Men’s Hoops: UVM Extends Winning Streak to Six, Tops Northeastern 75-70

Posted on by George Commo

Courtesy Vermont Sports Information

BURLINGTON – The UVM men’s basketball team used a balanced scoring attack to extend its winning streak to six games with a 75-70 win over former America East rival Northeastern on Sunday afternoon. The Cats had eight players score a point and improved to 8-3 on the year while the Huskies slipped to 5-6.

COACH’S QUOTE
“I thought we guarded and played hard for the full 40 minutes tonight,” Cioffi Men’s Basketball Head Coach John Becker said. “We’ve talked about guys finding their roles and delivering consistent production. I thought Stef Smith stepped up and came through when we needed him in the second half.”

HOW IT HAPPENED
After a tight defensive start, the Huskies jumped out to an 11-7 start and held the Cats scoreless for five minutes.
UVM worked a 12-6 run and took a 19-17 lead at the 7:52 mark after finishing a 3-on-1 fast break opportunity. Everett Duncan stole the ball in front of his own bench, then passed ahead to younger brother Robin Duncan, who handed the ball off to Samuel Dingba for an easy layup.
The two programs went into the locker room deadlocked at 29-29 after Isaiah Moll hit a finger roll in the paint with 27 ticks left in the period.
Leading 39-38 lead at the 14:26 mark in the second half, the Catamounts reeled off seven unanswered points in a two-minute stretch.
Vermont’s advantage hovered around double digits for most of the period but the Green and Gold got over the hump with a mid-range jumper from Smith for a 60-49 lead with 3:44 left to play.
The Huskies buried three triples down the stretch to climb back into the game, but the Catamounts made 8-of-10 attempts at the foul line in the final minute to seal the victory.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Anthony Lamb notched a team-high 17 points and eight rebounds. The reigning America East Player of the Week also dished out two assists.
Smith and Everett Duncan followed with 13 points apiece. Smith shot 6-of-13 from the floor, collected five boards, and handed out three assists. Duncan was 3-of-5 from the field and canned a pair from beyond the arc.
Ernie Duncan became the 22nd player in program history to reach the 1,200-career point plateau.
UVM snapped a three-game skid against Northeastern and improved to 29-44 all-time. The Cats also beat the Huskies on their home floor for the first time since the 2005 America East Championship Game.
With the victory, the Cats Win, Community Wins campaign and Vermont Mutual Insurance Group will donate another $100 to the Boys and Girls Club of Burlington, bringing this year’s total to 115 wins and $11,500.
WHO’S NEXT
Vermont will finish its three-game homestand against St. Bonaventure on Tuesday (Dec. 18). 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. All of Sunday’s action can be seen 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 contest on 101.3 The Game and 1013TheGame.com with Jake Marsh on the call.