67 offensive boards per game – the fourth-most in the land.

SERIES HISTORY
The all-time series has a small sample size with only two prior meetings as both were season openers. The Cats are 1-1 against the Eagles and three players have recorded a double-double against EMU. Last year, Steidl posted his first career double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds, but Eastern Michigan topped UVM 70-50.
 
In the 2002-03 opener, the two squared off in the Pepsi-Marist Classic in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. as Vermont held off Eastern Michigan for a 71-64 win. Matt Scheftic recorded a double-double with a team-high 20 points and 10 rebounds while posting a pair of assists and blocks. Scotty Jones added a double-double of his own off the bench with 15 points and 11 rebounds.
  
WHO'S NEXT
Vermont travels to 18th-ranked Butler on Wednesday at 7 p.m. for a pre-holiday showdown. All UVM men's basketball games can be heard on ESPN 101.3 FM and online at 1013ESPN.com with Sam Hyman on the call. The game will be televised on Fox Sports Networks. Visit UVMathletics.com for specific coverage details which will be released early next week.

Canon Solutions America is the presenting sponsor of the 2016-17 men's basketball season.