FINAL SCORE: Vermont 69, Drexel 59 

PHILADELPHIA, PA.  – Vermont (10-4, 0-0 AE) defeated Drexel (7-4, 0-0 CAA) on Saturday afternoon at the Daskalakis Athletic Center. Senior Nikola Priede led all Catamounts with 21 points and was one rebound shy of her fifth double-double of the season. 

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Box Score 

COACH'S QUOTE

"I'm proud of the way we prepared, executed, and stayed focused for 40 minutes," said Mayer Women's Basketball Head Coach Alisa Kresge. "Rebounding, limiting turnovers, and playing physical are key when winning on the road. I thought we found a way to do all three things today." 

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Catamounts fell behind early as Drexel opened the game with an 8-3 run. Vermont quickly erased the deficit when sophomore Emma Haan hit a three-pointer, followed by a senior Jadyn Weltz pull-up jumper that tied the game at eight with 4:18 remaining in the first quarter.

• Drexel regained the lead at the end of the first quarter as grad student Amaris Baker made a last-second close-range jumper, giving the Dragons a 17-14 edge heading into the second quarter.

• Vermont opened the second quarter with a 9-2 run, starting with a first-year Jacklynn Hosier three-pointer, capped off by a senior Keira Hanson pull-up jumper, giving the Catamounts a 23-19 lead with 5:10 left in the half. 

• Drexel responded with two straight baskets to tie the game at 23 with 3:22 remaining.

• The Catamounts answered with a 7-5 run to close the second quarter, beginning with Hanson's three-pointer and ending with Priede converting both free throws. Vermont led at halftime, 30-28.

• The third quarter belonged to the Catamounts, who went on a 16-6 run to start the quarter. Junior Malia Lenz hit a three-pointer off a Priede offensive rebound, and Hanson finished the run with a driving layup, giving Vermont a 46-34 lead with 3:36 left in the quarter. 

• Vermont maintained the advantage for the remainder of the quarter, ending with a Priede fadeaway with 25 seconds left to take a 55-46 lead into the fourth.

• Vermont started the fourth quarter strong, as Hanson drove baseline for a close-range jumper over a defender to push the lead to 57-46 with 9:41 remaining. 

• Drexel cut the deficit with a 10-4 run, bringing the lead down to seven points with 1:01 left.

• The Catamounts sealed the victory at the free-throw line, with Hanson and Priede making shots to extend the lead to 69-57 with 18 seconds remaining.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Priede led Vermont with 21 points and nine rebounds.

• Hanson was second on the team in scoring with 20 points.

• Senior Jadyn Weltz had 12 points, seven rebounds, and a team-high six assists.

• Vermont shot 51.0% from the field compared with Drexel's 40.4%.

• The Catamounts went 6 of 18 (33.3%) from three-point range.

• Drexel's Amaris Baker scored a game-high 33 points.

• 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

Vermont returns home to face Dartmouth on Sunday, Dec. 28, at Patrick Gym. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPN+, with the radio broadcast available on the Varsity Network App featuring Ryan Zimmerman on the call.