America BEasts: Vermont vs. Maine 2/16

If the Catamounts only lose one conference game the rest of the season, this will probably be the one. Maine, who started conference play 8-1, desperately needs a win in order to not lose touch with last night's victorious Boston University Terriers. (more on them later :-)...) The Black Bears are in a situation where their backs are against the wall and they've proven they can beat Vermont, winning 72-58 on the road earlier this season. If they can win this game, coming off 4 straight losses, Maine remains in the hunt for the second seed in the tournament behind BU.

Vermont on the other hand can close the book on the AE regular-season championship with a win over Maine at Alfond Arena. They have 2 chances in their last 2 conference games to beat Maine and BU, the only teams in the AE that have beaten them so far this season, and thus prove that they can beat the league's upper echelon, as it were, before the tournament. As a BU fan, if you believe the Terriers can win out, including a victory over Vermont on the road to end the season, you definitely want to see Maine win, because otherwise BU's best chance is to finish 2nd. If Vermont loses and BU can beat Binghamton and Vermont on the road, they will win the America East and get the #1 seed in the tournament.

Prediction: Vermont over Maine 67-60

Elsewhere in the conference Hartford is taking on Binghamton at home. Hawks have a lot of bad losses and have been very up and down but wins over BU and Maine (twice) make me think...

Hartford over Binghamton 65-55