FINAL SCORE: Vermont 58, St. Michael's 56
BURLINGTON, Vt. - Sydney Smith and Kylie Atwood registered double figures to lead the Vermont women's basketball team to a 58-56 victory over St. Michael's despite a fourth quarter Purple Knight rally Saturday afternoon in Patrick Gym.

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Freshman Hayley Robertson collected a team-high seven rebounds and four steals and added nine points. Smith led the team's offense as she registered 15 points and went 5-for-6 from the line in 26 minutes on the floor. Atwood added 13 points also shooting 60 percent from the field, including a 3-for-4 effort from 3-point range.

Senior Makenzie Burud paced Saint Michael's with a game-high 18 points to go along with 12 rebounds for a double-double. Leah Spencer (12) and Samantha Delany (14) also reached double figures for the Purple Knights.

Vermont held St. Michael's to 30.4 percent from the field and 4-for-17 shooting from 3-point range.

The Catamounts paced the first quarter of action as Robertson, Smith and Gracia Hutson led Vermont to a 13-4 run over the Purple Knights. UVM led by as many as 20 points midway through the second quarter that lasted the remainder of half and went into the break with a 35-17 advantage.

A layup by freshman Candice Wright at 9:27 sparked an offensive-fire as UVM collected 19 second-quarter points. The Catamounts forced eight Purple Knight turnovers and held St. Mike's to 7-32 from the field. Vermont closed the first half by a score of 35-17.

St. Michael's rallied in the fourth quarter, putting together a 25-4 run to cut UVM's advantage to 55-52 with 1:40 remaining in the half. Megan Gaudreau gave the Purple Knights their first lead of the game, 56-55, as she drained a three with a 1:18 left in the game.

In the final minute, SMC missed two jumpers and three made free throws between Atwood and Smith clinched the victory for Vermont.

"The real value of these exhibition games is playing an opponent who is going to give you a great effort for 40 minutes and St. Michael's certainty did that," said Vermont head coach Lori Gear McBride.

Vermont opens up regular season play Friday (Nov. 13) when it hosts Central Connecticut at 11:30 a.m. at Patrick Gymnasium before a three-game road stretch traveling to Columbia (Nov. 17), Bryant (Nov. 21) and Brown (Nov. 23).

Tickets can be purchased online atUVMathletics.com, in person at the UVM Athletic Ticket Office in Patrick Gymnasium (M-F: 9 a.m.-5 p.m), via the phone at 802-656-4410, or in person one hour before tipoff in the Patrick Gymnasium Lobby. The Central Connecticut game can be heard onWVMT-620 AM (online:SportsJuice.com) and can also be seen online for free in HD via AmericaEast.tv.