Max Mahoney slam dunk vs. Vermont before the end of the first half.
Rich Gagnon
78
Winner Vermont VERMONT 1-0
72
Boston University BOSTONU 1-1
Winner
Vermont VERMONT
1-0
78
Final
72
Boston University BOSTONU
1-1
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Vermont VERMONT 33 45 78
Boston University BOSTONU 39 33 72

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Vermont Outlasts Men's Basketball, 78-72

BOSTON – Despite juniors Max Mahoney and Tyler Scanlon combining for 35 points, the Boston University men's basketball team came up just short in the home opener to America East preseason favorite Vermont, 78-72, on Friday night at Case Gym.

The Terriers (1-1) shot 53.6 percent from the field in the first half but were limited to 36.4 FG% in the second, as the Catamounts (1-0) pulled away during the final 80 seconds with an 8-2 spurt. All-AE Preseason honoree Anthony Lamb (19 pts., 14 rebs., 4 blks.) and 2018 All-AE Rookie Team honoree Stef Smith (22 pts.) combined for Vermont's final 12 points to win the 100th all-time meeting between the two programs.

TURNING POINT
  • Holding possession of the ball with a 70-68 lead and 2:20 remaining in regulation, the Terriers missed their next four shot attempts and only made one of their final six.
  • Smith tied the contest for the 11th and final time at 1:55 on a layup, and Lamb hit back-to-back short jumpers at 1:18 and :33, respectively, before swatting away a BU layup attempt on the next possession.
  • Smith and Lamb then flushed two free throws apiece in the final 15 seconds to help seal the victory.
THE SETUP
  • The first half was a battle of runs with both squads grabbing at least two five-point leads apiece.
  • Facing an early two-point (6-4) deficit, Vermont's Ernie Duncan hit a pair of free throws at 16:53 and drained the first of four 3-pointers one minute later to spark a 9-2 spurt capped by Everett Duncan's layup at 15:08.
  • Freshman Garrett Pascoe followed with a 3-pointer on the next possession to help the Terriers go on a 14-1 run that finished with freshman Jack Hemphill's free throw at 10:20.
  • UVM then scored 13 straight points over the following four minutes to jump ahead, 27-22, but BU ended the half on a 17-6 run with Mahoney providing an emphatic dunk before the buzzer.
  • Sophomore Sukhmail Mathon opened the second-half scoring with a jumper on sophomore Javante McCoy's assist for a 41-33 lead, and redshirt-freshman Alex Vilarino extended the lead to 52-42 at 13:33 on his own jumper.
  • The Catamounts came out of the called timeout with a 17-4 run capped by back-to-back 3-point plays from Smith and Moll at 9:14 to grab a 59-56 lead.
  • Scanlon scored eight of BU's next 10 points, highlighted by a 3-pointer at 5:41 for a 66-61 advantage.
  • Ernie Duncan pulled UVM within two (68-66) with 4:11 remaining on his fourth bomb, and Smith tied the game on the next possession for the 10th time.
  • Mahoney drew a foul and sunk both free throws to give the Terriers their final lead of the game at 3:07.
GAME NOTES
  • Mahoney (18 pts.) and Scanlon (17 pts.) went a combined 14-of-26 from the field, as BU finished 27-of-61 (.443) against UVM's 27-of-60 (.450). 
  • Coming off last season's 27-8 record, the defending America East regular season champion Catamounts hit three more 3-pointers (8-5) and three more free throws (16-13) to put the final margin at six points.
  • Mahoney and Scanlon also totaled 13 rebounds to help BU edge the Catamounts in rebounds, 37-36 ... Vermont last year ranked 49th nationally in rebounding margin (+4.3).
  • McCoy scored all 10 of his points in the first half and finished with four assists alongside Pascoe.
  • Freshman Fletcher Tynen added eight points off the bench with three rebounds, while Vilarino had three assists.
  • Vermont snapped a two-game losing streak to the Terriers, as they met for the first time since BU departed the America East for the Patriot League in the summer of 2013 ... BU now leads the all-time series, 55-45.
  • BU committed 11 turnovers for the second consecutive game following Tuesday's win at CAA preseason favorite Northeastern, but Vermont recorded 18 points off the miscues compared to the Huskies' eight.
NEXT UP: EMERSON
  • The Terriers will conclude their two-game homestand on Sunday (Nov. 11) at 1 p.m. with their first-ever meeting against the Lions.
  • Emerson marks the second consecutive year that BU will host a member of the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) following last season's 83-48 win over Wheaton College.
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