FINAL SCORE: Vermont 80, Brown 65
BURLINGTON, Vt. – Aaron Deloney fueled the offense with a career-high 32 points as Vermont (1-0) kicked off the season with an 80-65 victory over Brown (0-1) on Monday night at Patrick Gym. The season opener was Military Appreciation Night, presented by Milton CAT. The Catamounts wore special camouflage jerseys, which are being auctioned off at UVMathletics.com/auctions.
 
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COACH'S QUOTE
"It was a great way to start the year with a great crowd tonight," Cioffi Men's Basketball Head Coach John Becker said. "Having TJ Sorrentine back was great and I appreciate the fans giving him a standing ovation. I thought that was pretty cool and well deserved obviously. I thought you know, for all the newness and uncertainty, our guys came out and played Vermont basketball. They were really tough. And then offensively, you know, our numbers were really good. Aaron was incredible tonight and carried the offensive load for much of it. I thought TJ Hurley off the bench was really good for his first college game. He's going to be a special player and we've kind of felt that through the recruiting process and through practice so far. I thought everyone did their part tonight and it was a great, great win."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Dylan Penn knocked down a pair of free throws for the first Catamount points of the season as Vermont jumped out to a 9-2 lead to start the game. UVM continued to maintain its lead over Brown, which extended to 13 points when Kam Gibson and Deloney hit back-to-back three-pointers. The triples from the guards gave Vermont a 21-8 lead with 7:25 left in the half.
• Brown surged back with a quick 8-0 run as Perry Cowan hit a corner three to cut Vermont's lead to 23-18 with 4:50 remaining. The Catamounts countered with an 8-2 run to temporarily reclaim a double-digit lead. Kino Lilly Jr. sank a three in the final seconds for the Bears to cut Vermont's lead to 37-28 at the break.
• Deloney and the Cats continued to build their lead with the senior netting his fourth three-pointer of the game just a few minutes into the second half. Deloney rattled off 10 points before the first media timeout as the Catamounts took a 51-39 lead with 15:48 remaining.
• Lilly Jr. and Paxson Wojcik led a minor charge for Brown, shrinking the UVM lead to single digits 60-51 with 10:13 remaining in the second half. The Catamounts would double up the Bears down the stretch, with TJ Hurley finishing a dunk and draining a triple to go up 80-60 with 2:17 left on the clock. The 20-point lead was Vermont's largest of the night.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Deloney's career-high came off an incredibly efficient 11-for-14 shooting night. The senior knocked down 4-of-5 three-point attempts and sank all six free throws. Deloney also distributed five assists in the victory.
• Sullivan also reached double figures with a 12-point evening. The UVM guard 5-for-10 from the field and drilled two treys. Sullivan also pulled in seven rebounds.
• Hurley tallied 11 points in his collegiate debut. The rookie was 3-for-5 from the field and was a perfect 4-for-4 from the line.
• 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
UVM heads west for a California swing, beginning with a stop at Saint Mary's on Thursday (Nov. 10) in Moraga, Calif. The Catamounts and Gaels tip off at 10 p.m. ET at McKeon Pavilion. The non-conference matchup will broadcast live on the West Coast Conference Network. 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