Men’s Hoops: Catamounts Use Balanced Attack to Best Maine 77-52

Posted on by George Commo

Courtesy Vermont Sports Information

BURLINGTON –– Four Catamounts registered double figures as Vermont (18-6, 8-1 AE) trounced Maine (6-17, 2-7 AE) 77-52 on Wednesday night at Patrick Gym. UVM extended its winning streak to a season-high eight games.

COACH’S QUOTE
“It was a good win tonight in front of a great crowd and a great atmosphere,” Cioffi Men’s Basketball Head Coach John Becker said. “I thought the guys came out ready to play. We executed what we were trying to do and made eight threes in the second half to push the lead out. We shared the ball well and were locked in all night.”

HOW IT HAPPENED
Everett Duncan got the Catamounts going in the opening minutes with a pair of threes. Anthony Lamb and Ryan Davis added four early points each to give UVM an 18-11 lead at the midway point of the first half.
Vermont extended the lead to as big as 14 as the Cats outpaced the Black Bears 27-13 with five minutes left in the frame. Maine began to claw back with back-to-back buckets, including a three from Stephane Ingo, to pull to within nine. Lamb sank four free throws down the stretch to give the Green and Gold a 33-22 lead at the break.
The Catamounts’ offense took off in the second half with a 19-4 run to open the period. Duncan drilled a triple while getting fouled and made the subsequent free throw for a four-point play. On the defensive end, UVM held Maine scoreless for 6:16 during the run.
Stef Smith hit double figures with consecutive threes as the Cats continued to distance themselves from the Black Bears. Aaron Deloney contributed a pair of treys and Vermont extended the margin to 38. In the final minutes, Maine closed out the game with a 13-2 run.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Lamb had a game-high 19 points which included a perfect 10-for-10 from the free throw line. The senior also picked up five rebounds, two steals, and one block.
Smith was 4-for-7 from beyond the arc en route to a 14-point performance. He also dished out a team-high five assists.
Davis tallied 13 points behind 6-of-10 shooting from the floor. The 6-8 forward also pulled down a team-high eight rebounds.
Duncan rounded out the offensive attack with 12 points. The captain shot 3-for-6 from deep and chased down five boards.
With the victory, the Cats Win, Community Wins campaign and Vermont Mutual Insurance Group will donate $100 to a Vermont charity, bringing the 2020 total to 20 wins totaling $2,000. A special thank you to Vermont Mutual Insurance for their support, protecting Vermonters since 1828.

WHO’S NEXT
Vermont travels south to Hartford on Saturday (Feb. 8). The opening tip is slated for 7 p.m. at Chase Arena. Tickets are available for purchase at HartfordHawks.com. The contest between the Catamounts and the Hawks will be streamed on ESPN+. Fans can also listen live on the Vermont Sports Network, from Learfield IMG College, on 101.3 The Game or online at Catamounts All-Access with Jake Marsh on the call.