Nikola Priede scores 22 points in Vermont’s double OT win
Nikola Priede scored her 1,000th point as Vermont advanced to its 4th straight America East championship game
Vermont women’s basketball is back in the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season after defending its America East championship on Friday, March 13.
The Catamounts defeated No. 2 Maine 61-43 in Patrick Gym and seized the America East’s automatic bid to the women’s NCAA tournament.
Vermont will hear its name called on Selection Sunday, but where the Catamounts end up is the major question.
The bracket will be revealed at 8 p.m. Sunday night on ESPN.
What seed is Vermont women’s basketball projected to earn?
Last year, Vermont earned a 15-seed before falling to No. 2 NC State on the road.
This year, Vermont should be higher than a 15-seed after being ranked No. 80 in the NET rankings as of March 13. (Last year the Catamounts entered the NCAA tournament ranked No. 94 in the NET.)
The Catamounts finished the season with a 2-1 record in Quad 3 games and a 23-5 record in Quad 4 games. Most of the bracket projections including USA Today and ESPN, project the Catamounts will earn a No. 14 seed.
The IX Sports and Her Hoops Stats has Vermont projected as a No. 13 seed, the highest out and most recently updated of all the projections
Who will the Catamounts face in the first round?
In the NCAA women’s basketball tournament, the top four seeds in each region host the first two rounds in their home gym. For the first time ever the NCAA released the teams that earned the right to host the first and second rounds in alphabetical order on Saturday, March 14.
Based on the teams selected to host and projecting that most likely Vermont is going to end up as a No. 13 or No. 14 seed, the Catamounts could wind up travelling to West Virginia, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio State, TCU, Oklahoma, or Michigan.
Contact Judith Altneu at JAltneu@usatodayco.com. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter: @Judith_Altneu.
