Courtesy Vermont Sports Information
VESTAL, N.Y. – The Vermont Catamounts won their fifth straight game on Wednesday night with a 67-50 victory at Binghamton in conference action.
Vermont starts America East play with a 3-0 record for the third time in the last four seasons and improves to 13-5 overall. Binghamton is left searching for its first conference win and falls to 0-3 in league play and 9-9 overall.
UVM’s defense held Binghamton to only 32.0% (16-for-50) from the floor and 26.3% (5-for-19) from beyond the arc. Vermont outscored Binghamton 30-12 in the paint and used its depth to pick up the win. The Catamounts’ reinforcements outscored Binghamton’s reserves 36-27 as the UVM bench has averaged 36.0 points over the past four games.
The green and gold had seven players approach double figure as Payton Henson scored a team-high 12 points and grabbed six rebounds. Trae Bell-Haynes and Ernie Duncan tallied seven points apiece for UVM. Bell-Haynes dished out four assists and recorded a steal while Duncan sank all of his points from long range. Josh Hearlihy set a new career-high with seven points and muscled five rebounds off the glass. Kurt Steidl and Darren Payen each matched Hearlihy with seven points.
The Bearcats had a trio of players reach double digits. Thomas Bruce recorded a double-double with a game-high 13 points and 10 rebounds. Bruce shot 3-of-4 from the floor but made 7-of-10 trips to the line. Marlon Beck II and Willie Rodriguez followed with 12 points apiece.
The Cats jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead with a pair of free throws by Bell-Haynes and Duncan knocked down a long distance shot on their way to a 9-2 run to start the game.
Binghamton clawed back and tied the game at 15-15 with 11 minutes remaining in the first period after forcing a pair of UVM turnovers that resulted in fast break layups.
Vermont gained momentum with 9-0 run, including a pair of deep shots from Henson, and closed out the half on a 23-12 run for a 38-27 lead at the break.
In the first eight minutes of the second half, the Catamounts built a 15-point lead but the Bearcats answered once again and cut the deficit back to single digits with at the midway point.
UVM did not let Binghamton get any closer and closed out the game on 17-8 run to stay unbeaten in league action.
Vermont returns home on Friday (Jan. 13) to host UMBC at 7 p.m. Single game tickets are available at UVMathletics.com/Tickets or at the Patrick Gym Box Office on gameday. Free live video is available in HD at AmericaEast.TV. with Sam Hyman on the call.