The Vermont Catamounts men’s basketball team lost 74-59 to UMBC in the America East Championship at Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena on March 14. Vermont finished the season with a record of 22-12 overall and 12-4 in conference play, while UMBC improved to 24-8 overall and 14-2 in the conference.
The game was closely contested in the first half, with Vermont holding a slight edge at several points. Despite an early injury, one Vermont player returned after the first media timeout. The teams were tied at multiple intervals, including a 17-17 score midway through the first half. Vermont went into halftime trailing by just two points, down 30-28.
UMBC started strong in the second half, going on a run that put them ahead by seven points early on. Vermont managed to regain momentum and took a brief lead at 51-48 with eight minutes left in the game following a dunk. However, UMBC responded with key three-pointers and closed out the contest on a decisive 17-5 run.
One Catamount recorded a team-high 17 points and also led with two steals. Two other players reached double figures with eleven points each. Another player contributed eight rebounds for Vermont, which shot 42.4% from the field compared to UMBC’s 41.2%.
The loss ends Vermont’s run in the America East Championship as they look ahead to future seasons.
