For Immediate Release: January 27, 2005
Contact: John Hartrick (hartrick@binghamton.edu)
Phone: 607-777-6800

Binghamton men's basketball overwhelmed by Vermont, 71-44
League-leading Catamounts disappoint home crowd of 3,748

Box score
Post-Game Quotes

VESTAL, N.Y. - Two-time defending conference champion Vermont (14-3, 9-0 America East) hit on all cylinders in rolling over host Binghamton (5-13, 2-7 AE), 71-44, in an America East men's basketball game Thursday night. The Catamounts quickly quieted a boisterous season-high home crowd of 3,748 at the Events Center, using a 26-4 first-half run to build a 24-point halftime bulge. The second half was mere formality as Vermont extended its win streak to 11 games while the struggling Bearcats suffered their 10th loss in 13 games.

"They were great," head coach Al Walker said of Vermont. "They came out and made shots and we were simply overmatched. Those guys are the best team in the league hands down, as far as I am concerned. They are great defensively. We couldn't get good looks and they did everything a championship team would like to do to dominate an opponent."

The game turned sour early for BU, which misfired on 16 of its first 20 shots and turned the ball over six times in the opening seven minutes. Vermont, meanwhile, hit 7-of-10 to begin the game. During the 26-4 run, BU was held scoreless for 8:51.

Vermont senior point guard T.J. Sorrentine scored 10 of his game-high 15 points in the decisive first half, scoring from beyond the arc (3-of-7) and on several acrobatic driving layups. The Catamounts shot 13-of-25 from three-point range (52%) - compared to Binghamton's dismal 2-of-20 shooting (10%). The Bearcats' six perimeter players wound up 8-for-40 for the game (20%).

Playing in front of more than a half-dozen professional scouts, UVM senior Taylor Coppenrath had a relatively quiet night, contributing 12 points - less than half of his season total. Coppenrath did chip in nine rebounds and two blocks.

Junior guard Andre Heard (Oklahoma City, Okla.) led BU with 14 points. He also collected nine rebounds. Binghamton senior center Nick Billings (Kodiak, Alaska), another player on the pro scouts' radar, enjoyed a quick start, netting seven of his nine points and seven of his 10 rebounds in the first half. Billings was afforded 24 minutes of playing time - nine above his season average.

Binghamton is back on the Events Center floor Sunday afternoon, hosting Northeastern at 1 p.m.

NOTES
The Catamounts swept the season series and continued their dominance over BU, winning for seventh time in eight games ... Back on December 19, Vermont posted an 83-53 win in Burlington ... Freshman point guard Mike Gordon (Plainfield, N.J.) scored a season-high eight points while playing a season-high 34 minutes. In his third straight start, Gordon added four rebounds, three assists and two steals.