FINAL SCORE: Providence 68, Vermont 58
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – An early Providence (9-1) run fueled a 68-58 victory over Vermont (6-4) on Tuesday night at the Dunkin' Donuts Center.
 
RELATED LINKS
Box Score: Web | PDF
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COACH'S QUOTE
"It was a tough loss tonight," said Cioffi Men's Basketball Head Coach John Becker. "We dug ourselves a hole again to start the game and can't continue to do that against good teams. We uncharacteristically beat ourselves with turnovers and missed opportunities on offense. We will continue to get better. I'm excited to get back to work tomorrow."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Friars opened the game on an 11-0 run in the first 2:59 of the evening. Nate Watson led the PC attack with six points in the early burst. UVM answered with a quick five points to cut the deficit, but Providence remained in front with a 20-7 lead at the midway point of the first half.
• Ryan Davis added five more points to pull the Catamounts back to within single digits. The senior pump faked a Providence defender and sprinted to the glass before throwing down a dunk to make the game 20-12. Vermont stayed within single digits until Watson converted on a three-point play with 4:04 left in the opening half. The Friars would take a 30-20 lead into the locker room.
• The Catamounts pulled to within eight points with 16:20 left in the second half on Davis' 16th point of the night. The senior sank two free throws to make the score 36-28. Minutes later, A.J. Reeves hit a pair of triples on consecutive possessions to give Providence a 49-35 lead with 10:28 remaining.
• PC's lead extended to as large as 15 in the second half when Reeves hit a pair of free throws with 7:08 left in regulation. Isaiah Powell drilled a three pointer to pull Vermont to within 11 points with 3:42 remaining, but Providence continued to hold a double-digit lead.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Ben Shungu had a team-high 20 points on 8-of-18 shooting. The graduate student hit 2-of-5 attempts from deep and cashed in a pair of free throws.
• Davis registered 19 points, with an efficient 6-for-8 performance from the field. The forward added a 2-for-2 night from long range, and made 5-of-6 free throw attempts. Davis also pulled in five rebounds and swatted away one block.
• Powell had a team-high eight rebounds for the Catamounts and tallied three assists.

UP NEXT
Vermont concludes the two-game trip to Rhode Island when it visits Brown (8-4) on Wednesday (Dec. 10). Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. at Pizzitola Sports Center. Fans can tune into the action live on ESPN+. Fans can also listen for free on the Vermont Sports Network, from Learfield IMG College on The Game, which will air on 97.1 FM in Burlington, 105.9 FM in Plattsburgh, and 960 AM around the rest of the region. The radio broadcast is also available online at Catamounts All-Access with Brian McLaughlin on the call.
 
Key Motors of South Burlington is the presenting sponsor of Vermont men's basketball