BURLINGTON, Vt. (Interstat) — The Vermont Catamounts will look to solidify their standing near the top of the America East Conference when they host the surging Massachusetts-Lowell River Hawks on Thursday night. Vermont (18-11, 9-5 America East) enters the 7 p.m. tipoff at Roy L. Patrick Gymnasium having won three of its last four, most recently a 70-64 road victory at NJIT on Saturday. The Catamounts are led by versatile forward Gus Yalden, who is averaging 19.3 points over his last three games, including a 27-point performance against Bryant on Feb. 14. They will face a Massachusetts-Lowell (13-15, 8-6) team that has found its rhythm in February, winning five of its last six contests. The River Hawks’ offense has exploded during that stretch, averaging 86.2 points per game in those five victories. The catalyst has been guard Angel Montas, who is in the midst of a sensational scoring run. Montas is averaging 26.7 points over his last six games, capped by a 30-point effort in a 92-79 win over Binghamton this past Saturday. His backcourt mate, Austin Green, added 20 points and 13 rebounds in that win, giving UML a potent one-two punch. This is a rematch of a Jan. 22 meeting in Lowell, which Vermont won 77-68 behind a balanced scoring attack. The Catamounts have traditionally held serve at home in this series. A Vermont victory would strengthen its position for a high seed in the upcoming conference tournament, while the River Hawks aim to continue their hot streak and sweep the Vermont road trip after winning at Albany earlier this month. The matchup between Montas’s explosive scoring and Yalden’s all-around game will be the key focal point.