FINAL SCORE: No. 1 Vermont 84, No. 7 Binghamton 51
BURLINGTON, Vt. – UVM sophomore Stef Smith set the America East Semifinal record with eight three-pointers as top-seeded Vermont advanced to its fourth-straight conference championship game after knocking off seventh-seeded Binghamton 84-51 on Tuesday night. The Catamounts stand at 26-6, their third-highest single-season win total ever, while the Bearcats finish the season at 10-23. 
 
RELATED LINKS
Box Score: Web | PDF
CatamounTV Highlights
Postgame: Vermont Press Conference | ESPN+ Wrap-up
Photo Gallery
 
COACH'S QUOTE
"It was a great game by all of our guys and offensively it was obviously as good as it's been for a while," Cioffi Men's Basketball Head Coach John Becker said. "I thought defensively we were just as a good as well. The guys took ownership tonight – they knew exactly what they wanted to do and went out and did it."  
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Catamounts wasted very little time building a double-digit lead and hit their first three field goal attempts. By the 16-minute mark, UVM had jumped out to a 13-3 lead.
• The Bearcats chipped away and got the deficit down to 22-17, but Smith single-handedly helped UVM mount a 12-2 run with four straight long balls.
• By the break, Smith had tied the America East Semifinal record with seven three-pointers and the Cats held a comfortable 52-22 lead.
• The second half was much of the same story as Vermont padded its lead to as large as a 40-point margin. Shortly into the final frame, Smith buried his final triple of the night from the left wing to set the new America East Tournament single-game record. 

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Smith finished his historic night with a career-high 28 points. He shot 10-of-14 from the floor and 8-of-11 from behind the arc. He also grabbed five boards, dished out an assist, and logged a steal.
• Anthony Lamb flirted with a double-double and finished with 18 points and a career-high seven assists. He shot 9-of-12 from the field and recorded a pair of steals.
• Ernie Duncan added eight points and seven assists.  
• As a team, the Cats also broke the America East Semifinal record with 14 three-point field goals. 
• UVM will be making its 13th championship appearance in school history.
• Tuesday night's win was Becker's 16th-career America East Tournament win and moved him into a third-place tie with former Boston U coach Dennis Wolff on the league's all-time tournament wins list.
• With the victory, the Cats Win, Community Wins campaign and Vermont Mutual Insurance Group will donate $100 to Make-A-Wish Vermont; bringing this year's total to 44 wins and $4,400.   

WHO'S NEXT
Vermont will host third-seeded UMBC in the 2019 America East Championship Game on Saturday morning (March 16). The opening tip is set for 11 a.m. in a rematch of last year's title game. All of the action will be nationally-televised on ESPN2 and the WatchESPN app by logging in with your television provider. ESPN2 is located on DirecTV channel 209 while Dish Network viewers can tune-in to channel 143. Burlington Telecom will air the game on channel 29 SD and channel 229 HD. For additional cable listings, contact your local cable provider.
 
WATCH LOCATIONS
Fans unable to attend the championship bout are encouraged to visit a 'Watch Here' site to cheer on the Catamounts. Nationwide 'Watch Here' sites through the UVM Alumni Association including the UVM Alumni House can be found by clicking here. These events are free and no RSVP is necessary.
 
2019 AMERICA EAST CHAMPIONSHIP TICKET INFO
SEASON TICKET HOLDERS can purchase their regular season seats through their My Vermont Tickets account by Thursday (March 14) at 9 a.m. Please contact the UVM Ticket Office at Athletic.Tickets@uvm.edu or 802-656-4410 with any questions regarding your online account.
 
VICTORY CLUB MEMBERS at the Captain level ($1500+) and above can request additional tickets for the 2019 America East Championship game by e-mailing the Victory Club office at victory.club@uvm.edu by Thursday (March 14) at 9 a.m.  All requests will be filled based on availability and established Victory Club priority. If you have season tickets, you must follow the instructions you received from the Ticket Office by Thursday, March 14 at 9 a.m. to ensure you have your regular season seats for this game.
 
FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC, if tickets are still available, a public sale will begin on Friday (March 15) at 9 a.m. in-person at the Patrick Gym Box Office or online at UVMathletics.com/Tickets. Phone orders will not be taken until all in-person customers have been assisted.
 
STUDENTS can pick up their tickets in the Patrick Gym Box lobby on Saturday morning (March 16) in-person beginning at 8 a.m. Student must present their UVM I.D. in order to receive a ticket.
 
TICKET PRICES:
Free – UVM Students
$30 – Reserved
$32 – Padded Reserved
 
National Life Group is the presenting sponsor of the 2018-19 Vermont men's basketball season