Women’s basketball traveled to the University of Albany on March 14 to compete for the America East conference championship against a familiar rival.
The No. 1 Great Danes defeated the No. 2 Catamounts 64-55 in the Jan. 2 game, but later lost 59-50 at Patrick Gym on Feb. 8, tying the teams 1-1 in the regular season.
The winner of the America East championship is guaranteed a coveted spot in the NCAA tournament, making for a high-stakes third meeting between Vermont and Albany.
After a 20-point senior day game and a 22-point conference quarterfinal game, Vermont junior center Nikola Priede muscled her way to the rim to claim the first points of the game.
An open three-pointer gave Albany a slight lead but a quick release triple from redshirt junior guard Catherine Gilwee reset the scoreline at 5-5.
A minute later, senior guard Bella Vito grabbed an offensive rebound above two Albany players, drew a foul and sank the basket, signaling the no-nonsense game to come. Vermont closed the first quarter ahead 14-13.
Junior guard Keira Hanson capitalized on an open lane, driving from the arc and keeping the game up for grabs with a reverse layup.
Albany continued to hold a single-basket edge until Priede collected two points and a chance at free throws with two minutes remaining in the half. The teams went to break tied 28-28.
Priede broke the ice once again in the final minutes of the third quarter, giving Vermont a comparatively large nine-point lead with back-to-back buckets in the paint. The Cats outscored the Great Danes 13-4 in the third.
Gilwee nailed a mid-range jumper and a deep three to bring the Cats’ lead to 46-35 in the first minutes of the final quarter.
Albany stayed tough when it mattered most, cutting the distance to four points with less than five minutes in regulation, but all-around shotmaking by Vermont kept the Great Danes down.
Since the first basket of the matchup, Priede was unstoppable, recording 20 points and nine rebounds against Albany. In the last minute of the fourth, Priede put the championship to bed with an easy layup assisted by Hanson from the back court.
The 62-55 victory sends Vermont to March Madness for a second time in the past three seasons — a successful redemption after losing to the University of Maine in last year’s America East final.
On Selection Sunday this past weekend, the team gathered in championship gear for the reveal of their ranking and opponent for the first round of the tournament, with their reaction broadcast live from the UVM campus.
Vermont drew a No. 15 seed and will take on No. 2 North Carolina State University this Saturday at 2 p.m. in Spokane, Wash.
