FINAL SCORE: No. 2 Kansas 84, Vermont 68
LAWRENCE, Kan. – The UVM men's basketball team held a lead for the majority of the first half but the second-ranked Kansas Jayhawks pulled away in the second half for a 84-68 win on Monday night at historic Allen Fieldhouse. The contest was the NIT Season Tip-Off opener for both teams. Vermont drops to 1-1 while Kansas improves to 2-0.
 
RELATED LINKS
Box Score: Web | PDF
Photo Gallery
CatamounTV Coverage: Highlights | Postgame Reaction
 
COACH'S QUOTE
"I want to thank Bill Self and Kansas for giving us an opportunity to play a team like Kansas in a venue like this," said Meghan and Robert Cioffi Head Coach John Becker. "It's a special place and hopefully we will take a lot from this loss that will help us down the road."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Jayhawks hit a pair of three-pointers to begin the game but the Catamounts countered with a 16-2 run and drained four long balls in the process for a 16-8 lead at the 16-minute media timeout.
• UVM held off Kansas for the majority of the half but KU reclaimed a 31-30 lead at the 4:14 mark with a dunk from Udoka Azubuike. The two traded baskets over the next two minutes but Kansas closed out the half on a 7-0 run for a 40-36 lead at the recess.
• The two teams struggled to begin the second half but the Jayhawks slowly built a double-digit lead with a 10-5 run in the opening six minutes. KU continued to pad its lead to as large as 68-50 with 7:26 left to play. The Cats chipped away at the deficit and cut the margin to 69-60 with at the 5:51 mark but the Jayhawks sparked a 15-8 run to finish the game. 

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Anthony Lamb poured in a team-high 24 points on 8-of-15 shooting. He also grabbed four rebounds and doled out three assists.
• Ernie Duncan had a big night with 15 points and hit three attempts from downtown.  
• Stef Smith reached double figures for the Cats with 13 points. The sophomore hit three triples and finished 4-of-7 from the floor.

WHO'S NEXT
Vermont will return to the green mountain state to host NVU Lyndon on Wednesday (Nov. 14). The opening tip is set for 7 p.m. Fans can purchase tickets at UVMathletics.com/Tickets or at the Patrick Gym Box Office on gameday.
 
The game will be streamed live on ESPN+. Fans can access ESPN+ with a seven-day free trial, followed by a subscription fee of $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year, with the ability to cancel at any time. Fans can also listen to the game on 101.3 The Game and 1013TheGame.com with Jake Marsh on the call.
 
National Life Group is the presenting sponsor of the 2018-19 Vermont men's basketball season.