Following a win over the University of Albany in the America East conference championship, women’s basketball earned a No. 15 seed and a matchup in the first round of the NCAA tournament against No. 2 North Carolina State University.
Making March Madness was a show of resilience for the team, having started the regular season with a 6-9 record and rallying in the second half of the year to go 13-3 and top the America East conference.
The Wolfpack started the game up 4-3, feeding off of home crowd energy in Raleigh, NC. The Cats found their footing by staying calm in possession and keeping NC State from breaking away in transition for easy baskets.
Five minutes into the first quarter, NC State was up 11-5. Both teams continued to battle but the Cats took charge, scoring nine unanswered points to end the quarter. Dedicated Vermont fans made themselves heard for the away team, chanting “U-V-M.”
Junior guard Keira Hanson scored on the first possession of the second quarter, tying the game and growing Vermont’s run to 11-0. Vermont stayed in the game with consistent rebounding, crucially denying the Wolfpack second chances to score.
But the fast pace got the best of the Cats. Vermont made three turnovers in a row, allowing NC State a 35-33 lead at halftime.
Senior guard Bella Vito tied the game fresh out of the break but NC State returned far more aggressively. Minutes into the second half, the Wolfpack took a five point lead and doubled down with a full-court press.
Hanson could not be slowed down, hitting three points off the dribble around an NC State block and then, curling off of a screen, another three from the top of the key two minutes later.
Under the pressure of the March Madness competition, Hanson put a career-high 21 points on the board, including five threes.
The Cats trailed by just six heading into the last ten minutes of regulation.
The Wolfpack began to claim offensive boards in the fourth quarter, creating second chance points to build their lead. The Cats’ offense showed signs of fatigue and the Wolfpack’s lead grew by the minute.
Vermont tested the No. 2 ranked Wolfpack from the whistle but ultimately couldn’t pull off an upset. The Cat’s season ended with a 55-75 loss in the first round but an impressive performance nonetheless on the biggest stage in college basketball.
