Articles

Vermont Women's Basketball Falls to Hartford 63-52

Details: Created on Sunday, 05 February 2012 23:38; Written by George Commo

Vermont falls to 9-15 overall and 3-8 in America East

Courtesy Vermont Sports Information

BURLINGTON – Freshman Niki Taylor and junior Shanai Heber each posted a double-double for the Vermont Catamounts, but the Hartford Hawks were able to hold off UVM to earn a 63-52 victory before a season-high crowd of 2,068 at Patrick Gymnasium.

Hartford won its fourth straight game to improve to 15-10 overall and 6-5 in America East, while Vermont fell to 9-15 overall and 3-8 in the league.

Taylor posted her second double-double in three games with 13 points and 13 rebounds, seven on the offensive glass. Heber earned her second straight double-double, 12 points and 10 rebounds, and reached double-digits in the rebounding column for the sixth time in seven games. Tierra Shumpert chipped in 13 points and six boards to round out the scoring leaders with for the Catamounts. UVM won the battle of the boards, outrebounding Hartford 41-24 and 17-8 on the offensive glass.

Nikkia Smith led all scorers and three Hawks in double-digits with 18 points. Daphne Elliott added 15 points and Ruthanne Doherty contributed 12 points and seven rebounds. Freshman Amber Bepko collected a Hartford school record eight steals for the second straight game as the Hawks forced UVM into a season-high 30 turnovers, which led to 22 points for Hartford.

“I'm pretty disappointed today,” said Vermont head coach Lori Gear McBride. “We did not have a good day. I don't know if we showed up ready to handle what Hartford was dishing out. They stepped up their defensive effort and our guards really struggled with the pressure. The 30 turnovers is disappointing to see because we pride ourselves on being able to handle pressure. Inside our forwards had trouble with the physicality of the game and Hartford took it to us,” continued Gear McBride.

“We did not react and adjust to their style as well as I would have liked. Hartford took away our strengths and did a good job. We need to learn how to get tougher and step up,” said Gear McBride.

The teams traded baskets and leads in the opening minutes of action, but the Hawks took a lead they would not relinquish at the 15:48 mark when Bepko converted a layup off a steal to give Hartford a slim 6-5 advantage.

The Hawks lead grew to seven on a free throw by Nikkia Smith, but a layup by Niki Taylor at the 10:36 mark sliced the lead to four, 15-11, with 10:36 left in the half. Hartford would push its lead to 10, 24-14, at the 7:17 mark behind a 9-3 spurt, but the Hawks would not make another field goal until a jumper by Doherty with 34 seconds remaining in the half.

Despite the Hartford struggles from the field, the Catamounts could only get within six and the Hawks held a 30-26 lead at the half.

Hartford scored the first five points of the second half to push its lead back to double-digits. After the two teams traded baskets over the next three minutes, Vermont was able to pull with seven, 31-38, on a basket by Taylor at the 15:40 mark.

The Hartford lead would extend to double-digits six more times in the half, but a 3-pointer by Kayla Burchill and a layup by Heber allowed UVM to climb back within six, 49-43, the smallest deficit of the game for the Catamounts, with 8:10 remaining.

Hartford answered with an 8-1 run, capped by a layup from Doherty, to take a 57-44 lead, its biggest of the game. The Hawks sank four straight free throws in the closing seconds to seal the victory.

Vermont returns to action on Wednesday (Feb. 8) when takes on Binghamton in Vestal, N.Y. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

NOTES: The crowd of 2,068 was the largest for the Catamounts since senior day (Feb. 21, 2010) of the 2009-10 season when 2,001 fans watch Vermont defeat UMBC … America East Players of the Game: Nikkia Smith (Hartford) and Niki Taylor (Vermont).