ORONO, Maine -- The University of Maine women's basketball team travels to Vermont to take on the top-seeded Catamounts in a 11 a.m. tipoff at Patrick Gymnasium on Thursday morning live on NESN.

Game 23 | Maine (11-11, 6-3 AE) at Vermont (19-5, 8-1 AE)
Thursday, Feb. 5, 2025 | 11:00 A.M. | ESPN+/NESN | 92.9 FM
Patrick Gymnasium | Burlington, Vt.

LAST TIME OUT:
ORONO, Maine - The University of Maine women's basketball team took home a convincing win over the UMass Lowell River Hawks in a Saturday matinee battle at Memorial Gym. Maine held UMass Lowell to single digit points in the first and fourth quarters to take home a 92-42 win.

Asta Blauenfeldt set a new career high in the contest finishing with 26 points on 10-17 shooting from the field and 6-11 performance from behind the three point arc. Adrianna Smith finished with another dominant performance with 21 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists for her 10th double-double of the season. Lala Woods also finished the game in double digits, adding 10 points.

Maine shot a season-best 54.7% from the field and also knocked down a season high 13 three-pointers, shooting 50% from behind the arc. The Black Bears' defense caused the River Hawks to turn the ball over 17 times, with the Black Bears ending the contest with 10 steals. The Black Bears finished with 25 points off turnovers, while UMass Lowell only had two.

A LOOK AT THE BLACK BEARS:
The Black Bears roll into Thursday's contest fresh off arguably their best performance of the season in which they posted a season-high 92 points, their highest scoring output against a Division I opponent since 2019, and their highest field goal percentage (54.7) and most three-pointers made (13) of the season. The 50 point win over UMass Lowell marked the largest margin of victory of an America East team over another America East opponent since 2016. Maine continues to be led by Adrianna Smith who was recently named one of 10 selected to the mid-season list for the Cheryl Miller Small Forward of the Year award list. Smith, who has 10 double-doubles this season, currently leads the America East in scoring (21.5), rebounding (9.5) and assists (4.8) and is riding a 17-game double-digit scoring streak. Smith, who ranks 13th in the country in scoring average, is averaging 26.1 points per game in conference only action and has recorded 25 or more points nine times including in three of her last four outings. Asta Blauenfeldt, coming off a career-high 26 point performance with a career-best six triples, ranks 14th in the league in scoring (12.0) and seven in triples made per game at 2.0. Sarah Talon, who has posted double-digit scoring efforts in six of her last eight outings, ranks 15th in the conference in rebounding (4.8). In conference action, Maine leads the league in scoring at 70.0 points per game in league games with a league-leading 47.5 percent clip from the floor. Maine, who has a +6.11 turnover margin in league games, has won the turnover battle in eight of its nine conference contests.

A LOOK AT VERMONT:
The Catamounts enter play undefeated (9-0) on their home court this season and sit atop the America East standings at 8-1. Vermont checks in sixth in the country on defense, allowing just 54.2 points per game, and leads the America East in scoring at 68.9 points. The Catamounts boast a league-low 10.4 giveaways per game, 10th best in the nation, and feature a +4.29 turnover margin. Nikola Priede leads Vermont, ranking third in the conference at 17.5 points per game and fourth in rebounding (8.0). Keira Hanson, who tallied a game-high 20 points in the last meeting between the two teams, is adding 14.2 points with a league-leading 42.9 percent clip from three-point range.

SERIES WITH VERMONT: 
Maine and Vermont square off for 108th time in history. Vermont defeated the Black Bears in Orono earlier this season, 64-53, with Sarah Talon and Adrianna Smith each registering 15 points in the game to lead Maine. Maine has won 14 of the last 17 meetings and will be looking for its first win at Vermont since Feb. 17, 2024. The Black Bears currently hold a 69-38 advantage in the all-time series, having won 21 of the last 26 meetings. Maine is 39-25 on the road against the Catamounts. Smith, who missed both games with Vermont a year ago, is averaging 13.5 points and 6.9 rebounds per game in eight meetings with the Catamounts.

-UMaine-