Wednesday, May 23, 2012 57° - Binghamton, NY

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AE Special 2010: UMBC vs. Vermont

Hoping to avoid a repeat of last year’s quarterfinal upset, the University of Vermont will face off against No. 7 University of Maryland, Baltimore County this weekend.

The Catamounts finished second in the conference for the second straight year. The Retrievers had a solid conference season last year and excelled in the tournament, advancing to the AE finals. However, after losing their two best players, Jay Greene and Darryl Proctor, the team did not recover well, winning only three conference games this season.

At first glance, the Vermont squad seems to overpower UMBC with their star forward and two-time Player of the Year Marqus Blakely and similarly impressive team captain Maurice Joseph. But the Retrievers have a surprisingly good team, especially in their guards. Chris De La Rosa and the team’s best player, Chauncey Gilliam, make a great pair that, along with being the team’s top scorers, lead their team in steals.

The problem with the UMBC team seems to be its lack of a strong defensive squad. They have a great center, Robbie Jackson, who would be a threat with a 5.1 rebound average, but the Catamount combination of Blakely and junior Evan Fjeld on the defensive side of the court make it hard for anyone to compare. Together these two have 100 blocks during the regular season and boast an average of 17 rebounds per game.

During this season the two teams have played each other twice, with similar outcomes both times. The first match was disappointing for UMBC, losing by almost 20 points, with Joseph and Blakely having great performances. In the second game the teams played also resulted in a Retriever loss, by a similar margin, showcasing the Vermont defense and adding to its win streak. The Catamounts have won eight of their last nine games and don’t show any signs of slowing down.

If the Retrievers really want to win, Gilliam, De La Rosa and Jackson will have to step up their offensive game immensely because Vermont is ranked No. 1 in scoring offense with almost 10 more points per game than UMBC.

Overall, the Catamounts will be looking at last year’s season-closing loss as motivation to win this year, and UMBC will just have to hope for a UVM letdown; otherwise it looks like a sure Vermont victory.

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