March 13, 2010
Final Stats
BURLINGTON, Vt. - After seeing its 11-point halftime lead cut to one with 10:20 remaining, Vermont went on a 7-0 run over the next four minutes and held off another charge from the Boston University men's basketball team for an 83-70 victory in the America East Championship game Saturday afternoon at Patrick Gymnasium. Both senior Corey Lowe and sophomore Jake O'Brien were named to the all-tournament team after helping the Terriers (19-13) reach their 14th all-time appearance in the league final and first since 2003.
Trying to become the lowest seed ever to win the league title, fourth-seeded BU turned the ball over a season-low six times but shot 21-for-55 (.382) from the field while also losing the rebound battle, 36-26. Lowe tallied 24 points to finish the tournament averaging 24.7 ppg and possibly his career with 1,803 total as the program's No. 3 all-time scorer. O'Brien and Carlos Strong added 17 and 11, respectively, while Jeff Pelage recorded a team-high eight rebounds.
Tournament MVP Marqus Blakely led the second-seeded Catamounts (25-9) with 24 points and 18 rebounds to help them earn their 11th win in the last 12 games. Nick Vier only attempted four field goals, but hit all of them from beyond the arc to finish with 15 points. Maurice Joseph added 13 points, while Evan Fjeld contributed nine points and six rebounds. UVM shot 26-for-45 (.578) from the field and scored 32 points in the paint against BU's 18. The defense also prevented the Terriers from scoring a single point off nine turnovers.
The Catamounts jumped out to a 7-2 lead after Garvey Young's 3-pointer with 16:11 remaining, but Lowe hit one of his three 3-pointers to bring BU within two on the ensuing possession. After Pelage's layup cut BU's deficit to three, 17-14, at 11:35, UVM went on a 7-0 run for its first double-digit lead of the game with 8:45 remaining.
Holland's two made free throws at 3:13 put the score at 35-29, but the Terriers ended the half shooting 1-for-3 while turning the ball over twice to enter the locker room trailing, 42-31. Blakely hit a jumper inside the paint with two seconds left, as UVM shot a blistering 16-for-25 (.640) and held a 18-9 edge in rebounds. BU kept the game within reach by going 10-for-11 (.909) at the line.
Fjeld started the second half with a layup off an assist from Joseph, but Holland responded with a 3-pointer to help quiet the crowd. Trailing 50-38 with 15:37 remaining, BU made its move with a 15-4 run that included two treys from O'Brien and another form Lowe at 10:20.
The Terriers had two possessions to take the lead but missed three attempts and would never get any closer the rest of the game. Fjeld hit a layup, and Joseph drained a 3-pointer following BU's final turnover at 7:59 to push the lead back to six.
Morris hit the team's last 3-pointer with 4:58 remaining to cut the deficit to four, 62-58, but UVM's defense clamped down and pulled away with a 6-0 run for the victory. After Blakely made one free throw, he grabbed a rebound off Holland's missed 3-pointer, and then Joseph fed Vier for the open trey.
The Catamounts made enough of its free throws in the final three minutes to extend is winning streak to five games against the Terriers. UVM finished 23-for-35 (.657) from the line, while BU shot 18-for-24 (.750).
Becoming just the fifth first-year head coach in America East history to lead his team to the championship game, Patrick Chambers will now await word if the Terriers will continue postseason play in one of the other tournaments, including the NIT and CBI.
