FINAL SCORE: Vermont 86, UAlbany 75
ALBANY, N.Y. – Anthony Lamb scored a season-high 33 points as Vermont (17-6, 7-1) beat conference rival UAlbany (12-11, 5-3) 86-75 on the road Saturday night. The Catamounts have finished the first half of conference play with a 7-1 record or better for the fourth consecutive season.
 
RELATED LINKS
Box Score: Web | PDF
 
COACH'S QUOTE
 "It was an entertaining, high-scoring game tonight," Cioffi Men's Basketball Head Coach John Becker said. "It was an unbelievable and remarkable game for Anthony, who has been a special player for us. I know it was a special sort of homecoming for him so it was exciting to see him come back here and put on a show for us tonight."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The two rivals went back-and-forth through the first media timeout but the Catamounts managed to grab a 16-10 lead at the 14:33 mark, fueled by 11 points from Lamb.  
• Later in the half, UAlbany's Cameron Healy (22 points) brought the home team within 18-15 on two free throws, but UVM pushed the lead to double digits with a 12-5 run in a five-minute stretch.
• With the Cats leading 32-22 with seven minutes left in the period, the Great Danes scored 10 unanswered points to tie the game near the four-minute media timeout. In the final seconds of the frame, Stef Smith drained a triple from the top of the key. UAlbany's Ahmad Clark (22 points) answered with one of his own from the same spot on the other end of the floor. Smith countered one more time and banked-in a half-court heave at the buzzer to give the Green and Gold a 47-45 advantage at the break.
• The Catamounts carried their momentum into the second half with an 18-4 run in the first nine minutes, including 10 straight points near the 12-minute media timeout. The streak helped Vermont stretch its lead to 65-49.
• UVM's lead grew to as large as a 21-point margin but UAlbany did not go away quietly. The Great Danes used the deep ball to whittle the deficit to 78-69 with 4:22 left on the clock.  
• The Cats regained control and did not let the Great Danes draw any closer. The Cats stayed ahead by 10-plus for the remainder of the contest.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Lamb's season high came on 10-of-17 shooting and a perfect 10-for-10 from the line. He buried three triples and registered three rebounds. After netting the first points of the game, he moved up to No. 6 on the school's all-time scoring list with 1,776 career points.
• Smith followed with 14 points and made 4-of-5 attempts from long range. He dished out a team-best six assists and matched Lamb with three boards.
• Ryan Davis reached double figures for the third time in the last four games with 13 points. He pulled down six rebounds including four on the offensive glass.
• Ben Shungu was the fourth Catamount to hit double digits with 10 points.
• The Class of 2020 became the second graduating class in school history to record 100 career wins.
• UVM extended its season-long winning streak to seven games.
• With the victory, the Cats Win, Community Wins campaign and Vermont Mutual Insurance Group will donate $100 to a Vermont charity, bringing the 2020 total to 19 wins totaling $1,900. A special thank you to Vermont Mutual Insurance for their support, protecting Vermonters since 1828. 

WHO'S NEXT
Vermont will begin the second half of conference play against Maine on Wednesday (Feb. 5). 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 is also Fan Appreciation Night presented by National Life Group. The night will include prize pack giveaways to fans in attendance.
 
All of the action will be streamed on ESPN+ with a paid subscription. Fans can also listen live on the Vermont Sports Network, from Learfield IMG College, on 101.3 The Game or online at Catamounts All-Access with Jake Marsh on the call.
 
National Life Group is the presenting sponsor of the 2019-20 Vermont men's basketball season