Catamount men’s basketball prevailed in a statement game against Bryant University on Thursday night.
UVM — ranked No. 3 in the America East conference when they took the floor — chased down an upset against No. 1 Bryant as the regular season comes to an end.
Before gametime, fans at Patrick Gymnasium celebrated UVM Dance Team coach Lynn Bessette at centercourt with a standing ovation for her 28 years of dedication to Catamount Country.
The matchup was chippy from the start, as the Cats looked to set the record straight after a 20-point loss to the Bulldogs in January.
Bryant took a 14-4 lead in under five minutes, which UVM quickly closed with 10 unanswered points.
The teams broke even again at 20-20 with a quarter of the game behind them.
A bold three-pointer by junior guard TJ Hurley from beyond the arc put UVM ahead 27-25, before falling behind 33-30 going into halftime.
In the second half, neither team could sustain a safe lead. The scoreline was in and out of gridlock until just over one minute remained on the clock, when the Bulldogs made fatal mistakes.
A total of four missed free throws by Bryant in the last 30 seconds preserved the Cats’ 2-point lead.
Off of a rebound from the final free throw attempt, senior forward Ileri Ayo-Faleye cued the final buzzer with a two-handed dunk to settle the score at 59-55, UVM.
“We really pulled through the last ten minutes,” said junior Alison Gauld.
The upset moved the Cats to the No. 2 spot in America East standings, just one win short of No.1 Bryant.
Men’s basketball looks for a fourth consecutive America East title in 2025 with time left in the regular season to top the conference standings.
“If we can stay relatively injury-free, I think we have as good a chance as any,” said fan Daniel Seff.
UVM will take on UMass Lowell — both with 16-11 records — at home on Saturday, Feb. 22 in the last of three games before the conference tournament tips off on Mar. 8.
“We did this before, we’re going to do it again,” said senior Ahmed Aden.