The University of Vermont women’s basketball team ended non-conference play on a positive note. The Catamounts pulled off a late-game comeback to steal a win away from the Dartmouth College Big Green 61-59 inside Patrick Gymnasium. “Once we started playing composed and with confidence and we started playing Vermont basketball, we knew that the game was going to come to us naturally,” said Vermont senior guard Jadyn Weltz. “Down the stretch, we just got back to our fundamentals and things we’ve been practicing all week.” Vermont found itself trailing for over 21 minutes of play after taking a 14-7 first-quarter lead. The Catamounts found themselves searching for a bucket in the second quarter, only shooting 20 percent from the field, scoring six points, and not registering their first bucket until the final two minutes of play in the first half. The Catamounts were able to stay close, giving time for Weltz to perform some late fourth-quarter magic. She scored 11 of her 16 points in the final 10 minutes of play, including the eventual game-winning steal to shut the door on a Big Green comeback. “Just having the short-term memory for me in this game and in general has been huge for me this season,” Weltz said. “Playing every possession like it’s starting at zero to zero has been something I always think about.”Weltz’s fourth-quarter prowess also helped UVM women’s basketball head coach pick up her 129th career win. That victory now makes Kresge the program’s all-time leader in career victories. Kresge credits the players and coaching staff she’s had in her eighth season at the helm as key pieces to achieving this accolade. “I’ve been really fortunate to work with elite student athletes and the most professional coaches around me,” Kresge said. “I’m just blessed that Vermont took me and kept me, and I’m sitting here doing what I love with great people.”Nikola Priede was also a key factor in Kresge’s 129th win. She dropped a game-high 18 points, shooting 9-13 from the field and scoring 10 of those points in the first half of play. Keira Hanson picked things up in the second half for UVM, scoring 10 of her 12 points in the final 20 minutes of play. Vermont now turns its attention to the start of conference play in 2026. The Catamounts say their non-conference schedule, which they finished with an 11-4 record, is something that has helped them prepare for what lies ahead in the America East. “I think we learned a lot about ourselves,” Kresge said. “As far as record goes, we’re better than I thought we would be at this point, so that feels good. We’ve seen so much that I think we know what we need to do, so it feels like we’re in a solid place.”Vermont will start its first conference game with a rematch of the 2025 America East women’s basketball championship game against the University of Albany on Thursday, Jan. 1. Tip-off for this New Year’s Day contest is at 2 p.m. in Albany, New York.

BURLINGTON, Vt. —

The University of Vermont women’s basketball team ended non-conference play on a positive note.

The Catamounts pulled off a late-game comeback to steal a win away from the Dartmouth College Big Green 61-59 inside Patrick Gymnasium.

“Once we started playing composed and with confidence and we started playing Vermont basketball, we knew that the game was going to come to us naturally,” said Vermont senior guard Jadyn Weltz. “Down the stretch, we just got back to our fundamentals and things we’ve been practicing all week.”

Vermont found itself trailing for over 21 minutes of play after taking a 14-7 first-quarter lead. The Catamounts found themselves searching for a bucket in the second quarter, only shooting 20 percent from the field, scoring six points, and not registering their first bucket until the final two minutes of play in the first half.

The Catamounts were able to stay close, giving time for Weltz to perform some late fourth-quarter magic. She scored 11 of her 16 points in the final 10 minutes of play, including the eventual game-winning steal to shut the door on a Big Green comeback.

“Just having the short-term memory for me in this game and in general has been huge for me this season,” Weltz said. “Playing every possession like it’s starting at zero to zero has been something I always think about.”

Weltz’s fourth-quarter prowess also helped UVM women’s basketball head coach pick up her 129th career win. That victory now makes Kresge the program’s all-time leader in career victories. Kresge credits the players and coaching staff she’s had in her eighth season at the helm as key pieces to achieving this accolade.

“I’ve been really fortunate to work with elite student athletes and the most professional coaches around me,” Kresge said. “I’m just blessed that Vermont took me and kept me, and I’m sitting here doing what I love with great people.”

Nikola Priede was also a key factor in Kresge’s 129th win. She dropped a game-high 18 points, shooting 9-13 from the field and scoring 10 of those points in the first half of play. Keira Hanson picked things up in the second half for UVM, scoring 10 of her 12 points in the final 20 minutes of play.

Vermont now turns its attention to the start of conference play in 2026. The Catamounts say their non-conference schedule, which they finished with an 11-4 record, is something that has helped them prepare for what lies ahead in the America East.

“I think we learned a lot about ourselves,” Kresge said. “As far as record goes, we’re better than I thought we would be at this point, so that feels good. We’ve seen so much that I think we know what we need to do, so it feels like we’re in a solid place.”

Vermont will start its first conference game with a rematch of the 2025 America East women’s basketball championship game against the University of Albany on Thursday, Jan. 1. Tip-off for this New Year’s Day contest is at 2 p.m. in Albany, New York.