MEN'S BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK
Vermont (11-10, 5-2 AE) hosts rival UMBC (14-8, 4-3 AE) in a conference clash on Saturday (Jan. 28) at Patrick Gym. Tip-off is slated for 12 p.m. ET. Tickets are available for purchase at UVMathletics.com/Tickets or by visiting the Patrick Gym Box Office on gameday. Saturday's matchup is presented by McGee Automotive Group.
 
BROADCAST INFORMATION
The matchup between the Catamounts and Retrievers will broadcast live on ESPN+ with Rob Ryan and Bernie Cieplicki on the call. Fans can listen to the action for free on the Vermont Sports Network, from Learfield on The Game, which will air on 97.1 FM in Burlington, 105.9 FM in Plattsburgh, and 960 AM around the rest of the region. The radio broadcast is also available via the Varsity Network App with Brian McLaughlin on the call.
 
RELATED LINKS
Watch | Listen | Live Stats | Tickets
Game Notes: Vermont | UMBC
 
SCOUTING THE RETRIEVERS
UMBC enters Saturday's matchup in a four-way tie for third place after suffering a 69-65 road loss at NJIT on Wednesday. The Retrievers are 5-2 since facing the Catamounts on Jan. 1, including a non-conference win against former America East foe Hartford (W, 87-62). Colton Lawrence leads the UMBC attack with 13.4 points per game this season. Jacob Boonyasith (11.8 ppg) and Matteo Picarelli (10.5 ppg) also average double figures for the Retrievers.
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
Vermont and UMBC meet for the 50th time in series history and the first time in Patrick Gym since the 2022 America East Championship Game. The Catamounts own a 40-9 record against the Retrievers and a 19-4 mark on Tom Brennan Court. UVM took a 74-61 victory over UMBC on Jan. 1 in Baltimore. Dylan Penn led the Cats with 19 points.
 
RECENT RIVALRY
The matchup on Saturday will be the 13th time the Catamounts and Retrievers have met over the last five seasons. The conference foes have met in four of the last five America East Tournaments, including three championship games. Two of Vermont's last three America East Titles have been won against UMBC.
 
BACK ON TOP
The Catamounts have won three-straight games to move back into first place in the America East standings. Vermont has outscored opponents 77.0-56.3 (+20.7) in its three victories to grab the top spot.
 
OVER .500
Vermont has clawed back to have a winning percentage over .500 for the first time since the season-opening win over Brown (Nov. 7). The Cats were five games below .500 after its late-November trip to The Bahamas (2-7), but have gone 9-3 since.
 
FINN'S RESURGENCE
Finn Sullivan has averaged 20.3 points per game during Vermont's three-game winning streak. The fifth-year senior has made 50.0% (21-42) of his field goal attempts and 44.8% (13-29) of his three-pointers. Sullivan recorded a career-high 28 points in the Catamounts' home victory over NJIT (W, 85-69) on Sunday (Jan. 22).
 
RALLY AROUND MENTAL HEALTH
Saturday's game is the annual Rally Around Mental Health Game. Rally Around Mental Health is an initiative that was created to help increase awareness and reduce stigma surrounding mental health. Created and led by student-athletes, the Rally Around Mental Health initiative offers educational programming and activities to promote mental health, resources for seeking help, and supports ongoing conversations about mental health through designated games for each sport. Visit the Rally Around Mental Health table for more information. If you would like to help the Rally Around Mental Health initiative bring more resources & programming to UVM Athletics, please visit go.uvm.edu/ramh.
 
McGee Automotive Group is the presenting sponsor of Vermont men's basketball