Women's Basketball

2025 Jersey Mikes Women’s #AEPlayoffs Championship Preview

2025 Jersey Mikes Women’s #AEPlayoffs Championship Preview
BOSTON – Two of the most storied programs in league history match up on Friday evening at 5 p.m. in the Jersey Mike’s America East Women’s Basketball Championship, as UAlbany hosts Vermont.

Friday's game will be broadcast on ESPNU and ESPN+. Links to video and live stats, as well as highlights from the previous round, can be found on Playoff Central.
 
Road to Broadview
UAlbany clinched its third trip in the last four year to the championship with a 49-41 comeback victory over Maine. The Great Danes trailed 23-20 at the half but allowed just 18 second-half points to secure the victory. Player of the Year Kayla Cooper was all over the court with 6 points, eight rebounds, four assists and three steals while Kaci Donovan added 12 points, five boards and two blocks.
 
Playoff Proven
Vermont reached its third consecutive championship game with a 62-45 victory over Bryant. The Catamounts jumped out to a 13-4 lead in the first and led 50-30 after three quarters. They extended their lead as high as 60-32 in the fourth, winning 62-45. Catherine Gilwee concluded the night with a season-high 16 points and four assists as one of four players in double figures. Nikola Priede added ten points and eight rebounds
 
So We Meet Again
Friday marks the fourth straight playoffs that Vermont and UAlbany have face each other, with the Catamounts going 2-1. UAlbany took down UVM 67-54 in the 2021-22 semifinals on the road to a championship. Vermont responded with a 38-36 win in the 2022-23 championship game in Burlington and then upended the Great Danes 50-46 at home in the semifinals last year.
 
The Catamount Edge
Vermont is 6-2 against UAlbany since the start of the 2022-23 season. The Catamounts won five straight at one point, including all three matchups last year. Over those eight contests, the Great Danes are 0-6 when they fail to reach 60 points and 2-0 when they do.
 
UAlbany At a Glance
The Great Danes boast the top scoring offense in the league at 64.1 points per game and rank second in scoring defense (52.9), but eighth nationally. They’re also second in the league in both field goal percentage (45.7) and field goal percentage defense (39.1). Teams are shooting a league-low 26.5 percent from three against them and they are tops in the America East with a 2.97 turnover margin.
 
UAlbany’s Last Month
The Great Danes are 7-0 over the last month, outscoring their opponents 62.6-47.1 over that span. Kayla Cooper has been impressive, averaging 15.1 points, 5.4 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. Jessica Tomasetti has settled in, averaging 12.1 points. 6.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. Kaci Donovan is averaging 11.0 points on 55.7 percent shooting with 4.6 rebounds per game. 
 
Vermont at a Glance
The Catamounts this season rank third in the league in scoring (61.1) and first in scoring defense (52.1) which is good for 5th nationally. They lead the league in both field goal percentage (46.4) and field goal percentage defense (38.4). UVM is also shooting a league-best 33.7 percent from beyond the arc while ranking fourth in three-point defense (30.0)
 
Vermont’s Last Month
The Catamounts are 7-1 over the past month, outscoring teams 64.5-45.3 and they’ve held a 20+point lead in each of their past five contests. Nikola Priede has been the team’s leading scorer in the last month, averaging 13.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. Keira Hanson, meanwhile, is 14-for-21 from three and averaging 11.6 points per game. Anna Olson, meanwhile, is averaging 9.8 points on 59.4 percent shooting.
 
Championship History
Vermont and UAlbany faced off in the 2022-23 Championship in Burlington. The two teams were tied 4-4 at the end of the first and Vermont led 30-17 after three quarters, before UAlbany stormed back and had a last-second three just miss to lose 38-36. UAlbany only has two players from this year’s team who played in that contest, Kayla Cooper (12 pts, 28 min) and Lilly Phillips (10 min, 0 pts). Vermont, meanwhile, has three starters from that game in Anna Olson (9 pts, 26 min), Bella Vito (2 pts, 33 min) and Catherine Gilwee (1 pt, 38 min). The 38-36 final is the lowest score in America East women’s basketball championship game history.
 
Title Town
Vermont and UAlbany each have won seven America East Championships, tied for second all-time behind Maine which has 10. All seven of UAlbany’s titles have occurred in the last 15 years, while Vermont has one over that span. Vermont’s 42 wins are second in league history, while UAlbany’s .695 win percentage (32-24) is first all-time.
 
 
ABOUT AMERICA EAST 
Founded in 1979, the America East Conference is an elite NCAA Division I athletic conference that fosters an environment for student-athletes to become champions. Comprised of academically renowned, like-minded member institutions located in the Northeast region of the United States, America East is committed to broad-based excellence and progressive in its approach to supporting its more than 3,500 student-athletes across 18 sponsored sports. For more information, visit www.AmericaEast.com and follow the America East Conference its social media channels, @AmericaEast.  
  
- America East Conference – Where Champions Rise -