FINAL SCORE: Vermont 72, UMass Lowell 65
LOWELL, Mass. – Vermont (15-5, 5-0 AE) defeated UMass Lowell (14-5, 5-1 AE) 75-65 in a dramatic overtime contest on Thursday night at Costello Athletic Center. Four Catamounts reached double figures for the second straight matchup in their nation-best 20th-straight league win.

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COACH'S QUOTE
"Great performance by our guys," Cioffi Men's Basketball Head Coach John Becker said. "Had the game there I think up seven with a minute and a half to go, and you know kind of gave away the game at the end a little bit, but I thought our guys did a great job of regrouping in overtime. TJ Hurley and TJ Long made huge shots and I thought Ileri was dominant, you know, on the defensive end and then made four free throws that kind of sealed the game away. Just a gutsy performance by our guys tonight, in a really hostile environment, against a really good team in UMass Lowell."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Vermont opened play with a 12-5 run to begin the first half. Shamir Bogues and Matt Veretto led the charge, each swishing a three pointer in pursuit of the early lead. Bogues also tallied a pair of layups to give the Catamounts a spark.
• The River Hawks answered with a 15-2 scoring run of their own, taking a 20-16 lead with 8:16 remaining in half one. Nick Fiorillo made UVM's lone field goal in a 6:39 scoring drought.
• Aaron Deloney snapped a 12-shot miss streak from beyond the arc for the Catamounts after sinking two consecutive three-pointers, cutting the deficit to three, 26-29, with 1:18 left in the first half.
• Despite a strong start, Vermont found themselves entering halftime down by three, 26-29.
• Bogues tallied the first four points for Vermont to begin the second half, converting on both layup attempts and bringing the Catamounts within two points, 30-32.
• Ileri Ayo-Faleye earned himself a trip to the free-throw line after a hard play at the basket for Vermont's first two FT attempts of the night. After making both attempts, the Catamounts won the lead back, 34-32, when Fiorillo converted on a layup the next offensive possession.
• Both teams traded turns scoring buckets before the second media timeout, where Vermont found themselves with another two-point deficit looking to climb back. The score was 38-40 with 11:45 remaining of gametime.
• Ayo-Faleye started to turn up offensively when he carried Vermont on a 9-2 scoring run, scoring all nine points for the Catamounts and retaking the lead, 47-44.
• UVM started flying around on the defensive side, led by Bogues getting his second steal of the night and scoring a layup on the other end, forcing the River Hawks to call a timeout and recoup. Vermont led 51-45 with 8:38 left on the clock.
• The Catamounts lead bloomed to seven, 56-49, after Hurley drained a three-point shot right in front of Vermont's bench while falling to the floor. Deloney followed up with two consecutive floaters of his own from inside the paint, maintaining the Catamount lead, 60-53.
• A late foul on Vermont gave Quinton Mincey three attempts at the free throw line. After making all three, UMass Lowell trailed by two, 60-58. Max Brooks tied the game 60-60 for the River Hawks with 0:17 left of the game. The game was sent to overtime at the end of regulation.
• UMass Lowell struck first in OT when Brayden O'Connor made both his free throws, taking the lead, 60-62.
• Bogues answered for Vermont, driving hard to the basket and scoring his 19th point of the game. On the next possession, Hurley drilled his second three to take the lead 65-62, forcing UMass Lowell to take a timeout with 1:23 remaining of overtime.
• After O'Conner made a three in response, Long scored his first field goal of the game, a three-pointer in stride, after receiving a pass from Bogues giving the Catamounts a 68-65 lead with 0:42 remaining.
• Ayo-Faleye sealed the deal, making four free throws late in the game to give Vermont the 72-65 victory.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Ayo-Faleye had himself a career night with his first double-double. The 6-8 forward earned new career highs in three departments, producing 15 points, 10 rebounds, and five blocks, along with a career night from the free throw line, shooting 8-9. Ayo-Faleye's 10 rebounds and five blocks were also game highs.
• Ayo-Faleye was the only Catamount to attempt a free throw during the matchup.
• Bogues tied a season high, 19 points, while totaling eight rebounds, four assists and three steals. His 19 points were also team high.
• Fiorillo earned himself new career highs, registering six assists and four steals for the Catamounts. His six led all Vermont players, and his four steals were a game high.
• The Catamounts earned 11 steals to the River Hawks six.
• Vermont shot 40.0 percent from the field (28-of-70) while holding UMass Lowell to 36.8 percent (21-of-57) from the field.
• UVM also shot better from the free throw line, shooting 88.9 percent on 8-of-9 while the River Hawks converted 82.6 percent (19-of-23) of their free throws.  
• Vermont handed UMass Lowell its first loss at Costello Athletic Center in 21 games, dating back to Mar. 1, 2022.
• With the win, Vermont Mutual Insurance Group will donate $100 to Vermont Children's Trust Foundation as part of the Cats Win, Community Wins initiative. Since its inauguration in 2017, Vermont Mutual Insurance Group has donated over $94,000 to local non-profits through the Cats Win, Community Wins initiative.

UP NEXT
UVM's road trip continues when it visits Bryant in a battle for first place on Saturday (Jan. 27) in Smithfield, R.I. The opening tip is set for 4 p.m. ET at Chace Athletic Center. Tickets are available at BryantBulldogs.com.

BROADCAST INFORMATION
Saturday's game will broadcast live on ESPN+. An international stream will also be available on AmericaEast.TV. Fans can listen to the game 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.
 
McGee Automotive Family is the presenting sponsor of Vermont men's basketball