FINAL SCORE: Vermont 81, Maine 68
BURLINGTON, Vt. – Despite a strong shooting performance from long range by Maine (4-15, 1-7 AE), Vermont (15-4, 7-0 AE) held off the Black Bears for an 81-68 victory on Saturday afternoon at Patrick Gym. The Catamounts begin America East play with seven-straight wins for the sixth time in program history.
 
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COACH'S QUOTE
"It was a good win today against a Maine team that shot the lights out," Cioffi Men's Basketball Head Coach John Becker said. "They prevented us from taking threes so we did a great job at scoring inside the three-point line. I thought we did a good job at the end of the first half and start of the second to get control of the game. The crowd was great again today, and has been a huge part in us being undefeated at home this year."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The America East counterparts traded buckets in the opening minutes with the two teams combining for only a pair of misses in the first 10 field goal attempts. Tied up at 12-12, Maks Klansjcek sparked a quick 7-0 run for the Black Bears to take a 19-12 lead with 13:42 remaining. Maine would remain in front until Ben Shungu's driving layup that knotted the game at 24-24 with 9:39 left in the half.
• Ja'Shonte Wright-McLeish would quickly take the lead back for the Black Bears with his fourth triple of the afternoon. Maine would hold on to the lead until an Isaiah Powell three pointer that put Vermont up 36-34 with 3:10 remaining in the first frame. The Catamounts would eventually take a 42-37 lead into the locker room.
• UVM opened the second half with nine straight makes to take extend the lead to 66-47 with 11:20 left in regulation. Davis led the Catamounts with nine points in the offensive burst for UVM.
• The Black Bears answered with a 15-5 run to cut the deficit to single-digits as Vermont remained in front, up 71-62 with 5:25 left on the clock. Vukasin Masic hit a pair of triples for Maine who was 3-for-4 from deep during the run. UVM proceeded to outscore Maine 10-6 down the stretch to close out the game.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• UVM registered 80 points in a win for the seventh-straight game. The seven-game winning streak of scoring 80-plus points is the longest in program history. Vermont had only scored 80-plus points in four-straight wins prior to its active streak.
• Davis registered a game-high 21 points on 9-of-14 shooting from the field. The senior has reached at least 20 points in each of his last three games. Davis scored 13 of his 21 points in the second half for the Catamounts.
• Shungu had 19 points for Vermont, sinking a career-high 11 free throws on 12 attempts from the line. The UVM guard drew a game-high nine fouls and was 4-for-8 from the field.
• Justin Mazzulla also registered double figures for the Catamounts, shooting an efficient 5-for-6 on the afternoon for a 10-point outing. The senior also registered two steals on the defensive end for Vermont.
• With today's win, Vermont Mutual Insurance Group will donate $100 to COTS, the Committee on Temporary Shelter, as part of the Cats Win, Community Wins initiative. A special thank you to Vermont Mutual Insurance for their support. Vermont Mutual Insurance, protecting Vermonters since 1828.

UP NEXT
Vermont returns to action for the second of a three-game homestand on Monday (Jan. 31) when its hosts UAlbany at Patrick Gym. Tickets for the 7 p.m. opening tip are available for purchase at UVMathletics.com/Tickets. Monday's game will broadcast live on ESPN+ with Rob Ryan and Bernie Cieplicki on the call. Fans can 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