MEN'S NOTEBOOK
Vermont (6-3) will wrap up its five-game road trip at former America East rival Northeastern (5-4) on Saturday (Dec. 9). The opening tip is set for 4 p.m. Fans can purchase tickets at Tickets.GoNU.com and free live video will be available at GoNUXStream.com. All Vermont regular season games can be heard on 101.3 ESPN FM and online at 1013ESPN.com with Sam Hyman on the call.
 
RELATED LINKS
Northeastern: Video | Audio | Live Stats | Tickets
CatamounTV: Marquette Highlights
Poll: USA Today | CollegeInsider.com | MidMajorMadness.com
Game Notes: Vermont | Northeastern
 
TOM BRENNAN COURT DEDICATION
The University of Vermont will name center court in Patrick Gymnasium "Tom Brennan Court" at a ceremony preceding UVM's game against Siena on Monday (Dec. 11). The dedication is presented by the UVM Alumni Association and the ceremony will get underway at 6:45 p.m. Fans can purchase tickets, which are in limited supply, at go.uvm.edu/tbnight.
 
TOYS FOR TOTS
UVM Athletics will have Toys For Tots boxes at all home games until Friday, Dec. 15 to collect new and unwrapped toys to be donated for local families in need this holiday season. The Toys For Tots drive is presented by TD Bank. Fans can make donations at the marketing table. Last year, the local Toys For Tots program served over 1,700 families, providing toys to over 5,000 children in the greater Champlain Valley area.
 
LAST TIME OUT | Marquette Highlights
Vermont was within striking distance down the stretch in the second half but Marquette pulled away late and dealt a 91-81 decision to the Catamounts on Tuesday night. Stef Smith had a career night for UVM with 20 points on 7-of-8 shooting and the freshman was a perfect 6-for-6 from long distance. Smith also gathered four rebounds and handed out three assists. Payton Henson added 11 points and six rebounds while Anthony Lamb and Trae Bell-Haynes tallied 10 points apiece.
 
CATS IN THE RANKINGS
The Catamounts picked up three votes in this week's USA Today Top-25 Coaches' Poll and also earned a pair of top-10 mid-major rankings. In the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top-25 Poll, UVM landed in the No. 4 spot and placed sixth in the MidMajorMadness.com Power Rankings.
 
DOWNTOWN STEF
Smith is coming off a perfect 6-for-6 long range shooting performance at Marquette. Smith is the latest UVM rookie to make six attempts from beyond the arc after Lamb drained half-a-dozen triples against Maine in the America East Quarterfinal last season.

SCOUTING NORTHEASTERN
The Huskies roll into the weekend on a three-game hot streak and NU has won by an average 17.3 points per game during the recent set. Northeastern owns the second-best three-point percentage defense (28.5%) and third-lowest scoring defense (66.8 ppg) in the Colonial Athletic Association. Vasa Pusica leads the pack and ranks 13th in the CAA with a 14.9 scoring average. The redshirt junior has logged three 20-point outings in the last five games and has shot 62.7% (37-for-59) from the floor during his recent spree. Donnell Gresham Jr. adds 10.7 points per game to NU's offense, including a 13.0 scoring average since jumping into the starting lineup in the last three games.

INSIDE THE SERIES
The former conference rivals will meet for the 72nd time in the all-time series. Vermont has reached the win column in six out of the last nine games against Northeastern. Last year, the Huskies handed UVM a 59-57 loss, its only home defeat of the season, after the Cats overcame a seven-point deficit and tied the game in the final minutes.  
 
WHO'S NEXT
Vermont returns to Catamount Country to host Siena on Monday (Dec. 11) The opening tip is set for 7 p.m. Tickets are available but in limited supply at go.uvm.edu/tbnight. Fans who cannot attend the court dedication ceremony can watch on CatamounTV.com.
 
The non-conference contest will be streamed on ESPN3 and the watchESPN app by logging in with your television provider. All Vermont regular season games can be heard on 101.3 ESPN FM and online at 1013ESPN.com with Sam Hyman on the call.
 
Canon Solutions America is the presenting sponsor of the 2017-18 Vermont men's basketball season