BALTIMORE—All five Vermont starters posted double figures
and the visiting Catamounts defeated UMBC, 80-67, at the RAC
Arena.
The win was the seventh straight and 20th of the
season for America East league-leading Vermont (20-5,
11-2) , while UMBC (5-20, 4-8) saw its two-game winning streak
halted.
UMBC junior guard Chris De La
Rosa (Washington Heights, N.Y.) led all scorers with 20
points and was the Retrievers' America East Player of the Game.
Vermont sophomore wing Brendan Bald, from nearby Millersville, Md.,
scored 14 of his 19 points in the first half and earned the honor
for the Catamounts.
De La Rosa scored seven of UMBC's first nine points and his
traditional three-point play pulled the hosts within 10-9 at the
17:08 mark of the first half. But Vermont went on a 12-0 run,
capped by a Luke Apfeld dunk and the visitors surged ahead, 22-9
with 11:57 remaining. They would outrebound the Retrievers,
25-12, outscore them 24-6 in the paint, and build a
45-23 halftime advantage.
The lead increased to as many as 29 points at 65-36 with 9:48
remaining, but UMBC did not go quietly, scoring 32 points in that
span. Guard Travis
King (New Haven, Conn.) hit three treys and recorded 13 of
his 18 points in the final 9:35.
Vermont freshman wing Brian Voelkel posted a double-double with
19 points and 10 rebounds, hitting 12 of 14 free throw
attempts.
De La Rosa added six assists and has 320 in his 55 UMBC games,
already good enough for seventh place on the Retrievers' all-time
assist list. He has scored 20 or more points in 11 games this
season. Forward Justin Fry was
the other Retriever in double figures with 10 poitns.
Vermont hit 22 of 27 free throw attempts and outrebounded the
Retrievers, 41-30. The Catamounts have won seven
straight games in the series.
UMBC hosts New Hampshire on Saturday at 7:00 p.m.
