FINAL SCORE: Vermont 80, UAlbany 51
ALBANY, N.Y. – The UVM men's basketball team opened the America East slate with a convincing 80-51 win at rival UAlbany on Saturday night. The Catamounts have won eight of their last nine games and improved to 11-4 while the Great Danes slipped to 5-11.
 
RELATED LINKS
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Box Score: Web | PDF
 
COACH'S QUOTE
"Tonight, was a really good way to start off league play and I'm happy with the win," Cioffi Men's Basketball Head Coach John Becker said. "We won the rebounding battle which is always a big deal when we play UAlbany. It was a really good performance by everybody."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• UAlbany scored the first bucket of the game but Vermont responded with a 20-0 run in a nine-minute span.
• The conference rivals traded scores for the remainder of the half and the Cats went into the break with a 36-19 lead.
• UVM charged out of the locker room and produced a 27-14 surge for a 63-33 advantage with 9:12 left to play.
• For the duration of the contest, the Green and Gold did not let the Purple and Gold get any closer than a 26-point margin.
• After shooting an impressive 46.6% (14-for-30) in the first half, Vermont took it to another level in the second half and shot 62.9% (17-for-27) in the final frame. The team's 54.4% field goal percentage set a season-high against a Division I opponent. 

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• The Catamounts had four players score double figures, guided by a game-high 16 points from Anthony Lamb. The junior shot 4-of-6 from the field and was a perfect 6-for-6 from the charity stripe. He collected four boards and recorded one block.
• Stef Smith and Ernie Duncan added 13 points apiece. The pair combined for 10 triples, seven rebounds, and seven assists. Smith also logged two steals and swatted a shot away. Duncan made all three attempts from long range and dished out a team-best four assists.
• Everett Duncan dropped 11 points off the bench. He shot 5-of-7 for the night and pulled down four rebounds.
• Vermont has beat UAlbany six straight times and improved to 30-14 in the all-time series.
• The Burlington bunch have won seven straight America East openers under Becker.
• The Green and Gold extended their January winning streak to 21 games.
• The UVM coaching staff wore sweatsuits during the game as a part of the Coaches Cure Cystic Fibrosis initiative. For more information, visit CoachesCureCF.org.
• With the victory, the Cats Win, Community Wins campaign and Vermont Mutual Insurance Group will donate $100 to a local Vermont nonprofit organization, bringing this year's total to 4 wins and $400. 

WHO'S NEXT
Vermont will continue its start to the conference season at Maine on Wednesday (Jan. 9). The opening tip is set for 7 p.m. at the Cross Insurance Center. Fans can purchase tickets at TicketMaster.com. All of the action can be seen on ESPN3 and the WatchESPN app by logging in with your television provider. 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