FINAL SCORE: Vermont 62, UMass Lowell 61
BURLINGTON, Vt. – A late defensive stop was the difference maker as Vermont (24-5, 16-1 AE) held off UMass Lowell (14-14, 6-10 AE) in a 62-61 victory on Saturday at Patrick Gym. UVM honored six seniors: Bailey Patella, Justin Mazzulla, Isaiah Powell, Ryan Davis, Ben Shungu, and student manager Ollie Allen on Senior Day, presented by the UVM Alumni Association.
 
RELATED LINKS
Box Score: Web | PDF
Senior Day Photos
 
COACH'S QUOTE
"I'm happy we got the win tonight on Senior Night," Cioffi Men's Basketball Head Coach John Becker said. "Obviously, it's always an emotional night and I'm glad we could honor the Seniors with a win. When you think about Justin, Bailey, Benny, Ryan, and Isaiah, one cool thing is that Benny has been here six years, Justin three, and then the other guys four and five years. But every year that they've been here they've won a regular season title which is an incredible feat. They've been great people on and off the court, great players, and I just want to thank them for choosing Vermont, for being the people that they are, and for choosing to come here and play for me and this program."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The America East counterparts played a tightly contested first six minutes, until a 14-2 run for Vermont that put the Catamounts up 24-11 with 7:58 left in the first half. Nick Fiorillo fueled the UVM run with eight points, sinking triples on back-to-back possessions.
• UMass Lowell rallied back to cut the deficit to single digits with a quick five points. The River Hawks registered four straight makes in a 1:58 span to bring the Cats' lead down to three points, up 28-25 with 2:39 left in the frame. Robin Duncan and Davis converted from the field in the final minutes of the first half to give Vermont a 32-25 lead at the break.
• UVM opened the second half on a 7-2 run to expand its lead to 12 points, but UMass Lowell countered with a 6-2 run to trail 41-33 with 12:18 remaining. Vermont's lead stretched to as large as 13 points in the second half when Aaron Deloney made a layup for a 51-38 lead with 8:12 on the clock.
• The Catamounts maintained a double-digit lead until 12-1 run for the River Hawks that cut the deficit with 1:38 remaining. Everette Hammond scored half of UMass Lowell's points during the run and Allin Blunt made the layup that made the score 58-56.
• UMass Lowell gained possession with 29 seconds left, down by two. Allin Blunt went for a driving layup and was denied by the Vermont defense. Davis picked up the defensive rebound with seven seconds left and sank two free throws to put the game out of reach.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Davis posted a team-high 13 points on 4-of-7 shooting from the field. The senior converted on all four attempts from the free throw line and sank one three pointer. Davis also pulled in eight rebounds and matched a career-high four blocks.
• Deloney had 12 points in 23 minutes off the bench. The junior made 4-of-9 field goals and was 1-for-3 from long range. Deloney also sank three free throws and registered two steals.
• Shungu tallied 11 points, going 5-for-12 from the field. The UVM guard made one triple, pulled in six rebounds, and dished out two assists.
• Powell registered a game-high nine rebounds, including seven defensive boards. The senior also matched a team-high three assists with Robin Duncan.
• 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. A special thank you to Vermont Mutual Insurance for their support. Vermont Mutual Insurance, protecting Vermonters since 1828.

UP NEXT
Vermont closes out the regular season on Tuesday (Mar. 1) when it visits Maine at Cross Insurance Arena. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. and can be seen live on ESPN+. Fans can listen 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 online via the Varsity Network App with Brian McLaughlin on the call.
 
Key Motors of South Burlington is the presenting sponsor of Vermont men's basketball