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BALTIMORE – Niki Taylor matched her career high and posted 10th career double-double with 23 points and 11 rebounds for the Vermont women's basketball team, but the Catamounts dropped a 71-64 decision at UMBC on Saturday at the RAC.
UMBC moves to 9-16 overall and 4-8 in America East, while Vermont falls to 5-20 on the year and 2-11 in the conference.
Taylor McCarley scored a game-high 31 points to lead UMBC to the win. She was 8-for-12 from the field and 14-for-18 from the foul line. McCarley stuffed the stat sheet, adding five rebounds, six assists and five steals. Capree Garner chipped in 10 points and nine rebounds for the Retrievers.
UMBC led 8-2 to start the game, but Vermont scored eight straight points to take a 10-2 lead on the Retrievers with 12:27 remaining in the half. The Catamounts led 15-14 after a pair of free throws from
Kylie Butler with 7:53 left, but a basket by McCarley sparked an 11-3 run and UMBC pulled out to a 25-18 lead with 4:24 remaining.
The Retrievers would maintain the lead the rest of the way and went into the locker room ahead, 31-24.
UMBC, which went 24-for-32 from the foul line in the game, opened up a double digit lead on Vermont early in the second half behind a 10-4 spurt over the first five minutes of the stanza.
The Catamounts cut the lead to five on a basket by Taylor with 11 minutes remaining in the game. UMBC pushed back out to a 12-point lead and led 60-50 with just under two minutes remaining.
Vermont kept battling, climbing back within four on a three-point play by Taylor with 31 seconds left, but the Retrievers held off the Catamounts by making three of four free throws in the final 25 seconds to seal the victory.
Vermont hosts Maine on February 18 at 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online at
UVMathletics.com, in person at the UVM Athletic Ticket Office (M-F: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.) located in Patrick Gymnasium, via the phone at 802-656-4410 or in person one hour before tipoff in the Patrick Gymnasium Lobby.
Kevin Fitzgerald will have the call on WVMT-620 AM (online:
SportsJuice.com) and the game will be streamed online for free in HD via
CatamounTV.com. The game is also part of UVM's Rally Against Cancer initiative. The Catamounts will be wearing special uniforms with pink accents and fans are encouraged to wear pink to the game.