WOMEN'S BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK
The Catamounts (15-6, 7-2 AE) look to extend their longest winning streak since 2010 and avenge an early conference loss against UAlbany (15-9, 9-1 AE) on February 4 at Patrick Gym. The game is scheduled to start at noon and will be broadcast live on ESPN3. Ryan Zimmerman will be on the call on radio on WVMT.
 
RELATED LINKS
Watch: ESPN3 | International Stream
Listen | Live Stats | Tickets
 
NATIONAL GIRLS AND WOMEN IN SPORTS DAY
The University of Vermont Women's Basketball team will celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day powered by Vermont Mutual on Saturday, February 4th during the UAlbany game at 12 P.M. On Saturday, 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 between fourth and eighth grade can apply to a wide variety of positions including: Public Address Announcer, Marketing Assistant, Ticket Staff, and many more!
 
AMERICA EAST STANDINGS 
The Catamounts have earned seven straight victories, all coming in America East play. Vermont got a critical win over Maine at The Pit Wednesday (Jan. 18) night 61-52 and also have victories over NJIT, Bryant and UMBC on the road, as well as three home wins versus New Hampshire, UMass Lowell and Binghamton to stand at 6-2 in the America East. UVM's only losses in conference came against UAlbany and UMBC with their last loss on the season coming against UMBC. The Catamounts are in third place while UAlbany comes in ranked first. Vermont is one of three teams in the America East with an overall record above .500 coming in at 15-6. Vermont bolsters the longest winning streak in the conference with their seven straight victories. UAlbany leads the conference at 15-9 and 9-1 in conference play. Maine comes in at 12-9 and 8-1 in America East play, with their only loss coming to UVM. UMBC comes in behind UVM at 9-12 (6-4 AE) to sit in fourth place. NJIT rounds out the top five at 10-11 overall and 5-4 in the America East.
 
AMONG THE LEADERS IN AMERICA EAST PLAY
The Catamounts are second in the conference in scoring with 62.0 per game and first in points allowed and scoring margin, giving up just 54.1 points per game with a plus 7.9 scoring margin. Vermont leads the conference in team field goal percentage (43.2 percent) and lead the conference in opponent field goal percentage (36.8 percent). UVM also ranks first in the conference in three point percentage converting 37.9 percent of their chances behind the arc, with the next closest team being UAlbany coming in at 34.3 percent. The Catamounts are also third in opponent three point percentage allowing just 28.5 percent of their opponents chances from behind the arc. Vermont averages the least turnovers in the conference with 13.7 per game and their 0.48 margin is second, while their assist to turnover ratio (1.00) is first in the America East. The Catamounts are the only team with three of the top 12 scorers in the conference being led by Emma Utterback's 14.0 points per game which is fourth in the conference. Anna Olson ranks ninth with 11.9 points and Gilwee is 12th with 11.2 points per contest. Olson is also eighth in the conference with 6.1 rebounds per contest, while Gilwee is second in the America East in three point percentage knocking down 41.4 percent of her treys. Olson also leads the conference in field goal percentage at 51.1 percent, while Utterback is 10th at 42.0 percent from the field. Utterback leads the conference in assists (92), assists per game (4.4) and assist/turnover ratio (1.9).
 
CATAMOUNTS RECEIVING NATIONAL RECOGNITION
Utterback is tied for 75th in the country with 92 total assists and her 4.4 assists is tied for 76th nationally and first in the America East. Her 1.9 assist to turnover ratio is first in the conference and is 80th in the nation. Catherine Gilwee has had a hot shooting sophomore season ranking 32nd (41.35 percent) in the nation in three point percentage, while being ranked 100th in three point attempts with 133. Her 2.62 threes made per game has her tied for 37th in the country and her 55 makes is tied for 40th nationally. As a team Vermont, is shooting 37.9 percent from three which has them ranked 10th nationally, while their 43.2 percent shooting from the field is first in the conference and ranked 80th in the country. Defensively their 54.1 points allowed per game is first in the conference and 12th in the nation while holding teams to just 36.8 percent from the field (42nd in the country and first in America East). Their 28.5 percent three point percentage allowed is ranked 67th in the country.
 
NET RANKING
The current 2022-23 NET rankings were released on Thursday February 2, 2023, with Vermont leading the America East, coming in at 146. Maine followed the Catamounts at 178 while UAlbany rounded out the top three for the America East coming in at 189. Binghamton and UMBC are the only other America East teams in the top 300 coming in at 271 and 300 respectively.
 
