FINAL SCORE: Vermont 80, Concordia 43
BURLINGTON, Vt. – The UVM men's basketball team opened the 2018-19 season with an 80-43 win over Concordia on Saturday night at Patrick Gym. Vermont had four players reach double figures and used 33 bench points to seal the victory.
 
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COACH'S QUOTE
"It was good to get the first one under our belt," head coach John Becker said. "I thought the guys played hard, everyone got some playing time, and it was a really good defensive effort. Overall, we'll see what the tape says, but it felt like a pretty good first performance."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Catamounts wasted very little time building a big lead with a 17-2 run in the first eight minutes of the game. The Stingers hit a jumper at the 17:15 mark but UVM's defense held CU without a bucket for the ensuing 5:17. Concordia slowly chipped away and cut the deficit to single digits at the 6:33 mark but the Cats produced a quick 11-6 run in the final minutes, capped off by Anthony Lamb's buzzer-beating layup for a 30-18 advantage at the break.
• In the second half, the two teams traded baskets through the 16-minute media timeout until Vermont extended its lead to 55-30 with a 17-5 run in a five-minute span. UVM continued to pull away through most of the half and held Concordia without a field goal for the final four and a half minutes of the game. In the four-minute stretch, the Cats outscored the Stingers 15-1 for the final margin of victory.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Isaiah Moll had a nice debut with 19 points and seven points – both game highs. Moll's 19 points came in the second half and the freshman found his stroke on 8-of-11 shooting in the final frame.
• Ra Kpedi added 14 points and five rebounds for the Cats. The sophomore shot a perfect 6-for-6 from the floor and grabbed a pair of offensive boards.
• Lamb reached double digits with 13 points and six rebounds. The junior also recorded an assist and a steal.
• The Catamounts shot 50.0% (32-for-64) on the night and held the Stingers to 29.1% (16-55). UVM also forced 22 turnovers and created 25 points off CU's mistakes. 

WHO'S NEXT
Vermont will host crosstown foe St. Michael's next Sunday (Nov. 4) at 4:30 p.m. Tickets are available for purchase at UVMathletics.com/Tickets or at the Patrick Gym Box Office on gameday. Free live video will be available at AmericaEast.TV. The game can be heard on 101.3 The Game with Jake Marsh on the call.
 
National Life Group is the presenting sponsor of the 2018-19 Vermont men's basketball season