WOMEN'S BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK
Vermont women's basketball is closing in on Senior Night as the Catamounts will play host to Albany this coming Thursday (Feb. 23) in a 7 p.m. game at Patrick Gymnasium.
 
Alastair Ingram (PxP) and Bernie Cieplicki (color) will call the game on ESPN3 and the WatchESPN app, while Tyler Terens will oversee the play-by-play on WVMT 620-AM as well as Catamounts All-Access. Live stats will be accessible through SIDEARM Stats.
 
RELATED LINKS
Video | Audio | Live Stats | Tickets
Vermont Notes (.pdf) | Albany Notes (.pdf)
 
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BANKER & BUTLER TO BE RECOGNIZED PREGAME
Prior to tipoff on Thursday night, Vermont women's basketball will take time to recognize both senior Kylie Butler and graduate student Kallie Banker for their accomplishments as well as their contributions to the program and the University of Vermont. Fans are encouraged to join us early at Patrick Gymnasium for the ceremony.
 
CATAMOUNTS RECAP
Lauren Handy had a career-high 19 points and Vermont never trailed as the Catamounts ultimately secured a 60-36 win over UMass Lowell at Patrick Gymnasium last Wednesday night (Feb. 15).
 
Candice Wright logged her 87th career block in the victory, inching within one of former Catamount Karena Zornow (1995-99) for seventh all-time in program history. Wright remains the fastest to reach the mark, having appeared in just her 52nd game Wednesday night.
 
SCOUTING ALBANY
The Great Danes (16-11, 10-4 AE) have won seven of their last eight games, most recently holding off a strong second half push from Maine on Saturday (Feb. 18) in a 64-60 win on Albany's Senior Day. Bailey Hixson turned in a 15-point day on 6-of-8 shooting while Heather Forster was two rebounds short of a double-double.
 
Senior Imani Tate, still the leading scorer in America East, continues to pace the offense with 19.2 points per game, followed by classmate Jessica Féquière (12.7 ppg). In the Maine game last Saturday, Tate was held to just eight points which represented just the second time this season she was held outside of double figures. In Albany's November 12 game at Kentucky, the Bronx, New York native poured in nine points after shooting 4-for-19.
 
On the glass, fans will hear Féquière's name quite a bit as she averages an even seven rebounds per night. That figure is a team-best and sits third in America East. Tiana-Jo Carter averages 1.3 blocks per game to lead the group. Collectively, Albany averages 67 points per game while surrendering 64.1 at the other end.
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
Beginning in 2002 and continuing through the 2010 America East Quarterfinals, UVM had Albany's number, posting a record of 17-2 in the first 19 games of the series. More recently, roles have reversed as the Great Danes have racked up 16 consecutive wins dating back to Jan. 30, 2011.
 
Vermont's most recent 'W' saw the Catamounts hold Albany to just 10 field goals, setting a tournament record, and just 16.9 percent shooting from the floor en route to a 61-36 decision in the 2010 America East Quarterfinals.
 
LAST TIME AROUND
A total of seven different Catamounts inked the scorebook but an early 15-0 run ultimately put Albany ahead for good as Vermont fell by a 64-53 score on January 26. Kristina White paced Vermont with 14 points in the game, which was played in front of a Field Trip Day crowd of 1,742 fans. Sydney Smith had 11 points and nine rebounds, while Hanna Crymble drained 13 points of her own. Imani Tate, the leading scorer in America East, had 29 points plus nine rebounds.
 
THAT'S HANDY, THANKS!
Lauren Handy's 19 points in the UMass Lowell win reset her previous career high of 17 points, which came in a Feb. 16, 2016 contest at Binghamton. She previously finished one point short of that mark, putting down what was then a season-best 16 in Vermont's Catamount Classroom game against Brown on December 8.
 
The sophomore reached her new career-best on 6-of-12 shooting from the field as well as 4-of-6 from the charity stripe. Her 50 percent effort led all players with at least seven attempts from the field. She also recorded two blocks in a 27-minute span free of turnovers.
 
ALL THE 'WRIGHT' REASONS
Sophomore Candice Wright continues to leave a mark in the record book. The native of Cambridge, Ontario has registered 87 blocks in less than two seasons and sits eighth all-time in program history. Former Catamount Karena Zornow (1995-99) is seventh with 88 blocks.
 
Wright holds the distinction of being the fastest in program history to reach that mark. Of the top-7 blockers all-time, none had more than 47 through their their sophomore campaign (Karalyn Church through the 1997-98 season). As a freshman last year, Wright logged 50 blocks, setting a single-season program record. If she continues at her current pace of 1.7 per game, she will break Katie McNamara's (2001-05) all-time program record of 102 career blocks no later than her junior campaign.

I'D LIKE TO THANK THE ACADEMY
On February 13, freshman Hanna Crymble took home her second consecutive America East Rookie of the Week award and third on the season. She started all three games on the week (has started all 26 on season) and averaged 12.3 points in the span. In spite of a setback at Binghamton (Feb. 6), she turned in 18 points on 7-of-12 (58 percent) from the field.
 
Crymble boasts four double-doubles on the season and is the first Catamount rookie to do so four times since Kylie Butler in 2013-14.
 
GOOD THINGS COME IN THREE'S
In Vermont's January 4 win over Maine, UVM allowed just three second quarter points, representing a tie for the fewest allowed by the team in a single 10-minute period. In a Feb. 28, 2016 victory over Stony Brook, UVM surrendered just three points in the fourth quarter in preserving a 44-37 victory over the Seawolves at Patrick Gymnasium.
 
WELCOME TO VERMONT, COACH
A 1997 graduate of West Chester University in Pennsylvania, head coach Chris Day arrives in Vermont following a three-year stint as an assistant at the University of Pennsylvania. During his time at Penn, the Quakers punched two tickets to the NCAA Tournament and captured two Ivy League titles. The squad amassed 67 wins during his tenure, including a remarkable 36-6 mark in conference action.
 
The eighth head coach in UVM history, Day also spent time in coaching capacities at Indiana (2012-13), Saint Joseph's (2005-12) and La Salle (2004-05). He served a three-year stint (2000-03) as head coach at Division III Widener University in Chester, Pennsylvania, helping Widener make its first postseason appearance in 20 years.
 
NEXT UP
UVM closes the regular season on Sunday (Feb. 26) with a visit to Stony Brook. Tip is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Island Federal Credit Union Arena.
 
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