WOMEN'S BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK
Vermont (11-8, 5-3) continues league play on Sunday afternoon as they travel to face Maine (7-10, 4-3) in a big game in the America East standings. UVM is tied for third place at 5-3 with NJIT but the Black Bears sit a half game back of both. The 1 p.m. contest can be seen on NESN and simulcast on ESPN+ Fans can also listen live with Cooper Boardman on the call on AM 620 WVMT.
RELATED LINKS
Listen Live | Live Stats | Live Video (ESPN+)
Game Notes (.pdf)
FOUR STARTERS IN DOUBLE FIGURES
Vermont's four starters who have started every game this season –
Emma Utterback (12.2 PPG),
Josie Larkins (12.2 PPG),
Delaney Richason (10.3 PPG) and
Anna Olson (11.8 PPG) are leading the Catamounts all scoring in double figures. All four of them play an average of 29.2 minutes or more per game.
LARKINS HAVING A CAREER-YEAR FROM DOWNTOWN
Larkins is tied for the team lead in scoring this season with 12.2 points per game. She is tied for 18th in the NCAA with 52 made three-pointers this season. She is shooting a career best 40.6 percent from downtown. She has made 212 career three-pointers which ranks second all-time at UVM.
ALL STARTS ON THE DEFENSIVE END
UVM is second in America East on the defensive end this season giving up 55.7 points per game. In the Catamounts 11 wins this year they've given up just 48.5 points per game. Vermont is also third in America East averaging 3.6 blocked shots per game. UVM forward
Anna Olson is second in the league averaging 1.4 blocks per game.
SCOUTING MAINE
The Black Bears have won two of its last three games, all in league action. On January 13 Maine defeated UNH by 26 at home, before falling by five to UMass Lowell at the Cross Insurance Arena. In Maine's last game they completed the season sweep of UNH with a 53-45 win in Durham Wednesday night. The Black Bears have already lost seven games at home this season, the most since going 2-8 at home during the 2012-13 campaign.
Junior guard Anne Simon leads the Black Bears and America East in scoring this season with 16.7 points-per game. She has been named the America East Player of the Week twice this season. In December, she played all 40 minutes against the Catamounts and scored 12 points.
The second-best rebounder in America East is Maine graduate forward Maeve Carroll at 8.0 per game. She registered a double-double in all three matchups with the Catamounts during the 2019-20 campaign. She averaged 21.3 points and 13.3 rebounds in the three games against Vermont that season. Carroll was in foul trouble in the teams' earlier meeting this season, she had six rebounds in 23 minutes of action.
SERIES HISTORY
Sunday afternoon will be the 92nd meeting between the Catamounts and Black Bears. Maine has won each of the last nine games, and leads the all-time series 58-33. Vermont's last win in the series came on January 4, 2017, a 55-52 decision at Patrick Gym in the Catamounts conference opener that season. In the first meeting this season Maine used a 12-0 fourth quarter run to rally from behind and defeat UVM 64-58.
Anna Olson led both teams in scoring that night with 19 points. Vermont's last trip to the Cross Insurance Arena was for the 2020 America East Quarterfinals on March 4. The two-seed Black Bears outlasted UVM 78-66 in that contest.
CATAMOUNTS CELEBRATE NATIONAL GIRLS & WOMEN IN SPORTS DAY FEBRUARY 5
UVM will celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day presented by Vermont Mutual on Saturday, February 5th during their game against UMass Lowell at 2 p.m. Girls from the local community with an interest in sports and being involved in this celebration will have the opportunity to become members of the UVM Athletic Staff for the day. Girls in grades 4-8 can apply to a wide variety of positions including: Public Address Announcer, Marketing Assistant, Ticket Staff, and many more!
For a full list of positions and to apply, click
HERE All applications must be submitted by 5 p.m. on Monday, January 31.
Rise to the Top is the presenting sponsor of Vermont women's basketball
