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On Dec. 19, 2024, the Vermont women's basketball team was in western New York playing Buffalo in a non-league contest. The Bulls entered the day a perfect 9-0, while UVM came in struggling at 5-7.
The early going that day, however, was all Catamounts. The visitors built a 42-25 halftime lead and were up by 16 points after the third quarter. But Vermont collapsed in the fourth quarter, getting outscored 27-9. Buffalo shot 57% from the field and hit 10-of-11 free throws in the final frame, taking advantage of Vermont's nine fourth-quarter turnovers. Those turnovers led to 14 Bulls points on their way to a 70-68 triumph to remain undefeated.
That contest was the second defeat in a four-game losing streak from Dec. 15 through Jan 2 where the Catamounts' record dropped to 5-10 and an 0-1 start in America East play.
Little did many know that the Catamounts were about to set a turnaround in motion. After that low point, UVM went on a 16-2 tear through the rest of the America East Conference regular season and postseason play, compiling a 21-12 record. That late season 180 helped the Catamounts earn the program's second NCAA Tournament berth in three seasons.
Vermont, a 15th seed, will face off against second-seeded NC State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday, March 22 at 2 p.m.
Back in October during Vermont basketball media day head coach Alisa Kresge raved about the team's non-conference schedule.
"Our non-conference schedule is really, really, really taxing and so I'm hoping that we constantly get better," Kresge said in October.
Vermont played a variety of opponents from different leagues. The Catamounts earned a season-opening win over Missouri at home and lost games to Minnesota and NCAA Tournament-bound Princeton, who was one of the last four teams into the tournament (the Tigers lost their First Four game to Iowa State Wednesday night in South Bend, 68-63.)
Of those nine non-conference losses, several of those games Vermont lost by fewer than 10 points (Providence, North Dakota State, Bucknell, Quinnipiac, and Buffalo). Yet the Catamounts have learned from those experiences.
Vermont has experience against Power 4 programs, earning a win at Purdue last year in the WNIT along with the Missouri win from this year. That experience will come in handy against NC State this weekend as the Wolfpack start four big and athletic guards in sophomore Zoe Brooks and seniors Aziaha James, Saniya Rivers and Madison Hayes.
"I'm so grateful for the non-conference schedule we had because we've seen teams like this before," graduate student forward Anna Olson said. "We're not going to come in there shocked like we haven't seen the size and speed before."
The Catamounts turned their season around with a new mindset and the team finally jelling together.
"We got tired of losing," senior guard Bella Vito said. "We got tired of getting so close and not being able to win those close games. And as a team we came together and we had some tough conversations."
For the past five seasons, Vermont largely relied on Emma Utterback to score when the team need a basket the most. Now that Utterback graduated, someone else needed to step up.
"What I realized is maybe that's our greatest strength is that we have the ultimate team and anybody can go make a play," Kresge said.
During conference play Vermont thrived when three to four players scored 10-plus points, doing so in 13 games. In that stretch Bella Vito, Olson, Nikola Priede, Sarah Ericson and Catherine Gilwee have had games where they were the Catamounts' leading scorer.
"We've been playing together for so long that we know how to flow together, we jell a lot better and we know when to stay locked in," Olson said.
On Jan. 4, the junior center Priede made her return to the starting lineup for the first time since Dec. 19 and found her groove, as the team followed suit. Division II transfer Sarah Ericson also earned her first start of the season that day in a 72-52 home win over New Hampshire.
Both Priede and Ericson helped stabilize the Catamounts. Priede has scored 10 or more points in 15 games of Vermont's last 18 games and been the Catamounts top scorer in five games.
The team took to heart the conversations Vito mentioned, as Vermont's offense helped it pull away early in many games down the stretch. The Catamounts won 11 America East games by 20 or more points.
"It's hard to have confidence when your shots aren't going in and stuff like that," Vito said. "Having confidence can change the whole game."
Contact Judith Altneu at [email protected]. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter: @Judith_Altneu.
