Men’s Hoop: Jayhawks Pull Away in Second Half, Top Catamounts 84-68

Posted on by George Commo

Courtesy Vermont Sports Information

LAWRENCE, Kan. – The UVM men’s basketball team held a lead for the majority of the first half but the second-ranked Kansas Jayhawks pulled away in the second half for a 84-68 win on Monday night at historic Allen Fieldhouse. The contest was the NIT Season Tip-Off opener for both teams. Vermont drops to 1-1 while Kansas improves to 2-0.

COACH’S QUOTE
“I want to thank Bill Self and Kansas for giving us an opportunity to play a team like Kansas in a venue like this,” said Meghan and Robert Cioffi Head Coach John Becker. “It’s a special place and hopefully we will take a lot from this loss that will help us down the road.”

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Jayhawks hit a pair of three-pointers to begin the game but the Catamounts countered with a 16-2 run and drained four long balls in the process for a 16-8 lead at the 16-minute media timeout.
UVM held off Kansas for the majority of the half but KU reclaimed a 31-30 lead at the 4:14 mark with a dunk from Udoka Azubuike. The two traded baskets over the next two minutes but Kansas closed out the half on a 7-0 run for a 40-36 lead at the recess.
The two teams struggled to begin the second half but the Jayhawks slowly built a double-digit lead with a 10-5 run in the opening six minutes. KU continued to pad its lead to as large as 68-50 with 7:26 left to play. The Cats chipped away at the deficit and cut the margin to 69-60 with at the 5:51 mark but the Jayhawks sparked a 15-8 run to finish the game.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Anthony Lamb poured in a team-high 24 points on 8-of-15 shooting. He also grabbed four rebounds and doled out three assists.
Ernie Duncan had a big night with 15 points and hit three attempts from downtown.
Stef Smith reached double figures for the Cats with 13 points. The sophomore hit three triples and finished 4-of-7 from the floor.
WHO’S NEXT
Vermont will return to the Green Mountain State to host NVU Lyndon on Wednesday (Nov. 14). The opening tip is set for 7 p.m. Fans can purchase tickets at UVMathletics.com/Tickets or at the Patrick Gym Box Office on gameday.

The game will be streamed live on ESPN+. Fans can access ESPN+ with a seven-day free trial, followed by a subscription fee of $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year, with the ability to cancel at any time. Fans can also listen to the game on 101.3 The Game and 1013TheGame.com with Jake Marsh on the call.