WOMEN'S BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK
Vermont (17-6, 9-2 AE) looks to extend their winning streak to 10 games on the road against UMass Lowell (2-19, 1-10 AE) on Saturday, February 11. The start time for the game is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on ESPN3. The radio broadcast will also be available on WVMT with Ryan Zimmerman on the call. 
 
RELATED LINKS
Watch: ESPN3 | International Stream
Listen | Live Stats
 
AMERICA EAST PLAY
The Catamounts have earned nine straight victories, all coming in America East play. Vermont got a critical win over Maine at Patrick Gym Wednesday (Feb. 8) 68-60. During their nine-game winning streak Vermont is 5-0 at home and 4-0 on the road. The Catamounts hold the longest winning streak in America East at nine games. The Catamounts are currently second in America East at 9-2 just behind UAlbany who is 10-2 in conference play. Maine rounds out the top three at 8-3 in America East play. UMass Lowell is currently eighth in America East at 1-10. Vermont boasts the best overall record in the conference at 17-6.
 
AMONG THE LEADERS IN AMERICA EAST PLAY
The Catamounts are second in the conference in scoring with 61.9 per game and first in points allowed and scoring margin, giving up just 54.2 points per game with a plus 7.7 scoring margin, which is also first in the conference. Vermont leads America East in team field goal percentage (43.4 percent) and lead the conference in opponent field goal percentage (37.0 percent). UVM also ranks first in the conference in three point percentage converting 37.5 percent of their chances behind the arc, with the next closest team being Maine coming in at 33.6 percent. The Catamounts are also third in opponent three point percentage allowing just 28.2 percent of their opponents chances from behind the arc. Vermont averages the least turnovers in the conference with 13.4 per game and their 0.65 margin is second, while their assist to turnover ratio (1.02) is first. The Catamounts are the only team with three scorers in the top 13 of the conference being led by Emma Utterback's 13.9 points per game which is fourth in the conference. Junior Anna Olson ranks seventh with 12.2 points and Catherine Gilwee is 13th with 11.0 points per contest. Olson is also seventh in the conference with 6.2 rebounds per contest, while Gilwee is second in America East in three point percentage knocking down 40.0 percent of her treys. Gilwee is also second draining 2.4 three pointers per game. Olson leads the conference in field goal percentage at 50.7 percent, while Utterback is 11th at 42.1 percent from the field. Utterback leads the conference in assists (100), assists per game (4.3) and assist/turnover ratio (1.8).
 
CATAMOUNTS AMONG NATION'S BEST
Utterback has recorded 100 total assists this season which is ranked 73rd in the country. Her 4.3 assists per game is 79th in the nation and her 1.82 assist to turnover ratio is ranked 88th in the nation. Olson's 50.7 percent shooting percentage is 59th in the country. Gilwee is tied for 115th in the country with 140 three pointers attempted while being tied for 42nd in the nation in three point percentage at 40.0 percent. Gilwee is also knocking down 2.43 three points per game which is tied for 68th in the country and her 56 made threes is tied for 60th nationally. As a team, the Catamounts are shooting 37.6 percent from three (10th in the nation) and 43.4 percent from the floor which is 77th nationally. Vermont's 1.02 assist to turnover ratio is 73rd nationally and their +7.7 scoring margin is 82nd in the country. On defense, the 37.0 percent shooting allowed is ranked 47th in the country while their 28.2 percent three point percentage allowed is 53rd in the nation. Vermont is also ranked 11th in the country allowing just 54.2 points per game through 23 games.
 
NET RANKING
The current 2022-23 NET rankings were released on Thursday with Vermont coming in at 145. UAlbany followed the Catamounts at 190 while Maine rounded out the top three for America East coming in just behind at 199. Binghamton and UMBC are the only other America East teams in the top 300 coming in at 269 and 290 respectively.
 
UTTERBACK CONTINUES TO CLIMB
Utterback has scored 320 points on the season and has moved into 18th in program history with 1,141 points in her career. With her 17 points last time out against Maine she moved just 28 points away from moving into 15th all time. She has also amassed 100 assists on the season which has seen her climb to 342 in her career and seventh in program history. Her 458 field goals made in her career ranks 14th in program history.
 
