Courtesy Vermont Sports Information

BURLINGTON – Hanna Crymble had her first career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds and Lauren Handy chipped in 16 points, but Brown’s Erika Steeves racked up 17 points to go with 11 boards of her own as the Bears topped UVM 62-50 at Patrick Gymnasium on Thursday.

Brown is 6-3 following the win while the Catamounts fall to 3-6 on the season. The game was played in front of a crowd of 1,206 as Vermont celebrated Catamount Classroom presented by VSAC, sponsor of Vermont’s 529 college-savings plan.

Rachel Merrill had a career-high seven rebounds in the setback, while Handy netted four blocks, also a single-game high for the sophomore.

After being faced with a 12-point deficit following the first quarter, the Catamounts constructed a 14-1 run over a stretch of 5:19 in the second. With the help of behind the arc points from Crymble, Handy and Kristina White, UVM clawed its way back and trailed only by a 25-24 margin at halftime.

The early stages of the third period saw momentum swing back and forth as Steeves buried an early layup to precede the same result by Taylor Will and Shayna Mehta. The Catamounts then responded with a 3-pointer courtesy of Handy before Crymble buried a layup and White hit from downtown. White’s three ultimately put the Catamounts in front by a 32-31 margin, completing the double-digit comeback effort.

The Bears then used a solid fourth quarter to cement the victory. Steves tallied eight of her 17 points in the final 10 minutes, helping Brown build a game-high 17-point lead with six minutes to play. Crymble entered the frame already with nine boards for UVM, pulling down a rebound to seal the double-double with 6:16 on the clock.

Brown’s Taylor Will followed up Steeves, finishing with 13 points while Kathleen Ryan had 12.

Vermont now awaits a matchup with the University of Michigan, taking place at noon on Saturday, Dec. 17 in Ann Arbor, Michigan.