Taylor Coppenrath led four players in double figures with 34 points as Vermont topped the Upstate AAU All-Stars, 86-79, in a collegiate men’s basketball exhibition game at the Patrick Gym on Monday night. Coppenrath, along with Matt Sheftic, Grant Anderson and Scotty Jones, led a strong inside game for Vermont, who shot 58% from the floor while out-rebounding their foes, 51-32. The four players combined to shoot 34-for-49 (69%) as the Catamounts out-scored the All-Stars, 56-24, in the paint. In their first game action after red-shirting last year, Sheftic had 15 points (7-for-11 FG’s) and a game-high 10 rebounds and Jones added 13 points (6-for-6 FG’s) and nine boards. Anderson also tallied 12 points making six of his seven field goal attempts. Last year’s America East Rookie of the Year, Coppenrath (also seven rebounds) scored 15 points in the first half as Vermont jumped out to a 39-35 lead at the break. In the second half, he had 10 more in a 20-6 run that gave UVM a 70-55 lead with less than eight minutes to play. His last bucket came with 1:24 to go to make it 83-71 before the Upstate AAU hit a pair of late three-pointers for the final margin. Germain Njila added eight points and eight rebounds while David Hehn (also nine rebounds) and Andre Anderson each had a game-high seven assists for Vermont. Demetrius Cherry scored 25 points and Rick Mickens tallied 24 for the Upstate AAU who stayed in the game by hitting ten three-point field goals. Vermont’s defense limited them to 39% from the floor while forcing 18 turnovers. Vermont opens their regular season on Friday, November 22nd taking on Eastern Michigan in the first round of the Pepsi Marist Classic in Poughkeepsie, NY. Their home opener will be Tuesday, November 26th when they host Dartmouth at the Patrick Gym.-Sports Info.