FINAL SCORE: Vermont 79, Middlebury 62
BURLINGTON, Vt. – Vermont men's basketball rookie TJ Hurley went off for 21 points as the Catamounts closed out their exhibition slate with a 79-62 victory over Middlebury on Wednesday night at Patrick Gym.
 
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COACH'S QUOTE
"Hard fought win tonight against a really good Middlebury team, and a lot of credit to them," Cioffi Men's Basketball Head Coach John Becker said. "It was great to have Jeff Brown back tonight for the game and obviously he's done an incredible job down there. I was just so impressed with how hard they played; how tough they were. And they took it to us tonight and they're going to have a great year. I encourage our fans and our community to go down and support them because they're going to have a great year and we wish them the best. I thought they just beat us up on the glass. Their two frontcourt guys had 28 points and 22 rebounds. And you know, we have a brand-new frontcourt that is learning how tough and physical you have to play. It should be a wake-up call and hopefully we'll have a little bit more sense of urgency in practice as we prepare for our regular season and what is a ridiculously difficult schedule."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Vermont began its scoring with a corner three from Aaron Deloney. The Catamounts and Panthers exchanged baskets until UVM opened up a double-digit lead with 10:51 remaining. Robin Duncan drove through the lane to finish with his left hand to put the Cats up 22-11.
• Middlebury began to chip away at Vermont's lead, mounting a 16-7 run of their own. Sam Stevens knocked down a pair of threes to cut UVM's lead to 29-27 with 5:01 remaining in the first half. The Catamounts responded by outscoring the Panthers 11-5 in the final five minutes to lead 40-32 at the break.
• Finn Sullivan became the game's first player to reach double-digits after hitting a transition three from Robin Duncan to open the second half. Vermont began to rebuild its lead after Hurley's back-to-back three pointers that gave the Catamounts a 55-42 lead with 12:38 remaining.
• UVM went on a quick 11-4 run to gain its largest lead of the game, up 75-56 with 2:50 remaining. Hurley knocked down his fourth trey of the game for the 19-point cushion.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Hurley's game-high 21 points came on 8-of-13 shooting, including an impressive 4-for-8 from beyond the arc.
• Sullivan added 13 points on 5-for-9 shooting night. The UVM guard led the team in rebounding with six boards. Nick Fiorillo also had six rebounds.
• Perry Smith Jr. rounded out the Catamounts in double figures with 12 points. The rookie converted on a 3-of-6 field goal attempts, and knocked down six free throws.
• 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. Since the campaigns inauguration in 2017, Vermont Mutual Insurance Group has donated over $72,000 to local non-profits.

UP NEXT
The Catamounts open up the 2022-23 regular season on Monday (Nov. 7) when they host Brown at Patrick Gym. Tickets for the home opener are available for purchase at UVMathletics.com/Tickets or by visiting the Patrick Gym Box Office on gameday. The matchup between the Catamounts and Bears will broadcast live on ESPN+ with Rob Ryan and Bernie Cieplicki on the call. 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.
 
Monday's home opener is also Military Appreciation Night, presented by Milton CAT. The Catamounts will be wearing camouflage jerseys against the Bears, which will be auctioned off starting at tip-off at UVMathletics.com/auctions. Bids start at $125, with proceeds benefiting the Josh Pallotta Fund. All military personnel will receive a complimentary ticket for the game with a valid military ID.  A special group rate of $10 per general admission ticket is available for all military family members.
 
McGee Automotive Group is the presenting sponsor of Vermont men's basketball