January 3 at Vermont (7 p.m.)
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Twitter: @RiverHawkWBB @RiverHawkNation

LOWELL, Mass. -- The UMass Lowell women's basketball team heads back to the road as the River Hawks begin conference play with a contest at Vermont on January 3.

A Win Would...
-Pass the River Hawks' win total from 2016-17
-Snap UMass Lowell's four-game skid
-Be the River Hawks' first AE-opening win since joining the conference
-Be UMass Lowell's first conference win since 2015-16

A Look Back
UMass Lowell went on a 16-5 run to end the first half, trimming a 17-point deficit to six points at 38-32. Cornell responded with a 20-3 run of its own to begin the second half and take control of the contest. Brianna Rudolph (Lynn, Mass.) led the way with 10 points, and Linda Svenne (Riga, Latvia) grabbed nine rebounds.

Leading the Flock
The River Hawks are paced by Kayla Gibbs (Teaneck, N.J.) (13.2 ppg) and Paula Lopez (Leon, Spain) (11.7 ppg), while Gibbs is also averaging 9.6 rebounds. Lopez has recorded 30 assists and 20 steals, and Jennifer Louro (Belmar, N.J.) leads the team with her 23 three-point field goals. As a unit, UMass Lowell is shooting 42.2 percent from the field, and 34.9 percent from beyond the arc.

Conference Numbers
Despite sitting in seventh place, the River Hawks are one of the league's best offensive teams. UMass Lowell leads the America East in FG percentage (42.2), 3-FG percentage (34.9) and ranks third with 66.8 points per game.

Scouting Vermont
The Catamounts (3-10, 0-0) enter the matchup as losers of eight of their last nine contests, including an 80-70 setback against FIU on December 30. Hanna Crymble leads the team with 19.5 points per game and 5.8 rebounds per game, while Sydney Smith adds support with 11.4 ppg and 5.6 rpg. Candice Wright has recorded 27 blocks, while Katie Lavelle has dished out 49 assists. Vermont is shooting 37.0 percent from the field and 27.1 percent from three-point range.

Series History
The all-time series is knotted up a 4-4 as Vermont is riding a two-game winning streak into 2017-18, following the Catamounts 60-36 win in the last meeting.

Going National
Entering the week, Kayla Gibbs ranks 10th in offensive rebounds per game (4.6), tied for 20th with seven double-doubles.

The Three Is Back
Last season, UMass Lowell recorded its worst three-point shooting season since 2013-14, only connecting at a 29.2 percent clip. So far in 2017-18, the River Hawks are shooting 34.9 percent to pace the America East.

Notables
Lopez has been named the America East Rookie of the Week in back-to-back weeks (11.13, 11.20).