FINAL SCORE: Vermont 78, Buffalo 67
BURLINGTON, Vt. – The Vermont men's basketball team took a win in Burlington, Vermont against Buffalo in their regular season home opener on Tuesday night. Ileri Ayo-Faleye led the Catamounts with 18 points.
 
RELATED LINKS
Box Score
Highlights
 
POSTGAME MEDIA
Coach Becker


HOW IT HAPPENED

• TJ Hurley and Shamir Bogues got things started for the Catamounts. Hurley with a right-wing mid-range jumper and Shamir with euro drive and a lay.
• Three minutes into the game, the Catamounts held Buffalo to two straight possessions using the full 30-second shot clock. Vermont took an early 10-2 lead.
• Nick Fiorillo and Sean Blake contributed with two threes.
• 13:40 Shamir Bogues with an acrobatic lay through traffic. Catamounts held a 16-7 lead.
• Sean Blake provided an offensive spark off the bench scoring his first points at Patrick Gym. Blake hit a three-pointer and had six points in the first 10 minutes of the first half. Vermont led 22-18 with 10 minutes remaining.
• Right out of the 12-minute media timeout Sam Alamutu had two good spin layups finishing in traffic.
•  TJ Long had a skip pass to Ileri Ayo-Faleye in the right corner and he hit a three-pointer with 2 seconds left in the shot clock. Vermont went up 32-24 with five minutes remaining.
• With three minutes remaining in the 1^st half, Ileri Ayo-Faleye hit his second three of the game.
• Buffalo guard Ryan Sabol had multiple drives in the lane late in the first half as he led the Bulls with 13 first half points.
• Vermont led 38-35 at the end of the first half. Ayo-Faleye and Hurley each had 7 points at halftime.
• Catamounts started off hot with a 9-0 run to begin the second half thanks to a TJ Hurley three from the top of the key. Vermont led 47-35.
• Ayo-Faleye caught a lob pass from Sean Blake and finished with one hand. UVM led 53-40 with 15 minutes remaining.
• Vermont led Buffalo 55-49 after the 12-minute media timeout.
• Hurley and Ayo-Faleye commanded the Catamounts offense in the second half. Hurley hit his 3^rd three of the game and right-wing mid-range jumper.
• With six minutes remaining Vermont held a 63-54 lead.
• Ayo-Faleye hit a corner three with four minutes remaining as the Catamounts grew the lead to 14 and Vermont went up 68-54.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Catamounts had three players in double-figure scoring tonight. Ileri Ayo-Faleye (18), TJ Hurley (17), and Shamir Bogues (10) led the Catamounts in scoring.
• Ayo-Faleye and Hurley each had 3 threes for Vermont.
• Nick Fiorillo and Ileri Ayo-Faleye anchored the defense each providing two blocks.
• Vermont shot 47.4% from the field and 42.9% from three respectively.
• Shamir Bogues had a team-high six rebounds and four assists.
• This is the Catamounts' first game this season scoring 70 or more points.

 
UP NEXT
UVM will next head to Uncasville, CT to play in the Hall of Fame Tip-off Showcase this weekend. Vermont will play Delaware on Saturday November 23^rd at Mohegan Sun. That game will tip off at 12 p.m. ET and it will be on ESPN+. UVM will then play Fairfield Sunday November 24^th at 1 p.m. on ESPN+. The radio broadcast is also available via the Varsity Network App with Brian McLaughlin on the call.
 
McGee Automotive Family is the presenting sponsor of Vermont men's basketball