FINAL SCORE (2OT): Cal State Fullerton 94, Vermont 85
FULLERTON, Calif. – Dylan Penn poured in a game-high 27 points, but Vermont (1-2) fell to Cal State Fullerton (2-1) 94-85 in a back-and-forth, double-overtime battle that saw 31 lead changes Sunday night at Titan Gym.  
 
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COACH'S QUOTE
"Hard fought game tonight," Cioffi Men's Basketball Head Coach John Becker said. "Tough double overtime loss, obviously, but we had our chances – both teams had their chances. And, you know, I thought we got off to a slow start in the first half defensively. We're a work in progress and we had a lot of foul trouble tonight and we have to keep our best guys on the floor. But the guys battled and, you know, we had our opportunities down the stretch."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Robin Duncan opened the scoring with a triple from the wing on Vermont's first possession, but Cal State Fullerton answered with six quick points. The Catamounts countered with a 7-0 run to take a 10-6 lead with 15:07 left in the opening half. UVM maintained its lead over the next few minutes until a triple by Tory San Antonio with 11:35 left in the frame. The guard's three-pointer put CSUF up 15-14.
• The Catamounts and Titans exchanged baskets until an 8-0 run over a 1:24 span that put UVM up 30-23. Fullerton whittled down the Vermont lead until the two foes exchanged leads in the final minutes. Lathaniel Bastian would convert a layup with 29 seconds remaining to take a 37-36 CSUF lead into the break.
• UVM's offense surged coming out of the locker room, opening the second half on an 11-0 run. Penn scored five points in the run, which spanned over three minutes to give the Catamounts a 47-37 lead with 15:41 on the clock. Vermont maintained its lead over Cal State Fullerton until a pair of free throws from Max Jones that knotted the game at 52-52 with 7:41 remaining.
• Fullerton eventually took a 59-56 lead minutes later – its largest of the second half. The Catamounts trailed 65-63 with 0:10 remaining, but Dylan Penn finished a driving layup to knot the game before the buzzer.
• The lead changed twice in the first overtime period, with the Titans up 74-73 with 0:20 left. UVM attacked the CSUF rim and Nick Fiorillo drew a foul with 0.01 seconds left, earning two free throws. The forward sank his first free throw, but missed the second to tie the game at 74-74.
• Vermont grabbed a two-point lead early in the second overtime until Cal State Fullerton fought back for an 81-80 lead with 2:38 remaining. Penn tied the game at 82-82 with 1:57 to go, but the Titans responded with a 12-3 run in the closing minutes to ice the game.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Penn's 27 points came on 9-of-17 shooting, which included a pair of three pointers. The UVM guard sank 7-of-9 attempts at the free throw line, and distributed four assists.
• Aaron Deloney also finished the night in double figures, scoring 15 points. The senior sank four field goals and converted 6-of-8 free throws.
• Robin Duncan pulled in a team-high seven rebounds and tallied eight points on the night.
• Vermont was 29-for-69 (42.0%) from the field and 11-for-35 (31.4%) from long range.

UP NEXT
The Catamounts finish off their West Coast trip Tuesday (Nov. 15) when they visit USC in Los Angeles. Tip-off is slated for 11 p.m. ET at the Galen Center, and will broadcast live on the Pac-12 Network. Fans in the Burlington area can access the Pac-12 Network on Dish Network (Channel 406), Xfinity (Channel 497), FuboTV, and Sling. 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.

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. 

JERSEY AUCTION
The game-worn camouflage jerseys from the Military Appreciation Game are being auctioned off at UVMathletics.com/auctions. Bidding starts at $125 per jersey, with proceeds benefiting the Josh Pallotta Fund. The auction closes on Monday (Nov. 14) at 7 p.m.
 
McGee Automotive Group is the presenting sponsor of Vermont men's basketball