For the first time since 2021, men’s basketball won’t play for an America East conference title.
Vermont entered the semifinals against the University of Maine well-positioned, collecting 10 consecutive conference wins in February to hold the fourth longest win streak in the country.
Men’s basketball hadn’t lost in nearly six weeks, and, despite losing star senior guard Shamir Bogues to injury, Vermont managed a win against the University of New Hampshire in the quarterfinals.
However, fans at Patrick Gym watched as their hopes of a historic fourth straight championship appearance were dashed by the Black Bears on Tuesday night.
From the jump, both teams found their opposing defenses hard to break, and baskets were few and far between.
Vermont put up a fight defensively, largely thanks to two blocks in the opening minutes by senior forward Ileri Ayo-Faleye. However, Maine broke free on a 7-1 run, forcing Vermont into a timeout.
The Cats showed life with just over 10 minutes remaining in the first half. Junior guard TJ Hurley knocked down three free throws before graduate guard Jace Roquemore found open court, elevating for a slam dunk.
Patrick Gym exploded with cheers as the Cats seemed to find their groove, trailing Maine just 13-10. But the newfound energy was quickly dampened by an 8-0 Black Bear run, including two lethal threes to silence the crowd.
Ayo-Faleye responded with a three of his own as the final minutes of the first half ticked down, but Vermont’s offense remained listless, shooting a meager 25.9% overall and 11.11% from three.
Redshirt junior guard Sam Alamutu battled for two buckets to bring the score to 27-19 at the break. Fans were surprised by Vermont’s struggle against a team ranked below the No. 2 Cats.
“It’s nerve-wracking. I’m a little uncomfortable being down. We’re not used to that,” said Burlington native and season ticket holder Sue Messier.
Other fans expressed confidence in their team despite the first-half struggles.
“It’s gonna be a dogfight to the end. It’s a tough defensive game. Both teams played really good defense. I got faith, Vermont will come back,” said Larry Riegert from Milton, Vt.
But optimism among Vermont fans slowly drained throughout the second half. The Black Bears pounced out of the break, widening their lead to 10 points within five minutes.
With under seven minutes in the elimination matchup, Vermont trailed 45-33 and the 2,071 fans in the crowd were slowly filing out of the gym. Ayo-Faleye briefly reignited fans with a three-pointer but Vermont still needed 12 points to catch up with Maine.
The late offensive outbursts that have fueled Vermont victories this season eluded them on Tuesday. The chances of mounting a comeback dwindled, and the Cats were defeated 57-42.
As the bleachers emptied and Patrick grew quiet, some fans stayed in their seats, processing the defeat.
“UVM was the pick because they’ve won so many times. It’s not a rubber stamp, and they kind of knew it this year, with [TJ] Long being hurt and not a real deep bench. That’s not anybody’s fault. It just is,” said Burlington resident Dennis McSorley.
UVM alum Signe Daly ‘90 and mother of student manager Jensen Daly, described the emotion of the loss for those closest to the team.
“[It’s] just sad, always sad to see the last game for the seniors, including the two senior managers, Ben and Jensen, ” Daly said. “It’s hard to watch your kid in the last game.”
Despite losing two of their starting five players, Vermont mustered a 21-12 overall record and will welcome new recruits to Catamount Country for the 2025-2026 season.
