FINAL SCORE: Dartmouth 66, Vermont 56
HANOVER, N.H. – Junior transfer Cassidy Derda paced the Catamounts with 15 points in her first game with the team, but that was not enough to hold off Dartmouth, as the Big Green won the season opener 66-56 on Friday night at Leede Arena.
 
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Derda scored 15 points by going 5-10 from both the field and three-point range. Sophomore forward Hanna Crymble added 13 points and six rebounds while Junior forward Candice Wright scored 11 off the bench (5-6 FG). Freshmen Josie Larkins and Kianna Funderburk scored eight and six points respectively in their first games with Vermont.
 
Dartmouth was led by Junior point guard Cy Lippold, who shattered her career-high of five points with 20 on Friday night. Lippold also collected five rebounds and two assists while stealing the basketball five times. Senior guard Kate Letkewicz (2016-17 Ivy League Honorable Mention) contributed 18 points and nine rebounds of her own. Isalys Quiñones recorded a double-double for the Big Green with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
 
It was all Dartmouth in the first quarter as it pulled out to a 21-8 lead by the end of the period. The Big Green then carried a 39-23 lead into halftime.
 
Vermont outplayed Dartmouth in the second half, particularly in the paint, where the Catamounts scored 22 of their 56 points. However, that was not enough to overcome a Big Green squad that shot 44% from the floor, 36% from downtown and scored 26 points off of turnovers (compared to 11 for the Catamounts). Candice Wright scored all 11 of her points in the second half.  
 
Vermont continues the season-opening road trip at Miami on Sunday (Nov. 12) for a 2 p.m. tilt with the Hurricanes at the Watsco Center. The game will be streamed live on a pay-per-view basis on the ACC Digital Network. The contest can also be heard on WVMT-AM 620 with Logan Ratick with pregame coverage beginning at 1:40 p.m.