FINAL SCORE: Vermont 66, Merrimack 43
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – Vermont (4-7) caught fire from long range, and shut Merrimack (1-9) down defensively en route to a 66-43 victory on Sunday afternoon. Four Catamounts reached double figures in the road win. Cioffi Men's Basketball Head Coach John Becker moved to No. 2 on the program's all-time wins list with his 261st career victory as the UVM bench boss.
 
RELATED LINKS
Box Score
 
COACH'S QUOTE
"Good road win," said Becker. "Our defense was really good all night and we made 12 threes against their zone. Gutsy effort by the group and we're happy we were able to get the win."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Catamounts and Warriors exchanged baskets early on with Merrimack having the 7-6 edge over the first six minutes.
• Vermont quickly pulled ahead and went on a 23-3 run over the next 8:37 to open up a 29-10 lead. Vermont was 8-for-16 from the field during the run, converting 7-of-10 attempts from long range. Finn Sullivan led the Cats with nine points, sinking a trio of three-pointers, to go up by 19. Sullivan's third triple capped off the run with 5:18 remaining in the first half.
• UVM's first-half lead grew to as large as 24 points when Sullivan drew a foul on a made layup and sank the and-one for a 37-13 lead with 1:40 left on the clock. A layup by Jordan Minor in the final seconds would chip away at the deficit, with Vermont taking a 37-15 lead into the break.
• The Cats maintained their sizeable lead over the Warriors in the second half. Merrimack cut the deficit inside 20 points on several occasions, but Vermont would always have an answer. TJ Hurley had seven points before the midway point of the half, as UVM led 51-30 with 10:39 remaining.
• Vermont's lead grew to as large as 27 points when Sullivan made a layup with 1:57 left for a 66-39 lead.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• The Catamounts made 12-of-26 (46.2%) from beyond the arc in the victory.
• Vermont held Merrimack to a 31.4% shooting percentage and 16 field goals. Both statistics are the lowest by a UVM opponent this season.
• Sullivan's 17-point outing came on a 4-for-11 shooting performance from long range. The UVM guard add two more field goals and converted his lone attempt from the free throw line. Sullivan also had six rebounds, two assists, and two blocks on the day.
• Hurley was second in scoring for Vermont with 15 points on an efficient 4-for-7 shooting day. The rookie made 4-of-6 attempts from beyond the arc and sank three free throws in 14 minutes played.
• Deloney (12 points) and Penn (11 points) rounded out the Catamounts in double figures. Deloney made 3-of-6 attempts from long range. Penn was 4-for-10 from the field and recorded two steals on the day.
• 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 return to action on Tuesday (Dec. 6) when they visit longtime rival Dartmouth in Hanover, N.H. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. at Leede Arena, and will broadcast live on ESPN+. Tickets are available for purchase at DartmouthSports.com. 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