ORONO, Maine -- The University of Maine women's basketball team (19-12) will appear in the conference title game for the 23rd time, and first since winning the 2024 title, when it travels to meet Vermont (26-7) in the Air Force Reserve America East Championship on Friday, March 13 at 5 p.m. live on ESPNU.

Maine and Vermont split during the season with the Black Bears earning a 55-46 victory at Vermont. Maine is one of only two teams to defeat Vermont at home this season. This marks the eighth time Maine and Vermont will meet in the title game with each winning four. 

Game 32 | No. 2 Maine (19-12, 12-4 AE) vs. No. 1 Vermont (26-7, 13-3)
Friday, March 13, 2025 | 5:00 P.M. | ESPNU | 92.9 FM
Patrick Gym | Burlington, Vt.

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME HISTORY WITH VERMONT:
Maine 64, Vermont 48 (2024) - Vachon head coach
Vermont 77, Maine 50 (2000)
Maine 81, Vermont 80 (1998) - Vachon student-athlete
Maine 92,  Vermont 70 (1997) - Vachon student-athlete
Maine 88, Vermont 55 (1996)
Vermont 62, Maine 45 (1993)
Vermont 70, Maine 50 (1992)
Maine 79, Vermont 64 (1991)

POSTSEASON NOTES:

• Maine is 59-28 all-time in conference postseason play and 41-21 all-time in America East conference playoff games. The Black Bears are 16-5 all-time as the No. 2 seed and 1-11 when matched up with the No. 1 seed. The Black Bears are 10-12 all-time in the championship round and are looking for their 11th title and first since 2024.
• Maine is appearing in the championship game for a league-high 23rd time.
• Maine has won 10 conference titles and enters play 10-12 all-time in conference title games.
• Maine's last title, and title game appearance, came in 2024 when it defeated Vermont 64-48 to earn its 10th title.
• Maine and Vermont have met 12 times in the postseason. The Black Bears hold an 8-4 mark in postseason play against Vermont, with eight of those meetings coming in the championship game.
• Maine is 4-4 in conference title games against Vermont.
• As a student-athlete, Coach Vachon won a pair of conference championship games against the Catamounts. She defeated Vermont to win the titles in 1997 and 1998.
• Maine won its conference titles in: 1990 (NAC), 1991 (NAC), 1995 (NAC), 1996 (NAC), 1997 (AE), 1998 (AE), 2004 (AE), 2018 (AE), 2019 (AE), 2024 (AE).
• The Black Bears are 59-28 all-time in the conference tournament and 41-21 as a member of the America East.
• Maine is 16-5 as the No. 2 seed all-time in the tournament and 1-11 against the No. 1 seed. 
• Maine's lone win against the top-seed came in 1998 when Coach Vachon and the Black Bears defeated No. 1 Vermont to earn the championship by a final of 81-80.

LAST TIME OUT:
ORONO, Maine -- The University of Maine women's basketball team (19-12) earned a spot in the Air Force Reserve America East Championship game after a 60-56 semifinal victory over No. 3 Binghamton on Monday evening.

The Black Bears will travel to meet No. 1 Vermont in the title game on Friday, March 13 at 5 p.m. Tickets are available by visiting UVMAthletics.com/tickets. 

Adrianna Smith led the way with a game-high 26 points and 12 rebounds to run her double-double streak to 10-straight. The performance was Smith's 19th double-double of the season and the 57th of her career. Sarah Talon extended her double-figure scoring streak to five with 17 points to go along with six rebounds. 

Maine finished the semifinal 20-of-56 (35.7) from the floor and 16-of-20 at the free throw line. The Black Bears, who entered the game ranked ninth in the nation in turnovers per game, posted their 13th single-digit turnover outing of the season with just eight giveaways while forcing 19 Bearcat turnovers.
 
A LOOK AT THE BLACK BEARS:
Maine continues its quest for an 11th conference championship as it rolls into the championship game on a five-game win streak and winners of nine of its last 10. The Black Bears concluded the conference season with the top-ranked conference only scoring offense, averaging 65.5 points per game against league competition. As has been consistent all season, Maine was sharp with ball control as it averaged just 10.3 turnovers, a league best, in conference play and finished the league schedule with a +5.19 turnover margin. In total, Maine has posted 10 performances of single digit turnovers against America East opponents. Overall on the season, Maine ranks second in the conference, just behind Vermont, and eighth in the nation with just 11.5 turnovers per game, including single digit turnovers in each of the first two postseason games. The Black Bears are led by the America East Player of the Year, first team all-conference selection, and one of five finalist for the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year award, Adrianna Smith. Smith leads the conference in scoring (22.8), rebounding (10.5), and assists (4.7) and is the only student-athlete in the country currently averaging 20.0+ points, 10.0+ rebounds, and 4.0+ assists. Smith recently tallied her 1,000th career rebound to become the only student-athlete, male or female, in America East history to record 1,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, and 400 assists. Her 57 double-doubles rank tops in the America East since at least 1994. Against league competition, Smith is averaging 25.4 points per game and 10.6 rebounds and enters the finals riding a 10-game double-double streak. Smith recently recorded her 700th point of the season, marking just the sixth time a Black Bears has reached the mark. She also is one of only four in Division I women's basketball history to record 700+ points, 300+ rebounds, and 140+ assists in a single season. Asta Blauenfeldt, an all-conference third team selection, ranks 16th in the league in scoring (11.2) and has been a consistent three-point threat all season where she ranks fifth in the league at 35.6 percent from downtown and sixth in triples made per game (1.9). Sarah Talon is riding a five-game double-figure scoring streak, averaging 15.2 points per game over the stretch. All-rookie team selection Lala Woods is adding 8.5 points with double-figures in four of her last five. 

A LOOK AT VERMONT:
The regular season champion Catamounts enter the title game riding a four-game win streak with a 13-2 mark at Patrick Gymnasium this season. Vermont ranks first in the conference and fourth in the nation in scoring offense, allowing just 51.9 points per game and rank third in the nation in three-point defense (25.1). Vermont checks in second in the country and tops in the America East with just 10.7 turnovers per game while boasting the league's top scoring offense at 65.9 points per game. All-Conference first team selection Nikola Priede leads the way at 17.5 points per game to go along with 7.7 rebounds. Keira Hanson is adding 13.8 points and the team's top ranked three-point mark at 41.7-percent. Jadyn Weltz rounds out Vermont's double-figure scorers at 11.7 points and a team-best 4.0 assists. 

SERIES WITH VERMONT:
Maine and Vermont square off for 109th time in history and 13th time in the postseason. 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. The Black Bears earned a 55-46 win at Vermont led by Blauenfeldt's 21 points and Smith's double-double of 17 points and 13 rebounds. Maine has won 15 of the last 18. The Black Bears currently hold a 70-38 advantage in the all-time series, having won 22 of the last 27 meetings. Maine is 40-25 on the road against the Catamounts. Smith, who missed both games with Vermont a year ago, is averaging 13.9 points and 7.6 rebounds per game in nine meetings with the Catamounts.

-UMaine-