MEN'S BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK
With both teams tied atop the America East standings, Vermont (9-3, 9-3 AE) and UMBC (12-4, 9-3 AE) will square off in Baltimore on Thursday (Feb. 18) at 7 p.m. and Friday (Feb. 19) at 5 p.m.
TELEVISION AND RADIO COVERAGE
Thursday's game will be nationally televised on ESPNU with Mike Corey and former Providence head coach Tim Welsh on the call. ESPNU is located on DirecTV channel 208, DirecTV Video on Demand channel 1208, and Dish Network channel 141. For local Xfinity users, ESPNU can be found on channel 293 SD and channel 822 HD. The game will also be available on the ESPN app by logging in with your television provider.
Friday's game will be streamed on ESPN3 and the ESPN app. Fans can also listen live on the Vermont Sports Network, from Learfield IMG College, on 101.3 The Game or online at
Catamounts All-Access with Brian McLaughlin on the call.
RELATED LINKS
UMBC: Video (Thurs.) | Video (Fri.) | Audio | Live Stats
Game Notes: Vermont
HUNT FOR THE REGULAR SEASON TITLE AND FIRST-ROUND BYE
This week's two-game set will feature the top two teams in the league. The Cats and Retrievers are tied atop the America East standings with a 9-3 record. The rivals are vying for the regular season crown and have a three-game lead over Hartford with five games to play. Under the new playoff format, the top two seeds will also receive a first-round bye to the semifinal round. The Green and Gold are trying to become the first team in league history to win five consecutive regular season conference titles.
FIRST FOR SMITH
Stef Smith was named America East Player of the Week on Monday for the first time in his career. The Ajax, Ontario product averaged 18.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.5 steals per game in a weekend sweep of Stony Brook. In the two-game set, he shot 54.0% (13-for-24) from the field.
DOUBLE-DIGIT AE WINS
With one more win, Vermont can secure its 13th consecutive season with at least 10 America East regular season victories. Behind the Cats, the longest active streak by another conference foe is two seasons by Stony Brook.
FEWEST CONFERENCE LOSSES
Since 2016-17, Vermont has only suffered nine setbacks to America East teams including the conference tournament. During the five-year run, the Cats have a 78-9 record and the nine losses are the second-fewest in Division I behind Gonzaga's four defeats to West Coast Conference foes. UMBC has been responsible for four of the losses.
SCOUTING UMBC
The Retrievers will ride a three-game winning streak into this week's two-game series. In conference play, UMBC has the top field-goal percentage defense at 38.4% - slightly ahead of Vermont at 39.2%. Brandon Horvath is the top overall rebounder and one of the top scorers in the league. He boasts a 14.3 scoring average and has corralled a league-leading 8.8 rebounds per game this season. In his last two series, he has averaged a double-double with 12.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. R.J. Eytle-Rock sits right behind Horvath with 13.5 points per game and a 40.5% clip from three-point land. Eytle-Rock has notched double figures in eight straight outings with two 20-point performances.
INSIDE THE SERIES
Vermont leads the all-time series 35-8 and strung together 23 straight wins from January 2009 to February 2018 before falling in the 2018 America East Championship Game. In the 2018-19 campaign, the Retrievers handed the Cats their only two regular season conference losses but the Green and Gold topped the Black and Gold 66-49 in the 2019 championship game in Burlington. Last year, the two teams split the regular season series before UVM bested UMBC 81-74 in the conference semifinal.
Key Motors of South Burlington is the presenting sponsor of the 2020-21 Vermont men's basketball season
