Burlington, Vt. -- The UMBC Women's Basketball team cut a 10-point deficit to two on multiple occasions, but top-seeded Vermont had the answer every time and pulled away late for a 75-63 victory in an America East Semifinal on Sunday afternoon.

UMBC, making its first America East Semifinal appearance since 2015, finishes the season at 14-15 (10-6 AE), its most wins since 2016-17. 

Keelah Dixon (Boston, Mass.) finished with a game-high 21 points on 8-of-12 shooting, including 2-of-2 from distance.

How It Happened:

• Vermont (24-6, 14-2 AE), which won its 16th consecutive game, jumped out to an early 14-4 lead. The Retrievers would claw back and eventually cut the deficit to 16-13, before a late UVM basket gave the hosts an 18-13 lead after one quarter.
• The teams traded baskets to start the second until a Dixon layup was followed by a KK White (Indianapolis, In.) three pointer to cut the deficit to 23-21. 
• Vermont would answer with a bucket, but Dixon answered right back with a layup. The hosts would once again score only to be answered by a pair of Dixon free throws to make it 27-25
• The Catamounts would score six of the next seven points, but Dixon would get a late layup to send the Retrievers into the half only down 33-28
• The teams would spend the first five minutes of the half alternating scores until UVM would get a few stops and take a 46-38 advantage with 4:51 left
• UMBC would continue to fight and Kiara Bell (Saanta Rosa, Calif.) would hit a mid-range jumper just before the buzzer to cut the deficit to 51-47 after three quarters
• Scoop Smtih (Pemberton Township, N.J.) scored a layup to start the quarter and make it a two point game, but Vermont would answer with a 13-5 run over the next six-plus minutes to pull away
• Dixon hit a three to cut the deficit to 70-61 with 34 seconds left, but the hosts would hit their free throws down the stretch

Bell was the only other Retriever to reach double-digits in points, scoring 12. Ashia McCalla (Greenbelt, Md.) finished with nine points and tied White for the team-lead in rebounds with six.