RIVERDALE, NY – The Catamounts erased a double-digit first quarter deficit but fell 53-43 on the road against Manhattan on Saturday afternoon. The loss snaps Vermont's three game winning streak and drops them to 6-5 on the season, while with the win the Jaspers improve to 5-2 on the season.
 
RELATED LINKS
Box Score | Box Score (.pdf)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Both teams traded three pointers early on, before the Jaspers finished the quarter on a 13-2 run over the final 7:05 of the first quarter. Paula Gonzalez had three for the Catamounts and Emma Utterback added two points. Anne Bair led all scorers with seven points in the quarter.
• Petra Juric scored the first basket of the second quarter for Manhattan to push their lead to 18-5 with 9:13 remaining in the half.
• Vermont responded with a 17-2 run over the next six minutes to seize a 22-20 lead off an Anna Olson layup with 3:06 remaining. Keira Hanson provided a spark off the bench for the Catamounts hitting two threes and leading all scorers with eight points in the quarter.
• Manhattan closed the first half with a layup from Juric and two free throws from Anne Bair to give the Jaspers a 24-22 lead heading into the halftime break.
• The two teams battled back-and-forth throughout the third quarter with Manhattan pushing their advantage to as much as seven (31-24) following a Jade Blagrove three 4:07 remaining.
• However, Andjela Matic knocked a three for the Catamounts on the next possession to spark a 7-2 spurt. Nikola Priede capped the run with a turnaround jumper with 1:49 remaining to close the score back to two, 33-31.
• Over the final minute plus each team scored four points, with the Jaspers taking a 37-35 lead into the final stanza.
• The two teams again battled over the first six minutes of the fourth with Manhattan holding just a 9-8 advantage, to take a 46-43 lead. Hanson hit another three while Delaney Richason added a triple of her own for the Catamounts.
• The Jaspers put the clamps on Vermont from there outscoring the Catamounts 7-0 over the final four minutes to give the game its final score of 53-43.

 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Hanson scored a career-high 11 points and also added a career-high five assists to lead the Catamounts.
• Olson grabbed a team-high seven rebounds to go with four points and five assists.
• Richason had an all-around game finishing with five points, five rebounds, two assists and one block.
• Vermont shot a season-high 41.2 percent (7-for-17) from three point range. 

WHAT'S NEXT
The Catamounts will have a week off before returning to Patrick Gymnasium on Saturday (Dec. 16) to face Duquesne. The start time for that game is scheduled for 2 p.m. and will be broadcast live on ESPN+. Fans can also listen to the game through the radio broadcast via the Varsity Network App with the voice of Catamounts women's basketball, Ryan Zimmerman, on the call.
 
Vermont Federal Credit Union is the presenting sponsor of Vermont Women's Basketball