Preview: Vermont at Maryland-Baltimore County CATONSVILLE, Md. (Interstat) — A pivotal America East Conference men’s basketball clash is set for Thursday when the Vermont Catamounts visit the Maryland-Baltimore County Retrievers. Both teams enter the 7 p.m. EST tipoff at Retriever Activities Center riding winning streaks and jockeying for position in the league standings. Vermont (17-10, 9-3) has won three straight, including a dominant 90-63 victory over Bryant on Saturday. UMBC (16-8, 8-3) has won four consecutive games since a loss at Vermont in late January. The matchup is a rematch of a Jan. 29 game in Burlington, which the Catamounts won 64-55. Vermont’s defense held UMBC to 32.8% shooting from the field in that contest. A key player to watch is Vermont’s Gus Yalden. The forward is averaging 18.4 points over his last five games, including a 27-point, 6-rebound performance against Bryant. He had 8 points and 5 assists in the first meeting with UMBC. For the Retrievers, guard DJ Armstrong has been a consistent scorer, averaging 13.6 points during their four-game win streak. He was held to 8 points in the loss at Vermont but is coming off a 17-point outing in a win at New Hampshire. Vermont’s recent success has been fueled by efficient offense, scoring 80 or more points in three of its last five games. UMBC has relied on balanced scoring and stout defense, holding opponents to an average of 62.5 points during its current streak. The game features two of the conference’s top teams. Vermont sits in second place, while UMBC is close behind in third. A win for the Retrievers would even the season series and tighten the standings, while a Vermont victory would solidify its hold on second and complete a regular-season sweep. Following this game, Vermont visits NJIT on Saturday. UMBC hosts Albany on Saturday.