LEVEL OF CONSISTENCY
Along with the University of Oklahoma UVM is the only team in the country to have the same starting five in every game this season, 23 games. Four of Vermont's starting five are averaging 30.0 minutes or more per game and are in the top 20 in minutes played in America East. Utterback is third in the conference at 34.8 minutes a game and Gilwee is fourth at 34.3 minutes per contest.
 
CATAMOUNTS ARE ON FIRE
Vermont comes into Wednesday with a nine-game winning streak and have improved to 9-2 overall in the America East after starting out 0-2. During their streak, Vermont has been dominant on defense outscoring teams by 10.8 a game and holding them to just 51.0 points per game on 36.6 percent shooting and only 27.5 percent from three. The Catamounts also have a +2.7 turnover margin forcing 14.6 turnovers per contest, while only committing 11.9 themselves. On offense, Vermont is scoring 61.8 points during these nine games while shooting 44.1 percent from the floor and 35.7 percent from three point range. Delaney Richason has stepped up her game averaging 12.0 points on 52.8 percent shooting from three, while Utterback leads the Catamounts averaging 13.8 points, 3.9 assists and 2.9 rebounds per game on 46.4 percent shooting. Olson is scoring 13.2 points per game and grabbing a team-high 6.0 rebounds on 54.7 percent shooting per game during the Catamounts winning streak. During this stretch Vermont is 5-0 at home and 4-0 on the road with victories over the other eight teams in America East. The nine-game winning streak is the longest since the 2008 season and is the longest regular season winning streak for the Catamounts since 2002.
 
SCOUTING UMASS LOWELL
The River Hawks enter this Saturday afternoon matchup with a 2-19 overall record and are 1-10 in America East play. UMass Lowell fell to NJIT 68-50 last time out on February 4 and their lone conference win came against Bryant 76-63 on January 22. UMass Lowell enters this matchup averaging 52.9 points per game on 35.7 percent shooting from the field and 27.6 percent from behind the arc, while hitting 72.9 percent of their free throws. Defensively, the River Hawks are giving up 66.2 points per game on 43.9 percent shotting and allowing 29.9 percent shooting from three point range while averaging 6.9 steals and 3.8 blocks per game. Senior guard Jaliena Sanchez leads the team in scoring with 9.4 points per game and is their best passer with 3.6 assists a game to go with 2.9 rebounds and 1.4 steals per contest. Junior guard Jaini Edmonds is second on the team averaging 9.2 points per game and 2.6 rebounds. Edmonds is also their best three point shooter hitting 35.3% (30-85) of her attempts from deep this season. The River Hawks were selected sixth overall in the America East Preseason Poll, receiving 27 total points with zero first place votes.
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
This will be the second matchup against UMass Lowell this season, and 20th matchup all time between the two teams with Vermont holding a 10-9 advantage in the series. Vermont defeated UMass Lowell at Patrick Gym 42-37 on January 11. Utterback finished the game with 14 points on an efficient 6-11 shooting in that matchup while Olson had six points and a team-high eight rebounds. The teams first met in December 2013 in Burlington with the Catamounts seizing a 95-82 victory. In 11 matchups at Patrick Gym the Catamounts are 7-4 including this season's win and in Lowell, Vermont is 3-5. UVM currently holds the longest winning streak in the series having taken the last four matchups. In her five matchups with the River Hawks Olson is averaging 10.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 0.8 assists on 47.7 percent shooting while Utterback is leading the way at 12.1 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists on 42.2 percent shooting in her seven games against UMass Lowell. In seven matchups with UMass Lowell Richason is averaging 8.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists per contest.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
Following Saturday's matchup with the River Hawks the Catamounts will continue on the road in a matchup with New Hampshire on Wednesday February 15. The start time for that game is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on ESPN+. Ryan Zimmerman, the voice of Catamounts women's basketball, will be on the call on radio on WVMT.