Articles

Vermont Women's Basketball Falls to Stony Brook in America East Opener

Details: Created on Tuesday, 03 January 2012 03:54; Written by George Commo

Seawolves pull out a 54-47 victory over the Catamounts

Courtesy Vermont Sports Information

BURLINGTON – Junior Dani Klupenger scored a game-high 18 points and went 4-for-6 from three-point range to help the Stony Brook Seawolves pull out a 54-47 victory over the Vermont Catamounts in the America East opener for both teams at Patrick Gymnasium.

Stony Brook earns its third straight win and improves to 4-10 overall and opens league play with a 1-0 mark. Vermont suffers its seventh straight loss and falls to 6-8 overall, 0-1 in America East.

“We never got settled into our offensive flow. I give Stony Brook a lot of credit,” said Vermont head coach Lori Gear McBride. “We had our opportunities, they were open looks, and we didn't convert. Then we did crash the boards and anytime you get one opportunity at a offensive position it's going to hurt you.”

Neither team could get on track offensively in the first half as each squad shot under 30 percent from the field. The Seawolves went over seven minutes without a field goal, while the Catamounts had a drought that lasted over six minutes.

The Seawolves took the lead from the tip and held on throughout the half. Vermont cut the lead to two, 13-11, at the 3:48 mark on a free throw by Lauren Buschmann. Stony Brook answered with an 8-3 run, behind a pair of three-pointers from Dani Klupenger, over the final 2:29 of the half to take a 21-14 lead, its largest of the half, at the break.

The Catamounts opened the second half with a 7-3 run to climb back within two, 23-21, and took their first lead of the game, 26-25, at the 14:16 mark when Niki Taylor converted a wide open layup off an inbounds play under the basket.

The Seawolves came back and regained the lead on a layup by Taylor Burner with 11:47 remaining. Stony Brook took advantage of another Vermont scoring drought and extended its lead to six, 36-30, with 5:34 left in the half.

Vermont continued to fight and a layup by Buschmann cut the lead to three 36-33, with 3:41 remaining. Stony Brook was able to hold off the Catamounts by making 13-of-16 free throws over the final 2:44 of the contest.

Stony Brook finished the game shooting 22-for-29 from the foul line, while the Catamounts were 10-for-21. Both teams shot 28 percent from the floor. The Seawolves won the rebounding battle, out rebounding Vermont 46-40 in the game and posted 16 second chance points to UVM's seven.

Klupenger added five rebounds and Whitney Davis, the team's leading scorer chipped in 11 points and six boards. Jessica Previlon and Gerda Gatling combined for 18 rebounds for Stony Brook.

Buschmann posted her fifth double-double of the year with 11 points and 13 rebounds to lead Vermont. Taylor was one rebound shy of a double-double, chipping in 10 points and nine caroms.

Vermont returns to action on Wednesday (Jan. 4) when it hosts Boston University at 7 p.m. at Patrick Gymnasium. Live video of the game will be available for free via CatamounTV at UVMathletics.com.

NOTES: Vermont was playing its first home game since Nov. 22 … The Seawolves pick up their first win against Vermont in eight tries … SBU's last win over the Catamounts was Feb. 24, 2007 … America East players of the game: Niki Taylor (UVM)/Dani Klupenger (SBU).