The University of Vermont's Independent Voice Since 1883

The Vermont Cynic

The University of Vermont's Independent Voice Since 1883

The Vermont Cynic

The University of Vermont's Independent Voice Since 1883

The Vermont Cynic

Women Squander Lead, Lose at Home to Stony Brook

When you’re up by 7 points with five minutes left, the last thing you need is to lose two starters to fouls.

That is exactly what happened to the Women’s Basketball Team Thursday night at home against the Stony Brook Seawolves. Up 71-64 with 4:16 left, senior guard Chrissy Battram committed her fifth foul sending Seawolf Jessica Smith to the line. The result was a three-point play, cutting UVM’s lead to 5.

Less than three minutes later the Seawolves would take the lead 73-71. Sophmore Alexis Castro, the UVM’s leading scorer for the season, would also foul out in the final minutes as Stony Brook went on to win 81-74. Castro finished the game with 14 points and nine rebounds.

“Losing Chrissy Battram was really detrimental. She’s the hustle player and the leader,” said Catamount head coach Sharon Dawley after the game. Battram had a season-high 14 points, shooting 5 of 7 from the field including 3 of 5 from behind the arc. She was topped only by junior Brittney Cross, who had 15 points along with five rebounds and four assists.

The game opened in Vermont’s favor, beginning with a 7-3 run. They were able to maintain the lead for the majority of the first half and went into the locker room with a two-point lead at 41-39, holding Stony Brook’s go-to player Mykeema Ford to a mere three points.

With solid passing and forcing nine turnovers the Catamounts were able to maintain their lead at the beginning of the second half. However, the fouls began to pile up. Battram was taken out with 14 minutes left to play after committing her fourth foul; Castro suffered the same fate a couple minutes later. “Fouls make it tougher,” said Cross afterwards, “and it probably showed in our defense towards the end.”

Despite the foul trouble, Vermont’s shooting exploded in the middle of the second half and a three by senior Ashleigh Cuncic with a little over five minutes left put the Cats up by 7, their biggest lead of the entire game.

Yet the Seawolves managed to hang on, capitalizing on Vermont’s fouls by shooting 11 of 12 from the line during the last five minutes. This, in addition to key turnovers by Vermont and clutch shooting from Ford, who ended the game with 13 points, during the final minutes gave Stony Brook the victory.

The loss is Vermont’s fourth in a row, with their last win coming against Albany back on January 18th. The overall record this season is now 7-13, with a conference record of 3-7, placing them in seventh place in the America East.

Stony Brook improved to 13-7 (6-3) with the win, maintaining fourth place in the league. The two clubs had met previously on January 7th, also a Stony Brook win.

Vermont looks to end their losing streak on Sunday when they travel Maryland to face the University of Maryland-Baltimore Country, whom they already beat once this season, back on January 12th by a score of 74-60.

More to Discover
Activate Search
Women Squander Lead, Lose at Home to Stony Brook