FINAL SCORE: Columbia 73, Vermont 56
NEW YORK – The University of Vermont women's basketball team fell on the road Tuesday night to the Columbia Lions 73-56 in Levian Gym. Senior Camille Zimmerman posted a career-high 31 points in Columbia's victory over the Catamounts. Vermont falls to 1-1 (0-0) and Columbia improves to a 2-0 record.  
 
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Andreana Thomas paced the Vermont offense with 14 points and Candice Wright chipped in eight for UVM. Courtney Wright shot 100-percent from the field (3-for-3) for a second straight game as she totaled seven points and a team-high nine rebounds. Vermont was held to 6-for-22 from 3-point range and shot 34-percent from the field.
 
Zimmerman and Tori Oliver combined for 50 of Columbia's 73 points, while Zimmerman also collected a game-high 12 rebounds for her first double-double of the season. The Lions shot 89-percent (17-for-19) from the foul line and accrued 17 assists.
 
Vermont spent the early minutes of the game in foul trouble as the Catamounts picked up five first-quarter fouls allowing the Lions to create a 13-6 lead. Sydney Smith and Thomas sunk back-to-back 3-pointers slicing the Columbia advantage to one with 2:16 left in the first. Devon Roeper knocked down a 15-footer at the buzzer putting Columbia up 17-12 over UVM at the end of the period.
 
Sara Mede sent a back door pass across the lane to Roeper who connected for a layup, but the Lions found themselves in similar foul trouble in the second quarter. Vermont kept the game within reach as the Catamoutns went 6-for-8 from the line in the second.
 
Hayley Robertson added six points in the half as she completed a fast break layup and dropped a shot from behind the arc to tie game with 3:23 left in the half. The remainder of the second quarter was tight as freshman Josie Little recorded her sixth point, giving the Lions a two-point edge. Another free throw from Kylie Butler kept the Cats within one at 30-29 to close the first half.
 
Zimmerman and Oliver took off on a 13-2 run to begin the second half and put the Lions up 43-31. Zimmerman nailed her fourth outside shot  at the 2:43 mark, giving the Lions their largest cushion of the game as Vermont trailed by 13.
 
A late third period rally by Smith and Thomas put the Catamounts within seven, but Oliver knocked down the final bucket of the third period for a 55-46 lead heading into the final 10 minutes of regulation.
 
The Lions began to pull away in the fourth quarter when Emily Surloff netted a jumper with 3:53 remaining, putting Columbia up 66-52. Butler remained strong from the free throw line, adding another pair to finish 7-for-10 from the stripe on the night. A final 10-3 run late in the second half secured Columbia's 17-point victory.

"I was disappointed in our overall execution tonight," head coach Lori Gear McBride noted. "Defensively we didn't get the stops needed to get our transition game going and offensively we struggled to hit shots. We will learn from this game and continue to improve."
 
The Catamounts continue their road trip and head to Rhode Island for a pair of games as they travel to Smithfield on Saturday (Nov. 21) to take on Bryant at 1 p.m. followed by Providence for a game on Monday (Nov. 23) against Brown at 7 p.m.
 
Radio coverage the games begins 20 minutes prior to tip-off on WVMT 620-AM and SportsJuice.com. Click here for live video links during the three-game road trip.