Women's Basketball

Catamounts and Great Danes Advance to Jersey Mike's #AEPlayoffs Championship

Vermont will be playing for its first America East Championship since 2010, as the top seeded Catamounts outlasted UMBC 75-63 in the Jersey Mike’s #AEPlayoffs Semifinals. They will host No. 2 UAlbany, the defending America East Champions, who edged No. 3 Maine 72-64 on Friday, March 10 with a trip to the NCAA Tournament on the line.

The Championship game will take place on Friday, 10 at 5 PM on the campus of Vermont. It will be broadcast on ESPNU. 
 
No. 1 Vermont 75, No. 4 UMBC 63
  • UVM came out firing in the opening six minutes to grab a 10-point lead. UMBC responded with a 7-0 run and the Catamounts finished the quarter with an 18-13 lead.
  • The Retrievers pulled within two, 23-21, on a K.K. White triple at 5:57, but they couldn’t get any closer than two the rest of the half and trailed 33-28 at the half.
  • It was back-and-forth in the third and a layup to open the fourth closed the gap to just two points, 51-49. Anna Olson responded with consecutive layups and UVM slowly stretched the lead to ten with three minutes left on the way to its 12-point win.
  • Four players scored in double figures for UVM, led by Emma Utterback with 21 points, six assists and three steals. Olson chipped in 17 points and eight boards.
  • UVM shot 54.2 percent for the game and dished off 17 assists while only turning the ball over six times.
  • UMBC shot 47.2 percent, led by Keelah Dixon with 21 points and five rebounds. Kiara Bell was also in double figures with 12 points and four rebounds.
 
No. 2 UAlbany 72, No. 3 Maine 64
  • Neither team was able to grab a lead greater than two in the opening quarter and the opening ten minutes finished at 16 apiece.
  • Maine took a 26-25 lead midway through the second, but UAlbany responded with a run and Fatima Lee drilled a three from the corner in waning seconds of the second for a 36-31 lead at the half.
  • In the third, UAlbany extended its lead to ten, 49-39, with 3:20 left. Maine mounted an 18-8 run over the next seven minutes to tie the contest 57-57 with six minutes remaining. UAlbany responded with lockdown defense and only gave up two points over the last three minutes to earn the eight-point win.
  • Kayla Cooper powered the UAlbany offense with 23 points, five rebounds and four assists. Helene Haegerstrand added 13 points and seven rebounds.
  • Anne Simon led Maine with 23 points and four rebounds, while Adrianna Smith chipped in 19 points, eight rebounds and three assists.
  • UAlbany shot an impressive 61.7 percent from the floor in the contest, including 5-of-8 from beyond the arc.
 
For a full schedule of games, as well as links to tickets, live video and live stats be sure to visit our Championship Central.
 
About America East:  The America East provides its member schools and their athletic programs a platform upon which student-athletes can achieve both collegiate and life success through the promotion and nurturing of athletic excellence, academic achievement and leadership, on and off the field.