UVM Women's Basketball best player out with ACL injury

The Burlington Free Press reports:

The University of Vermont women’s basketball team was dealt a huge blow when it learned its best player will miss the rest of the season.

Junior forward Lauren Buschmann tore her anterior cruciate ligament, a severe knee injury that athletic medicine services director Allison Shepherd said on Tuesday was confirmed after diagnostic imaging.

The 6-foot-2 Buschmann averaged 15 points and 8.6 rebounds in 18 games this season, UVM’s leader in both categories. She is the only Catamount averaging double-digit scoring and is considered one of the best post players in the America East Conference.

“I was so disappointed and sad for Lauren because she was having such a phenomenal season,” UVM coach Lori McBride said. “She had hit her stride in conference play. Our other players had really figured out how to get her the ball, we had figured out a how to put her in a position to be successful, and the rest of the team was feeding off that.”

Buschmann injured her knee in overtime of Vermont’s loss against New Hampshire on Saturday at Patrick Gym. With less than a day to prepare with her out of the lineup, the Catamounts fell at Maine on Monday night.

“It definitely hurt us when we went to Maine,” McBride said. “The first half we looked a little lost and out of sorts. .. It’s going to take a little time to regroup. We are never going to replace her, but we need everyone to step up and do a couple of things better and for all of us to play harder so we can be successful without her.

“It happens, it’s part of the game and we have to figure out a way to move forward.”

The Catamounts (8-11 overall, 2-4 America East) return to action Thursday when they play at second-place Albany.