FINAL SCORE: Yale 73, Vermont 44
NEW HAVEN, Conn. – A second-half surge led Yale (6-0) to a 73-44 victory over Vermont (1-5) on Tuesday night at John J. Lee Ampitheater.
 
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Box Score
 
COACH'S QUOTE
"Obviously, you know, tough loss tonight," Cioffi Men's Basketball Head Coach John Becker said. "Got absolutely destroyed in the second half. I have to do a better job of preparing the guys and, you know, scheduling better. This one's on me again for just the wrong schedule for this group. We'll keep pushing forward and continue to try and make adjustments and do a better job preparing these guys to win. But give credit Yale, they were by far the better team. We'll have to regroup and as we head down to the Bahamas."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Yale opened the game with a 7-2 run in the first 2:39, but Vermont quickly answered to tie the game before the first media timeout. Gibson made both baskets to knot the game at 7-7, starting with a pull-up jumper along the baseline, followed by a triple from the right wing with 15:37 left in the half. Matt Veretto would make a layup coming out of the timeout to put Vermont in front.
• The Bulldogs answered with eight-straight points to take a 15-9 lead with 12:13 remaining. Matt Knowling contributed half of Yale's production in the run.
• Dylan Penn sank a floater before the shot clock expired to stop the Yale run. His basket helped the Catamounts claw back and take the lead before the final media timeout of the first frame.
• Nick Fiorillo came up with two huge baskets minutes later, throwing down a dunk to tie the game and finishing a three-point play on the following possession to put Vermont up 25-22 with 4:07 remaining.
• Yale's Jack Molloy sank a triple to briefly tie the game, but UVM pulled back in front on a layup by Penn with 3:52 left in the half. Veretto would extend the lead with 0:20 on the clock, giving the Cats a 30-27 lead that it would take into the locker room.
• The Bulldogs' offense surged at the start of the first half, sinking seven of their first 11 field goals in a 20-5 run. Bez Mbeng and Isaiah Kelly contributed to over half of Yale's points with six each in the run, resutling in a 47-35 lead with 11:58 remaining.
• Aaron Deloney answered with a three-pointer, but a basket by John Poulakidas sparked another run for Yale, scoring seven-straight points to take a 54-38 lead with 10:32 left on the clock.
• Yale's offense continued as the clock winded down. Yassine Graham gave the Bulldogs their largest lead of the night, sinking the final basket with 1:31 remaining. 

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Veretto finished the night with a team-high 12 points, his most since joining the Catamounts. The graduate student made 5-of-11 field goal attempts and sank a pair of triples.

UP NEXT
The Catamounts head to The Bahamas for the Nassau Championship, hosted at Baha Mar. Vermont will face Ball State on Friday (Nov. 25) to open the tournament. Tip-off is slated for 12 p.m. ET and will broadcast live on FloHoops. As always, 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.
 
McGee Automotive Group is the presenting sponsor of Vermont men's basketball