University of Vermont Athletics

FINAL SCORE: Saint Mary's 79, Vermont 53
MORAGA, Calif. – A balanced attack and a strong second half led Saint Mary's (2-0) to a 79-53 victory over Vermont (1-1) on Thursday night at the McKeon Pavilion.
 
RELATED LINKS
Box Score
 
COACH'S QUOTE
"Tough game tonight against a good Saint Mary's team," Cioffi Men's Basketball Head Coach John Becker said. "It was a struggle on both ends of the court for us tonight. And, it really came down to that they were much tougher team than us. I think that's the worst loss we've had in a while. We're a working progress, like we knew. We knew it would be a bit of a hard game, but you know, we'll have to watch the tape and really, figure out where to go from here."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Robin Duncan got the UVM offense going early with seven straight points. The fifth-year senior made a layup, a trey, and another layup as the Cats countered a 5-0 opening run by the Gaels. Vermont would remain in front for the better part of the first eight minutes. Kam Gibson drilled a three-pointer that put the Catamounts up 14-10 with 12:59 on the clock.
• Saint Mary's responded with a 12-2 run over the middle part of the frame to take a six-point lead with 6:51 remaining, but the Cats clawed back to take a 23-22 lead with 5:29 to go in the half. The Gaels closed out the opening frame on a 13-1 run to go up 35-24 at the break.
• SMC continued to stretch its lead in the early minutes of the second half, hitting 4-of-7 field goals to take a 44-29 lead with 14:35 left in regulation. The Gaels' lead hit the 20-point mark on a Luke Barrett three-pointer that put Saint Mary's up 60-39 with 7:58 to go.
• The Catamounts chipped away at the lead hitting five-straight field goals to cut the deficit to 67-51 with 3:53 remaining. Saint Mary's answered with a 12-2 run down the final stretch.  

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Duncan led Vermont with 14 points on a 6-for-8 shooting night. The guard was a perfect 2-for-2 from deep and led the Cats with two steals on the defensive end.
• Dylan Penn was also in double figures, registering 13 points, three rebounds, and two assists. Penn was 5-for-10 from the field and sank 3-of-4 attempts at the line.
• Finn Sullivan had a team-high seven rebounds, and recorded one block for the Catamounts. The San Diego, Calif. native recorded eight points on the night.

UP NEXT
Vermont continues the California swing when it heads south on Sunday (Nov. 13) to visit Cal State Fullerton. Tip-off is slated for 8 p.m. ET at Titan Gym, and will broadcast live on ESPN+. Fans can listen to the action for free on the Vermont Sports Network, from Learfield 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 via the Varsity Network App with Brian McLaughlin on the call.
 
JERSEY AUCTION
The game-worn camouflage jerseys from Monday's Military Appreciation Game are being auctioned off at UVMathletics.com/auctions. Bidding starts at $125 per jersey, with proceeds benefitting the Josh Pallotta Fund. The auction closes on Monday (Nov. 14) at 7 p.m.
 
PREGAME SOCIAL AT USC NOV. 15 | Register
Catamount fans are invited to a pregame gathering at The Lab Gastropub in Los Angeles, Calif. before the opening tip between Vermont and USC on Nov. 15. The gathering, hosted by the UVM Foundation and UVM Athletics, runs from 5:30 p.m. PT to 7:30 p.m. PT at the Lab, before moving to the Galen Center for the 8 p.m. PT tip. Space is limited, so please register at alumni.uvm.edu.
 
McGee Automotive Group is the presenting sponsor of Vermont men's basketball