FINAL SCORE: Vermont 72, Binghamton 75
VESTAL, N.Y. – Despite Bogues' season high 21 points for Vermont (11-11, 4-3 AE), a balanced attack from Binghamton (10-12, 2-5 AE) propelled the Bearcats to a 75-72 victory on Thursday night at Binghamton's Events Venter in Vestal, NY.
 
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Box Score
 
COACH'S QUOTE
"Another loss after getting off to a great start," said Cioffi Men's Basketball Head Coach John Becker. "I thought defensively I could have had a better game plan but credit Binghamton for making shots. We look forward to getting back home Saturday to play a really good Maine team."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Catamounts got off to a strong start, opening play with a 10-0 scoring run, taking a double-digit lead that saw a variety of different scoring. TJ Hurley connected with Ileri Ayo-Faleye on two separate alley-oops, and swished a three-pointer of his own, as Vermont possessed the opening advantage.
• Binghamton bounced back with an 8-2 scoring run of their own, but Hurly answered the call, making his second three-pointer of the game after corralling a pass from Shamir Bogues moving around a Nick Fiorillo screen, maintaining the Catamount lead 15-8 with 14:15 on the clock in the first half.
• Following the Bearcats gaining a three-point lead with 11:20 to go in the opening half, Vermont stormed back, making three straight shots from long distance seeing Hurley, Sean Blake, and Jace Roquemore sink three-pointers, capped off by Hurley's being an and-one bucket, executing the extra free-throw to put UVM back in front, 27-24, with 7:40 remaining in the first half.
• Vermont saw one more three-pointer from Hurley and a made free-throw by Bogues before the end of the first half, heading into halftime down by five, 36-31. Hurley led all scorers to this point with 14 points and Sam Alamutu notched a team high six rebounds throughout the opening half.
• Similar to the first, Vermont opened scoring in the second half thanks to a strong layup from Bogues with 19:45 on the clock, cutting the Binghamton lead down to three, 36-33.
• Bogues kept the Catamounts close on the next two offensive possessions, scoring basket in back-to-back offensive possessions for Vermont as UVM maintained within striking distance down by two, 39-37.
• Leading up to the second commercial break of the second half, the Catamounts and the Bearcats battled back-and-forth going on an even 7-7 scoring run seeing Vermont hang around, only being down 46-44 with 12:04 remaining,
• Vermont regained the lead with 10:39 on the clock seeing Blake and Alamutu combine for four points on two powerful layups, taking the 48-46 advantage.
• An emphatic block from Ayo-Faleye with 5:32 remaining led to a Bogues driving layup on the other end, cutting into the Bearcats offensive push, bringing UVM within two points, 56-54.
• The Bearcats orchestrated a 9-0 scoring run before Vermont pounced back, igniting a 14-6 scoring run of its own. Led by Bogues and Ayo-Faleye, each player swapped baskets back-and-forth, bringing the Catamounts within four points, 71-67, with just 27 seconds remaining until the final buzzer.
• A three-pointer from Fiorillo, and two made free throws from Hurley made things interesting down the stretch, but the Binghamton lead never altered in the final minutes as the Bearcats secured the 75-72 win on home court.

 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Bogues notched a season high and game high 21 points, making nine of his 15 shots from the floor to go along with four rebounds and a team high four assists.
• Hurley tallied 19 points making a game high four three-pointers and going seven of eight from the free throw line. Hurley added a team high two steals and three rebounds with one assist.
• Ayo-Faleye recorded a game high two blocks while adding 11 points and three rebounds.
• Alamutu snatched a team high nine rebounds while registering an assist and one steal.
• Fiorillo totaled 10 points to go along with six rebounds.
• Vermont recorded six offensive rebounds to Binghamton's two.
• The Catamounts earned 22 fastbreak points to Binghamton's 11.

 
UP NEXT
The Catamounts return home to Patrick Gymnasium on Saturday (Feb. 1), hosting Maine during the two teams' first meeting against one another this season. The opening tip is set for 2 p.m. ET. Tickets are available HERE.
 
McGee Automotive Family is the presenting sponsor of Vermont men's basketball