FINAL SCORE: Vermont 53, Sacred Heart 51
BURLINGTON, Vt. – The University of Vermont women's basketball team snapped a six-game losing streak as it picked up a 53-51 win over Sacred Heart on Sunday afternoon at Patrick Gymnasium. Vermont improves to 2-6 while the Pioneers fall to 1-6.
 
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"We shared the ball and it was such a great team effort today," head coach Lori Gear McBride said. "We were patient and looked for good shots. We were getting those defensive stops we've been talking about and I was very pleased with our defensive energy today."
 
Hayley Robertson scored a game-best and tied her career-high with 15 points. Kylie Atwood grabbed a season-high six rebounds and dished out four assists. Sydney Smith blocked a career-best six shots and collected eight rebounds.
 
Vermont held Sacred Heart's leading scorer Hannah Kimmel to just seven points on 3-of-12 shooting. Alissa Tarsi grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds for the Pioneers. Sacred Heart shot 31-percent (20-for-64) and were 4-for-18 from three-point range.
 
Katie Lavelle scored the opening bucket, followed by a 9-3 Sacred Heart run in the early minutes of the first quarter. Robertson scored eight straight to bring the Catamounts to within two at the 1:54 mark. Kylie Butler sunk a smooth jumper from behind the arc but the Pioneers held a 15-14 lead after one quarter.
 
Back-to-back 3-pointers from Robertson and Lauren Handy started the second quarter and created a five-point cushion for UVM. A 7-2 run by the Pioneers tied the game at 22 with 4:03 to go in the second. Wright finished a give-and-go with Robertson in the final seconds to tie the game at 28 heading into the locker room.
 
Vermont held Sacred Heart to just 1-for-15 from the field  over the first nine minutes of the third quarter as Vermont pulled ahead 37-31 with 1:18 left to play in the third.
 
Smith laid one up from under the basket and added her second triple of the game giving Vermont a 10-point advantage. UVM took its largest lead of the game, a 15-point cushion, with 2:17 left in the game when Robertson put home a fast-break layup. The Catamounts held off a late Pioneer rally to escape by the final of 53-51.
 
Vermont returns to action on Wednesday (Dec. 9) when it begins a four-game road swing starting at Dartmouth. Tip-off in Hanover, N.H. is set for 12 p.m. Radio coverage begins 20 minutes prior to tip-off at 11:40 a.m. on WVMT 620-AM and SportsJuice.com. The game can also be viewed via pay-per-view on the IvyLeagueNetwork.