YOU CAN PLAY DAY: Today, UMass Lowell and the University of Vermont will recognize the You Can Play project, which is dedicated to ensuring equality, respect and safety for all athletes, without regard to sexual orientation or gender identity. The America East Conference was the first NCAA conference to partner with the You Can Play project, and support its mission to guarantee that athletes are given a fair opportunity to compete and contribute to their teamís success. For more information you can visit www.YouCanPlayProject.org.

LAST TIME OUT: The River Hawks have come up just short in their last two losses, falling to Stony Brook on Thursday night, 64-60. Senior Jasmine McRoy was one of four River Hawks to reach double-figures as she poured in a team-high 14 points while freshman Kayla Gibbs scored 13, all in the first half. The teams went back-and-forth exchanging the lead 12 times and drew even 13 times with Stony Brook taking the largest lead of the game at five. The River Hawks cut the Seawolves lead to a single-point five times in the final five minutes, but couldnít find the game-tying or go-ahead buckets. Senior Shannon Samuels did her best to keep UML in it, scoring five of her 12 points in the final two minutes, dialing up a three before calmly sinking a pair of free throws with less than a minute.

SCOUTING THE CATAMOUNTS: The Catamounts sit at 3-15 and are winless in the America East at 0-6, with a 1-8 record away from their home court. Sydney Smith and Kylie Butler pace the offense with 13.4 and 10.4 points per game, respectively. Jordan Eisler helps orchestrate the UVM offense with 3.4 assists per game. Niki Taylor controls the glass with 156 rebounds, an average of 8.7 rebounds per game. Vermont is shooting at 35.1 percent (376-1072) from the field, and at a 27.1 percent clip (101-373) from three-point range.

ALL-TIME SERIES: The River Hawks two highest scoring performances last season came against the Catamounts, but the teams split their first-ever meetings with each winning at home. UVM shot 52.5 percent from the floor and hung 95 points on UML in their inaugural meeting in Burlington. The River Hawks shot 32-of-85 (37.6%) from the floor but struggled from deep, going 5-for-32 (15.6%) despite making 28-of-53 (52.8%) of their two-point field goals. 

UMass Lowell had four players score in double-figures in the second matchup, including Jasmine McRoy and Shannon Samuels who poured in 27 and 21 points, respectively. Lindsey Doucette notched a 14-point and 13-rebound double-double while Brittany Lomanno added 10 points. The River Hawks dominated from the charity stripe where they shot 25-of-31 (80.6%) overall and made 20-of-23 (87.0%) in the second half, compared to the Catamounts who went 8-of-13 (61.5%) in the game.

SECOND NEST: The River Hawks are an even 3-3 at the Tsongas Center after beating UMBC earlier this month, 75-62. The win was their first in the 6,111 seat arena since Dec. 11, 2010, when the River Hawks edged Merrimack 66-60. The team is scoring an average 67.8 points in the six games played there since the first during the 1999-00 season. Last year the team hosted two games at the Tsongas Center, falling to UNH, 75-68, and Stony Brook, 79-68.

GIBBS MAKES PRESENCE FELT: Freshman Kayla Gibbs matched her season-high of 13 points against the Seawolves on Thursday. The forward recorded all of her points in the first half, going a perfect four-for-four from the field and making all five free throws. It marked the fifth time this season that Gibbs reached double-figures, and was her first since a 66-54 loss at Providence, which had been her fourth consecutive in as many appearances. Gibbs set her season-high in her River Hawk debut, a 93-41 rout of Mt. Ida, and matched it in the loss at Providence two games later.

COMFORT OF YOUR OWN HOME: The River Hawks are in the middle of a three-game homestand where they hold a 6-5 record. Todayís game is the second consecutive double-header with the menís basketball team. The River Hawks will have a week off before hosting Binghamton on Super Bowl Sunday at 2 p.m. The team will then play five of the final nine games on the road.

COMMON FOES: The River Hawks and Catamounts have faced Bryant, Central Connecticut State and St. Francis Brooklyn on their non-conference slate with UMass Lowell owning a 2-1 mark against such foes while Vermont is 1-2.