FINAL SCORE: Vermont 80, Saint Anselm 78
BURLINGTON, Vt. – The Vermont men's basketball team took an 80-78 victory against Saint Anselm at home Wednesday night in their final exhibition game. TJ Hurley led the Catamounts in scoring with 34 points.

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Box Score
 
COACH'S QUOTE
"It was nice to see us find a way there in the second half and win the game. I thought Saint Anselm and Chris did a great job. For much of the game, they were the more physical and tougher team, which doesn't sit well with me, and it's not a recipe for success. We are a young team; we started three sophomores tonight and brought two freshmen off the bench, so it's going to take some time.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The game began with TJ Hurley and Ben Michaels connecting on threes. Shortly after, Hurley threw a lob pass to David Simon, who finished with a dunk. Vermont carried this momentum into the 16-minute media timeout, leading 16-9.
• However, Saint Anselm responded with a 9-0 run, prompting Vermont to call a timeout at the 11:24 mark. By the 12-minute media timeout, Saint Anselm held an 18-16 lead.
• After a David Simon hook shot and Sean Blake layup, the Catamounts trailed 28-23 with 6:24 left in the half.
• Hurley scored consecutive baskets, but Vermont still trailed 35-29 at the 4-minute timeout.
• At halftime, Saint Anselm had a 40-36 lead.
• Opening the second half, TJ Hurley recorded back-to-back baskets, followed by a three from TJ Long. Despite these efforts, after a Saint Anselm timeout, Vermont trailed 47-48.
• Momo Nkugwa splashed a three, and TJ Hurley drilled a step-back triple as Vermont stormed back to lead 55-53 at the 12-minute break.
• In the next five minutes, Saint Anselm mounted an 8-2 run and built a 61-57 lead with 6:46 remaining, shifting the momentum again.
• Momentum electrified the gym as Momo Nkugwa soared to catch a pass from TJ Hurley and detonated a ferocious slam dunk. The intensity stayed high as both teams answered each other's shots, with Vermont trailing 64-65 at the 4-minute media timeout.
• TJ Hurley and TJ Long each buried clutch threes, giving Vermont a 76-75 edge with only 18 seconds on the clock. Hurley coolly sank both free throws to push the lead to three before Saint Anselm answered with a layup at 11 seconds.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Hurley led the team with 34 points, shooting 13-19 from the field and 3-7 from three.
• TJ Long was the only other Catamount in double figures, scoring 15 points and making three threes.
• David Simon had a team-high six rebounds and three blocks.
• Hurley also had a team-high four assists.
• Vermont went a perfect (9-9) from the free-throw line.
• With today's Win, Vermont Mutual Insurance Group will donate $100 to the Lund Family Center through the Cat's Win, Community Win's initiative. Vermont Mutual has donated over $5 Million Dollars since launching their Charitable Giving Fund in 2014.

 
UP NEXT
UVM will next play in their first game of the regular season against Western New England on Monday, November 3. That game will tip off at 7 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on ESPN+. The radio broadcast will available via the Varsity Network App with Brian McLaughlin on the call.
 
Vermont Federal Credit Union is the presenting sponsor of Vermont men's basketball