WOMEN'S BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK
Vermont looks to extend their longest winning streak since 2008 as they host Maine at Patrick Gym on Wednesday (Feb. 8) night in a pivotal matchup of two of the top three seeds in America East. Vermont is currently on an eight-game winning streak sitting at 16-6 overall and 8-2 in America East play in second place tied with Maine who sits at 12-10 overall and also 8-2 in the conference. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+ and is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. ET with Ryan Zimmerman on the call on the radio on WVMT.
 
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ANNUAL RALLY AROUND MENTAL HEALTH GAME
Wednesday evening is also the Catamounts 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 in the Patrick Gym lobby 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.
 
AMERICA EAST STANDINGS 
The Catamounts have earned eight straight victories, all coming in America East play. Vermont got a critical win over Maine at The Pit January 18 61-52 and also have victories over NJIT, Bryant and UMBC on the road, as well as four home wins versus New Hampshire, UMass Lowell, Binghamton and UAlbany to stand at 8-2 in the America East. UVM's only losses in conference came against UAlbany and UMBC. The Catamounts and the Black Bears are currently tied for second place in America East play at 8-2. Vermont bolsters the longest winning streak in the conference with their eight straight victories. UAlbany leads the conference at 15-10 and 9-2 in conference play. Maine comes in at 12-10 overall and 8-2 in America East play, with their only losses coming to UVM and UMBC. 
 
AMONG THE LEADERS IN AMERICA EAST PLAY
The Catamounts are second in the conference in scoring with 61.6 per game and first in points allowed and scoring margin, giving up just 53.9 points per game with a plus 7.7 scoring margin. Vermont leads the conference in team field goal percentage (43.1 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 37.6 percent of their chances behind the arc, with the next closest team being UAlbany coming in at 33.9 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 13.6 per game and their 0.73 margin is second, while their assist to turnover ratio (1.00) is first in the America East. Along with UMBC, the Catamounts are the only other team with three scorers in the top 15 of the conference being led by Emma Utterback's 13.8 points per game which is fourth in the conference. Junior Anna Olson ranks eighth with 12.2 points and Catherine Gilwee is 14th with 11.0 points per contest. Olson is also seventh in the conference with 6.1 rebounds per contest, while Gilwee is second in America East in three point percentage knocking down 40.6 percent of her treys. Gilwee is also second draining 2.5 three pointers per game. Olson leads the conference in field goal percentage at 51.2 percent, while Utterback is 10th at 41.6 percent from the field. Utterback leads the conference in assists (99), assists per game (4.5) and assist/turnover ratio (1.9).
 
NET RANKING
The current 2022-23 NET rankings were released on Monday with Vermont leading the America East coming in at 148. UAlbany followed the Catamounts at 194 while Maine rounded out the top three for the America East coming in just behind at 195. Binghamton and UMBC are the only other America East teams in the top 300 coming in at 273 and 291 respectively.
 
CATAMOUNTS ARE ON FIRE
Vermont comes into Wednesday with an eight-game winning streak and have improved to 8-2 overall in the America East after starting out 0-2. During their streak, Vermont has been dominant on defense outscoring teams by 11.1 a game and holding them to just 49.9 points per game on 36.6 percent shooting and only 27.4 percent from three. The Catamounts also have a +3.1 turnover margin forcing 15.3 turnovers per contest, while only committing 12.1 themselves. On offense, Vermont is scoring 61.0 points during these eight games while shooting 43.3 percent from the floor and 35.8 percent from three point range. Delaney Richason has stepped her game averaging 12.3 points on 54.3 percent shooting from three, while Utterback leads the Catamounts averaging 13.5 points, 4.3 assists and 2.9 rebounds per game on 45.4 percent shooting. During this stretch Vermont is 4-0 at home and 4-0 on the road with victories over the other eight teams in America East. The eight-game winning streak is the longest conference regular season winning streak for the Catamounts since 2008.
 
HOME SWEET HOME
Entering Wednesday's matchup with Maine Vermont is currently on a four-game winning streak and stand at 9-2 at Patrick Gym this season. Vermont has not lost at home since a 58-57 loss to UMBC on January 1. The Catamount's only other loss at Patrick this season came in an early season November 18 tilt with Delaware where they fell 58-53. UVM is 6-0 at home when scoring 60 points or more and are shooting 43.7 percent from the floor and 38.4 percent from three. On defense, the Catamounts are holding teams to just 36.0 percent shooting from the field and only 25.7 percent from behind the arc. UVM is averaging 61.5 points per game while only allowing 50.5 per contest. Utterback leads the way for Vermont averaging 12.5 points, 2.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game on 42.0 percent shooting and 41.2 percent from three. Olson is also in double figures averaging 12.3 points on 51.5 percent shooting from the field to go with a team-high 5.9 rebounds as well as 1.3 assists per game. Delaney Richason is leading the Catamounts from deep shooting 45.7% (16-35) at Patrick while also averaging 8.5 points and 3.8 rebounds per contest.
 
SCOUTING THE BLACK BEARS
Maine enters Wednesday's matchup following a 74-57 defeat at UMBC on Saturday (Feb. 4) and sit in third place in the America East at 12-10 overall and 8-2 in the conference. Sophomore forward Adrianna Smith scored 33 points and grabbed nine rebounds in the loss. Maine's only two losses in conference play have come against Vermont (at home) and at UMBC while they have defeated every other team in the America East. On the defensive side, Maine is averaging 58.9 points per game on 42.1 percent shooting from the floor and 33.7 percent shooting from three. On defense, the Black Bears are surrendering 60.4 points per game on 41.5 percent shooting from the field and just 25.2 percent shooting from behind the arc while registering 5.9 steals and 2.6 blocks per game. Smith is leading Maine and the conference with 16.2 points and 9.1 rebounds per game on an efficient 50.2 percent shooting from the floor. Smith also leads the Black Bears with 80 total assists good for 3.6 a contest which is third in the conference. Junior guard/forward Caroline Bornemann has been a consistent contributor putting in 9.7 points and 3.7 rebounds per game on 39.0 percent shooting from the field and 39.4 percent from three on 101 attempts. Vermont native and junior guard Olivia Rockwood has led Maine behind the arc draining 37 threes at a 34.3 percent clip while attempting the most threes at 108. Maine was selected second overall in the America East Preseason Poll receiving 54 total points (zero first place votes) just ahead of Vermont who was picked third with 46 total points (one first place vote).
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
This will be the second matchup against Maine this season, and 101st matchup all time between the two teams with Maine holding a 65-35 edge. Vermont won the last matchup defeating Maine in Orono 61-52 on January 18th in their first matchup of the season. Olson finished with a game-high 21 points in that matchup while Richason finished with 17 points while shooting 5-9 from the field. In her three career games against the Black Bears Olson is averaging 14.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 0.7 blocks. In six career matchups with Maine Utterback is averaging 12.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists while Richason is averaging 8.0 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 0.9 blocks in her six games against the Black Bears.

WHAT'S NEXT
Following Wednesday night's matchup with Maine the Catamounts will head on the road for a matchup with America East foe UMass Lowell on Saturday, February 11. The start time for the game is scheduled for 1 p.m. and will be broadcast live on ESPN3. Ryan Zimmerman, the voice of Catamounts women's basketball, will be on the call on the radio on WVMT.