This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Vermont women's basketball in NCAA Tournament after 5-10 start
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The early going that day, however, was all Catamounts. The visitors built a 42-25 halftime lead and were up by 16 points after the third quarter. But Vermont collapsed in the fourth quarter, getting outscored 27-9. Buffalo shot 57% from the field and hit 10-of-11 free throws in the final frame, taking advantage of Vermont's nine fourth-quarter turnovers. Those turnovers led to 14 Bulls points on their way to a 70-68 triumph to remain undefeated.
That contest was the second defeat in a four-game losing streak from Dec. 15 through Jan 2 where the Catamounts' record dropped to 5-10 and an 0-1 start in America East play.
Little did many know that the Catamounts were about to set a turnaround in motion. After that low point, UVM went on a 16-2 tear through the rest of the America East Conference regular season and postseason play, compiling a 21-12 record. That late season 180 helped the Catamounts earn the program's second NCAA Tournament berth in three seasons.
Vermont, a 15th seed, will face off against second-seeded NC State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday, March 22 at 2 p.m.
How did Vermont's non-conference schedule prepare the team for now?
Back in October during Vermont basketball media day head coach Alisa Kresge raved about the team's non-conference schedule.
"Our non-conference schedule is really, really, really taxing and so I'm hoping that we constantly get better," Kresge said in October.
Vermont played a variety of opponents from different leagues. The Catamounts earned a season-opening win over Missouri at home and lost games to Minnesota and NCAA Tournament-bound Princeton, who was one of the last four teams into the tournament (the Tigers lost their First Four game to Iowa State Wednesday night in South Bend, 68-63.)
Of those nine non-conference losses, several of those games Vermont lost by fewer than 10 points (Providence, North Dakota State, Bucknell, Quinnipiac, and Buffalo). Yet the Catamounts have learned from those experiences.
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Vermont has experience against Power 4 programs, earning a win at Purdue last year in the WNIT along with the Missouri win from this year. That experience will come in handy against NC State this weekend as the Wolfpack start four big and athletic guards in sophomore Zoe Brooks and seniors Aziaha James, Saniya Rivers and Madison Hayes.
"I'm so grateful for the non-conference schedule we had because we've seen teams like this before," graduate student forward Anna Olson said. "We're not going to come in there shocked like we haven't seen the size and speed before."
How did the Catamounts turn the season around?
The Catamounts turned their season around with a new mindset and the team finally jelling together.
"We got tired of losing," senior guard Bella Vito said. "We got tired of getting so close and not being able to win those close games. And as a team we came together and we had some tough conversations."
For the past five seasons, Vermont largely relied on Emma Utterback to score when the team need a basket the most. Now that Utterback graduated, someone else needed to step up.
"What I realized is maybe that's our greatest strength is that we have the ultimate team and anybody can go make a play," Kresge said.
During conference play Vermont thrived when three to four players scored 10-plus points, doing so in 13 games. In that stretch Bella Vito, Olson, Nikola Priede, Sarah Ericson and Catherine Gilwee have had games where they were the Catamounts' leading scorer.
You must be registered for see images attach
"We've been playing together for so long that we know how to flow together, we jell a lot better and we know when to stay locked in," Olson said.
On Jan. 4, the junior center Priede made her return to the starting lineup for the first time since Dec. 19 and found her groove, as the team followed suit. Division II transfer Sarah Ericson also earned her first start of the season that day in a 72-52 home win over New Hampshire.
Both Priede and Ericson helped stabilize the Catamounts. Priede has scored 10 or more points in 15 games of Vermont's last 18 games and been the Catamounts top scorer in five games.
The team took to heart the conversations Vito mentioned, as Vermont's offense helped it pull away early in many games down the stretch. The Catamounts won 11 America East games by 20 or more points.
"It's hard to have confidence when your shots aren't going in and stuff like that," Vito said. "Having confidence can change the whole game."
Contact Judith Altneu at [email protected]. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter: @Judith_Altneu.
This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Vermont women's basketball in NCAA Tournament after 5-10 start
Continue reading...
