Vermont will host UMBC in the America East Conference Finals on Saturday morning at Patrick Gym. The winner of the game will guarantee themselves a spot in the 2022 NCAA Tournament.

“We can’t get too far ahead of ourselves,” says UVM Head Coach John Becker. “We just got to be ready and prepare like we’ve had all year. We got to take care of business and win a college basketball game which is never easy.”

This will be the third time the Catamounts and Retrievers have faced off in the finals over the last five years.

In 2018. Vermont lost to UMBC in a heartbreaker. UMBC went on to upset Virginia in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. They made history as the only number 16 seed to defeat a number one. The Cats won the finals rematch in 2019. They advanced to the big dance but ultimately lost in the first round to Florida State. UVM won both games against the Retrievers in this years season series.

“We’ve played them in some big games recently and they have a new coaching staff now so it’s a little different as far as a rivalry but we have a lot of respect for their program,” Becker says.

Tipoff is set for 11am. We will provide a full recap of the game.