Men’s Hoop: Catamounts Blast St. Mike’s In Exhibition Finale

Posted on , updated on by George Commo

Courtesy Vermont Sports Information

BURLINGTON – Vermont had six players reach double figures in a 102-53 rout of crosstown foe St. Michael’s on Saturday night.

The Catamounts were efficient on the offensive end of the floor by making 58.7% (37-for-63) of their attempts and outscored the Purple Knights 58-12 in the paint. UVM’s defense held St. Michael’s to 29.8% (17-for-57) shooting and forced 16 turnovers.

Payton Henson tallied a team-high 17 points on 5-of-6 shooting. The redshirt senior finished the contest with a game-high seven rebounds and dished out four assists. The Cats had four players score an even dozen – Anthony Lamb, Ra Kpedi Ben Shungu, and Stef Smith. Shungu had a solid night with six rebounds and five assists to compliment his 12 points. Drew Urquhart added 11 points and five boards for the Cats to round out the balanced scoring attack.

St. Michael’s Levi Holmes III led all scorers with 20 points and made three attempts from long range. Thomas Jackson III was the second SMC player to record double digits with 11 points.

The Catamounts controlled the offensive flow from the opening tip. Vermont’s energized defense held St. Michael’s to only 32.0% (8-for-25) from the floor and forced 13 turnovers in the first period. UVM started the game on an 18-5 run and later produced another big run in the period for a 49-24 lead at the break.

The Cats carried their offensive momentum into the second half by manufacturing a 16-0 run through the first five minutes for a 40-point cushion. The Green and Gold shot 64.5% (20-for-31) from the floor in the second period to reach the win column.

Vermont opens the regular season at national powerhouse and No. 4 Kentucky on Sunday, Nov. 12. The opening tip is set for 3:30 p.m. Fans can purchase tickets on TicketMaster.com. The game will be televised live on ESPN and the watchESPN app. For full cable channel listings, contact your local cable provider. All Vermont regular season contests can be heard live on 101.3 ESPN and online at 1013ESPN.com with Sam Hyman on the call.