FINAL SCORE: No. 1 Vermont 98, No. 8 NJIT 59
BURLINGTON, Vt. – Six Catamounts reached double figures as top-seeded Vermont (26-5, 17-1 AE) defeated No. 8 NJIT (11-18, 6-12 AE) 98-59 in the America East Quarterfinals on Sunday afternoon at Patrick Gym. The 98-point output is UVM's highest in the America East Playoffs since 2016.
 
RELATED LINKS
CatamounTV Highlights
Box Score: Web | PDF
CatamounTV Postgame: Becker | Shungu | Davis
 
COACH'S QUOTE
"It was a great first round win, a real team effort," Cioffi Men's Basketball Head Coach John Becker said. "We had six guys in double figures and I thought the bench was really great today. There was no drop off, from the starters to the bench, which we've gotten used to as the year has gone on. Give NJIT credit, their three starting guards were out this game and their last two games. They're playing a lot of guys out of position and don't have much depth. I thought they battled all day and I want to congratulate them on another great year and wish them the best of luck."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Catamounts went on the attack early and grabbed a 22-11 lead by the under-12 media timeout. UVM made nine of its first 13 shots of the game, led by Ryan Davis who had eight points in the early minutes. Vermont had a 16-4 run over a 4:27 span en route to its 11-point lead.
• An 11-3 run stretched UVM's lead to 19 points when Kam Gibson and Nick Fiorillo drilled back-to-back threes from the right wing to go up 33-14 with 8:55 left in the half. After a pair of baskets, the Catamounts added a 12-0 run later on in the quarter to go up 48-21 with 3:08 on the clock. Vermont would take a 48-27 lead into the break.
• UVM opened the second half, making six of its first seven shots in a 16-4 run that gave the Cats a 64-31 lead. Vermont was 2-for-3 from deep during the run, with a pair of treys from Davis and Isaiah Powell.
• The Catamounts' lead extended to as large as 43 points with 5:15 remaining.  Gibson converted on a layup to give UVM the 87-44 lead. NJIT tacked on five points, but Vermont answered to remain up 43 points. The Cats closed out the game with a 39-point advantage.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• The Catamounts shot 59.7% (37-of-62) from the field and 44.8% (13-of-29) from beyond the arc.
• Ben Shungu led Vermont with 15 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the floor, which included one trey. The graduate student picked up five rebounds and registered two steals. Shungu needs three points in Wednesday's game to reach the 1,000-point milestone.
• Davis had 13 points on an efficient 5-for-7 afternoon. The senior sank 1-of-2 treys and cashed in a pair of free throws. Davis also pulled in a team-high seven rebounds and recorded one block.
• Gibson and Fiorillo produced 12 points each, coming off the bench for the Catamounts. Gibson hit 4-of-7 field goals, including 3-of-5 attempts from long range. Fiorillo was 4-for-6 from the field, with a 2-for-3 performance from deep.
• Justin Mazzulla and Aaron Deloney registered 11 points each to round out Vermont's double-digit scorers. Mazzulla made 5-of-6 field goal attempts, pulled in five rebounds, and dished out four assists. Deloney went 4-for-6 on the afternoon, which included three triples.
• Robin Duncan tallied a season-high nine assists in 23:29 of play. The senior produced six of his assists in the opening half.
• With today's win, Vermont Mutual Insurance Group will donate $100 to COTS, the Committee on Temporary Shelter, as part of the Cats Win, Community Wins initiative. A special thank you to Vermont Mutual Insurance for their support. Vermont Mutual Insurance, protecting Vermonters since 1828.

UP NEXT
The Catamounts will host No. 6 Binghamton in the America East Semifinals on Wednesday (Mar. 9) at Patrick Gym. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. Season ticket holders and Victory Club members can visit UVMathletics.com for information on how to purchase their tickets. Sales to the general public will begin on Tuesday (Mar. 8) at 1 p.m. in-person at the Patrick Gym ticket office and online at UVMathletics.com/Tickets. Phone orders will not be taken until all in-person customers have been assisted.
 
TICKET PRICES
Courtside: $30
Padded Reserve: $20
Reserved: $16
Reserved Youth (12 and under): $10
UVM Students: Free
 
Wednesday's game will broadcast live on ESPN+ with Rob Ryan and Bernie Cieplicki on the call. Fans can listen for free on the Vermont Sports Network, from Learfield on The Game, which will air on 97.1 FM in Burlington, 105.9 FM in Plattsburgh, and 960 AM around the rest of the region. The radio broadcast is also available via the Varsity Network App with Brian McLaughlin on the call.  
 
Key Motors of South Burlington is the presenting sponsor of Vermont men's basketball