University of New Hampshire Athletics
University of New Hampshire
11-9, 4-3AE
University of Vermont
10-9, 5-1AE
Five Wildcats Hit Double Figures as Men's Hoops Surpasses Vermont, 73-68
1/22/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
With the win, the 'Cats improve to 11-9 on the year and 4-3 in the America East. UNH is on a three-game winning streak with their seventh win at home. The Catamounts slide to 10-9 overall and suffer their first conference decision of the year (5-1).
Tied at 61-61 with 2:27 to go in the game, Daniel Dion (Cedar Park, Texas) nailed a 3-pointer to give UNH its final lead of the game.
Tanner Leissner (Converse, Texas) finished with 14 points (5 of 11) and eight rebounds in 33 minutes of action. On Miller's 18 points he nailed 4 of 5 from beyond the arc. Dion pitched in 12 points off the bench (2 of 4).
Dre Wills led the scoring for the Catamounts with 17 points (5 of 11), five rebounds and four assists. Zach McRoberts posted six points and grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds. Trae Bell-Haynes tallied 12 points (3 of 10) and corralled three boards.
New Hampshire shot 22-for-44 from the field and 7 of 13 from three-point land. Their hot shooting countered Vermont's advantage in the paint (30-14) and second chance points (20-10).
The Wildcats stormed out to a 11-5 lead on a Miller three and jumper with 13:56 left in the first half.
Vermont rattled off a 19-8 run to pull ahead 24-19 with 6:57 to go in the first period. Bell Haynes notched nine points throughout the stretch.
UNH scored the next five points on a Miller trey and free throws by Leissner and Dion to tie it back up at 26-26 with 4:12 to go.
The score was tied again, 28-28, at 2:30 and the 'Cats took the lead for the final time in the half on a Frank Okeke (DeSoto, Texas) freebie. Leissner's layup in the final seconds lifted the Wildcat lead to four, 36-32, at the break.
To open up the second frame UNH would break the score open, 54-39, and go on a 18-7 run in the first 8:00 of the final 20 minutes.
The Catamounts would not go away easy, tying it up 59-59 with 3:10 showing on the clock. Cam Ward and Wills scored the final six points in the run to knot it up for the fifth time on the night. Two Dion free throws for UNH and a Brandon Hatton layup for Vermont in the lane locked the score up at 61-61. Dion and Miller hit big threes to give the Wildcats the lead. Jaleen Smith hit all four of his free throws late in the game to preserve the win. The Wildcats beat the Catamounts 73-68.
New Hampshire travels north to take on border rival University of Maine (Jan. 28) in hopes of its fourth consecutive conference victory. Tip off at Cross Insurance Center is set for 7 p.m.
