University of New Hampshire Athletics
University of New Hampshire
14-10, 6-6AE
University of Vermont
5-19, 2-10AE
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vermont | 31 | 32 | 63 |
| New Hampshire | 33 | 27 | 60 |
Belanger Nets Game-High 25 Points in Women's Basketball's 63-60 Loss to Vermont
2/11/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
DURHAM, N.H. -- Junior guard Elizabeth Belanger (Acton, Mass.) scored a game-high 25 points, but the University of New Hampshire women's basketball team fell 63-60 to the University of Vermont at Lundholm Gymnasium on Wednesday night.
Vermont wins back-to-back games and improves its overall record to 5-19 and 2-10 in America East. New Hampshire drops to 14-10, 6-6.
Belanger notched her fourth game this season scoring at least 20 points, knocking down 8 of 19 shots from the field and 8 of 9 from the free throw line. The junior guard also ripped down four rebounds and dished out four assists. Freshman center Carlie Pogue (Cincinnati, Ohio) tallied 13 points, two blocks and a career-high three assists. Senior forward Kaylee Kilpatrick (Saint John, New Brunswick) recorded 13 points and three rejections.
Vermont was led by senior forward Kayla Burchill and Katie Lavelle who each chalked up 13 points. Lavelle drained 6 of 9 shots from the floor and logged three boards and three helpers. Burchill connected on 4 of 12 attempts from the floor, including 3 of 7 from beyond the arc. Junior guard Kylie Atwood pitched in 11 points.
The Wildcats shot 21 of 53 (39.6 percent) from the floor and made 16 of 20 (80.0 percent) free throws. Vermont connected on 20 of 55 (36.4 percent) shots from the floor and 7 of 23 (30.4 percent) from behind the 3-point line. The Catamounts drained 16 of 24 attempts from the charity stripe for a 66.7 free throw percentage.
UNH outscored UVM in the paint, 30-22. However, the Wildcats were outrebounded by a 43-35 margin. New Hampshire owned the advantage in points off turnovers (12-6), but conceded the battle in second chance points (13-4). The game featured 12 ties and 15 lead changes.
Vermont had a chance to put the game out of reach for New Hampshire with 13 seconds left, owning a 63-60 lead. Freshman guard Sydney Smith was fouled and sent to the line to shoot a pair of free throws. However, both of her attempts were off the mark, giving the Wildcats a chance to send the game into overtime. Senior guard Ariel Gaston (Toledo, Ohio) kicked the ball out to Belanger, who dialed up the 3-pointer from the left wing. Despite an open look, the attempt ricocheted off the back iron and fell into the hands of the Catamounts.
New Hampshire opened the scoring in the match with a jumper by Kilpatrick, but UVM countered with a trey from Smith. The two sides traded scores as the score rose to eight apiece with 14:16 left in the first half.
UNH and Vermont exchanged blows as it remained a see-saw into the midway point of the frame. Pogue netted a layup at the 8:37 mark to give the home team the 19-16 edge. Despite back-to-back jumpers from the Catamounts, Pogue poured in another layup to knot the score at 21 apiece with 5:53 to go in the first half.
The Catamounts aimed to take the lead into halftime as Atwood knocked down a trey at the 5:20 mark. Belanger countered for UNH as she netted a fastbreak layup followed by a 2-for-2 trip to the free throw line. Sophomore guard Kristen Anderson (Greene, Maine) continued the scoring flurry for the Wildcats with a 3-pointer from the left side to give New Hampshire the 28-24 edge with 3:46 remaining in the opening stanza.
UNH was poised to take a five-point lead into the locker room with four seconds left after a pair of free throws made from Pogue. However, Atwood converted a long heave from beyond the arc at the buzzer to cut the Wildcats' lead down to 33-31 entering the break.
Vermont quickly tied the match to begin the second half as Lavelle tallied a layup. The back-and-forth battle continued the score was even at the 42-mark with 12:48 left in regulation.
Despite contributions from Belanger, Kilpatrick and Pogue, the Wildcats could not pull away from the Catamounts as the score was tied at 48 apiece with 8:59 left on the clock.
UVM managed to carve out a 54-50 edge on a 6-2 run with 5:50 left on the clock. Lavelle downed a layup, which was bolstered by a four made free throws by sophomore guard Jordan Eisler.
New Hampshire clawed back to retake the lead with a 7-1 surge. Anderson sparked the run with a jumper from the left elbow. After a made free throw by sophomore guard Kylie Butler, Belanger countered for the home team with a 2-for-2 trip to the charity stripe. Kilpatrick gave the Wildcats the lead with 2:10 on the clock, muscling in a layup while fouled. She completed the three-point play as UNH led 57-55 in the waning moments of the contest.
The Catamounts did not fade away quietly as Smith drilled a 3-pointer to lift the visitors to a 58-57 lead with 1:35 showing on the board. UVM padded its lead to 63-57 with 21 ticks on the clock on free throws from Butler and Atwood.
Belanger sliced the Vermont lead in half with 15 seconds left. The junior guard drove the length of the court and overcame a foul to make a layup. She completed the three-point play as the Wildcats trailed 63-60.
UNH had a chance to send the game into overtime on a pair of missed free throws by the Catamounts. However, Belanger's buzzer-beater attempt was off the mark as Vermont escaped Lundholm Gymnasium with the 63-60 decision.
New Hampshire treks to Binghamton University on Saturday, Feb. 14 (2 p.m.) as the game will be aired on ESPN3. UNH returns to Durham on Wednesday, Feb. 18 (7 p.m.) to take on the University of Hartford for Real 'Cats Wear Pink. For tickets, visit UNHWildcats.com/tickets or call (603) 862-4000.
Please visit UNHWildcats.com or follow the Wildcats via social media on Facebook (www.facebook.com/UNHWildcats), Twitter (@UNHWildcats), YouTube (www.youtube.com/UNHAthletics) and Instagram (@UNHWildcats) for the latest news and information on all 20 varsity sports. For additional information on the UNH women's basketball team, follow the 'Cats on Twitter (@UNHHoops) and Instagram (@unhwbb).
