FINAL SCORE: UMBC 52, Vermont 51
BURLINGTON, VT.– The Catamounts lost both games of the recent homestand following a narrow 52-51 defeat at the hands of the UMBC Retrievers. UVM and UMBC split the regular season series 1-1, as Vermont won 72-58 in Baltimore on Jan. 6.
 
Saturday's game was the annual Rally Against Cancer Game presented by Otter Creek Awnings and Vermont Custom Closets. Players and fans wore pink in support of the efforts occurring at the University of Vermont Cancer Center. Game-worn pink jerseys are being auctioned off now at UVMathletics.com/auctions to benefit the UVM Cancer Center. It was also the Pack The House game with an attendance of 1,360 fans.
 
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Vermont and UMBC played each other tightly in the first period. The Retrievers held a 12-10 lead after the first quarter, as neither team scored in the final 3:30 following the media timeout.
 
UMBC increased the lead to nine points at halftime: 29-20. The Catamounts committed 11 turnovers in the first half, including eight in the first quarter.
 
The Retrievers led 42-36 after three quarters but the Catamounts made things interesting in the fourth. UVM took a 51-50 lead with 1:38 remaining in the fourth quarter before UMBC reclaimed the lead on a Lakiah Sims jumper with 58 seconds to play. Vermont had the ball with 10 seconds left down by a point, but failed to score on the game's final possession.
 
UMBC was led by three players in double-figures scoring wise: Brittani Burgess (13 pts), Lucrezia Costa (12) and Allison McGrath (12).
  
UVM featured just one player in double-figures: Hanna Crymble. Crymble scored 18 points (7-8 FT) while collected four rebounds and an assist. The sophomore forward has now scored double-figures in 19 of the 22 games that she has played in this season.  
 
Katie Lavelle finished with a season-high nine points (4-6 FG). She also added two assists and a career-high three blocked shots.
 
Sydney Smith hit two three-point shots to bring her career total to 176. Smith is fourth all-time in the UVM record book for three-pointers made and is 11 triples shy of third place, currently held by May Kotsopoulos '10 (187).
 
With the loss, the Vermont is now 6-16 overall, 5-8 at home and 3-6 in America East play. Meanwhile, UMBC moves to 3-20 overall, 1-10 on the road and 2-8 in conference play.
 
With the win, the Retrievers improve to 18-15 against the Catamounts in the all-time series, which dates back to 1996.
 
Despite losing the game, Vermont won the rebounding battle 29-24. However, the Catamounts committed 15 turnovers, while the Retrievers coughed the ball up 11 times.
    
As a team, Vermont shot 40% from the field, 29% from downtown (5-17) and 91% at the free throw line (10-11). Meanwhile, UMBC went 46% from the floor, 28% from distance (5-18) and 50% at the foul line (1-2).
    
Next up, UVM heads on the road for a quick turnaround at New Hampshire on Monday night (7 p.m.). The Catamounts lost the previous regular season matchup to the Wildcats at home (52-49) on Jan. 18.
 
The video broadcast for the New Hampshire game can be found on ESPN3. Per a contract with ESPN, every America East game airs online on ESPN3. 
 
Logan Ratick has the play-by-play call for Monday's showdown with New Hampshire on CatamounTV.com, as well as the flagship station for UVM women's basketball, News/Talk 620 WVMT-AM. Pregame coverage begins at 6:40 p.m., with tip-off set for 7 p.m. from Lundholm Gym in Durham, New Hampshire.