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LOWELL Mass. – Dre Wills set a new career high for the second straight game with a team-high 20 points to lead four Catamounts in double figures as Vermont pulled away from UMass Lowell to post a 61-50 win at the Tsongas Center in America East men's basketball action Sunday.
Vermont improves to 11-9 overall and 6-1 in America East. UMass Lowell falls to 9-12 overall and 3-5 in league play.
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Box Score (.pdf) Wills was 6-for-7 from the floor, 8-for-10 from the foul line and added four rebounds and three steals.
Ethan O'Day added 13 points, while
Kurt Steidl and
Hector Harold chipped in 10 points each.
Trae Bell-Haynes contributed just two points, but handed out six assists, grabbed five rebounds and collected four steals.
Jahad Thomas paced the Riverhawks with 20 points and five rebounds. Matt Harris added 13 points and Chad Holley chipped in 10 to round out the UMass Lowell scoring leaders.
UMass Lowell opened the game with a 7-1 lead. The Catamounts responded with a 9-0 run to take a 10-7 lead at the 13:48 mark. UMass Lowell regained the lead, 13-12, on a basket by Brad Schuab at the 10:59 mark.
UVM answered with an 11-2 spurt, ignited by a dunk from Wills to push out to an eight-point advantage, 23-15, with 5:37 remaining in the half. Lowell trimmed the lead to one, 23-22 with 3:56 showing on the clock, but Vermont pushed back out in front by nine and went to the locker room with a 31-25 lead.
Vermont led by 10 in the opening minutes of the second half, but the Riverhawks used a 10-2 run to take a 36-35 lead with 11:52 remaining in the game. The teams traded baskets and the lead over the next two minutes. A pair of free throws by Wills with 9:58 left pushed Vermont back in front for good. The Catamounts used an 8-1 spurt, capped by a 3-pointer from Steidl, to build an eight-point advantage with 7:37 remaining.
UMass Lowell closed to within four, on a four-point play by Harris who was fouled on a made 3-pointer at the 3:28 mark, but Vermont secured the win with a 7-for-8 effort from the foul line and out scored the Riverhawks 9-2 over the final 3:05.
Vermont held the Riverhawks to 32.7 percent shooting in the game, 28 percent in the second half. The Catamounts shot better than 50 percent in each half, finishing the game at 54.1 percent from the field. UVM also improved on its free throw shooting, going 19-for-22 from the line in the game.
Vermont returns to Patrick Gymnasium to host the Albany on Wednesday. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online via UVMathletics.com, in person at the UVM Athletic Ticket Office (M-F: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.), via the phone at 802-656-4410, or in person one hour before tipoff in the Patrick Gymnasium Lobby.
A.J. Kanell will have the call on ESPN 101.3 FM (online:
1013ESPN.com) and the game will be streamed online for free in HD via
CatamounTV.com.