CATAMOUNTS CONTINUE HOT STREAK
Vermont enters Saturday with a seven game winning streak and have improved to 7-2 overall in the America East after starting out 0-2. During their streak, Vermont has been dominant on defense outscoring teams by 12.1 a game and holding them to just 50.0 points per game on 36.0 percent shooting and only 28.1 percent from three. The Catamounts also have a +2.7 turnover margin forcing 14.9 turnovers per contest, while only committing 12.1 themselves. On offense, Vermont is scoring 62.1 during these seven games while shooting 43.9 percent from the floor and 36.2 percent from three point range. Delaney Richason has stepped her game averaging 12.0 points on 51.7 percent shooting from three, while Utterback leads the Catamounts averaging 13.9 points, 3.9 assists and 2.9 rebounds per game on 47.1 percent shooting. During this stretch Vermont is 3-0 at home and 4-0 on the road with victories over Bryant, New Hampshire, UMass Lowell, Maine, NJIT, Binghamton and UMBC. The seven-game winning streak is the longest conference regular season winning streak for the Catamounts since 2010.
 
MODEL OF CONSISTENCY
The Catamounts currently are tied for the longest consecutive streak with the same starting five in the country, at 21 straight games. The combination of Utterback, Gilwee, Richason, Olson and Bella Vito have started all 21 games for Vermont this season. The University of Oklahoma is the only other Division I program in the country to have the same starters in every game in the 2022-23 season, 21 games as well. The Catamounts have four players in the top 25 in minutes played per game in the America East led by Utterback who is third at 34.9 per game while Gilwee is fourth at 34.2 per game, Olson is 19th in the conference with 30.3 minutes per game and Richason is 21st at 29.5 minutes per game. All five starters are in the top 50 in the conference in minutes played with Vito at 49th in the conference with 19.2 minutes per game.
 
SCOUTING UALBANY
The Great Danes enter this Saturday Afternoon matchup with a 15-9 overall record and sit in first place at 9-1 in the America East. In conference play, UAlbany has defeated Vermont, UMBC, Bryant, NJIT, Binghamton and UNH and UMass Lowell both twice, while only losing to second ranked Maine 50-49 in Orono, Maine on January 28. UAlbany enters this matchup averaging 58.6 points per game on 42.5 percent shooting from the field and 34.3 percent from behind the arc, while hitting 73.2 percent of their free throws. Defensively, the Great Danes are giving up 55.6 points per game on 38.4 percent shooting and allowing just 26.3 percent shooting from three point range while averaging 6.3 steals and 2.6 blocks per game. Senior forward Helene Haegerstrand is third in the America East and leads the team in scoring with 15.0 points per game to go along with 3.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists. Junior guard Kayla Cooper is second on the team averaging 13.6 points per game and 7.2 rebounds to go along with 1.5 steals. Graduate student Ellen Hahne is leading the team in assists averaging 2.6 per game to go with 12.6 points (third on the team) and 5.6 rebounds per game (second on the team). Hahne looks to build on the first matchup where she scored a game-high 16 points on 4-9 shooting with eight rebounds. The Great Danes were selected first overall in the America East Preseason Poll receiving seven of nine first place votes and 59 total points.
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
This will be the 49th matchup in the series between the two programs and second time the two teams have met this season. UAlbany leads the all-time series 27-21 and have won the last two matchups coming in the America East semifinals last year and in the Catamount's first conference matchup this season on December 29. The Great Danes won the December matchup last season behind 16 points and eight rebounds from Hahne, Haegerstrand also contributed 13 points, three rebounds and two assists in 32 minutes of action. Utterback scored 10 points and dished out two assists in the loss, while Olson added seven points, seven rebounds and a team-high three assists. In the 2022 America East semifinal, Utterback had 16 points, seven assists and four boards while Olson registered 13 points and six boards. Haergerstand finished with 18 points on 6-of-9 shooting and Cooper registered 11 points, 12 rebounds and four assists for the Great Danes.
 
WHAT'S NEXT 
Following Saturday's matchup with the Great Danes, Vermont will host another important America East game at Patrick Gym in a meeting with Maine on Wednesday, February 8. The start time for the game is scheduled for 6 p.m. 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. 
 
SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR SHE ROARS AND UVM ATHLETICS
She Roars has produced an exclusive line of apparel for UVM Athletics fans to show their support of all women, transwomen, femme and nonbinary folks in sport and in our community. The exclusive team store is open until 2/5 order now at go.uvm.edu/roar.