MEN'S BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK
Vermont (15-4, 5-0) caps off a two-game conference homestand against defending America East champion UMBC (11-9, 3-2) on Wednesday (Jan. 23). The opening tip is set for 7 p.m. Fans can purchase tickets at UVMathletics.com/Tickets or at the Patrick Gym Box Office on gameday.
 
TELEVISION AND RADIO COVERAGE
All of the action can be seen on ESPN3 and the WatchESPN app by logging in with your television provider. Fans can also listen to the game on 101.3 The Game or 1013TheGame.com with Jake Marsh on the call.
 
RELATED LINKS
UMBC: Video | Radio | Live Stats | Tickets
Game Notes: Vermont | UMBC
Mid-Major Power Rankings: Mid-MajorMadness.com | CollegeInsider.com
 
RELIVING LAST YEAR'S CHAMPIONSHIP GAME | CatamounTV Highlights
UMBC senior Jairus Lyles made a game-winning three-pointer in the final seconds and lifted the second-seeded Retrievers to a 65-62 win over top-seeded Vermont in the 2018 America East Championship Game. Trae Bell-Haynes scored a team-high 18 points on 5-of-8 shooting. The senior collected six rebounds and dished out five assists. Payton Henson followed with 14 points and three rebounds. Ernie Duncan added 10 points and made a pair from beyond the arc. On the game's final possession and the score deadlocked at 62-62, Lyles dribbled towards the top of the key and sank a 25-footer with :00.5 left on the clock.
 
CLIMBING THE MID-MAJOR RANKINGS
The Catamounts climbed up the mid-major rankings this week. In the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top-25, Vermont jumped from No. 23 to No. 14 and sit one spot behind Stony Brook. The Green and Gold also moved up four spots from last week to No. 21 in the MidMajorMadness.com "The Other Top-25 Poll."
 
DOUBLE-DOUBLE FOR DINGBA
Samuel Dingba recorded his first career double-double in Saturday's 78-50 win over Binghamton. The redshirt senior scored 10 points and grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds. Prior to the weekend, Dingba's career high for rebounds as a Catamount was six – set against Maine-Ft. Kent last season.
 
SCOUTING UMBC
Coming into the season, the Retrievers were selected to finish third behind Vermont and Hartford in the America East Preseason Coaches' Poll. UMBC is coming off a 65-64 overtime win against UAlbany on Saturday after Jose Placer buried the game-winning three-pointer in the final seconds. Placer's heroics helped the freshman land America East Rookie of the Week honors on Monday. In conference play, UMBC has the third-best team field-goal percentage (43.0%). On the defensive end, the Retrievers have done a good job defending the perimeter as their foes are shooting 33.1% from long range - the third lowest average in the league. Joe Sherburne leads the offensive attack with a 14.1 scoring average and a deadly 41.9% three-point percentage. Sherburne has dropped 13.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game on league rivals. K.C. Jackson follows with 11.1 points per game. The junior has produced three straight double-digit efforts including 17 points against the Great Danes last time out.
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
The all-time series between the Cats and Retrievers has been mostly one-sided. UVM leads 32-5 in the all-time series and had won 23 straight meetings prior to the setback in the championship game. Vermont is 14-2 against UMBC at Patrick Gym.
 
National Life Group is the presenting sponsor of the 2018-19 Vermont men's basketball season