Jill McDonald tallied career highs in both points (19) and rebounds (10), but the UNH women’s basketball team fell to the University of Vermont, 78-64, at Patrick Gymnasium on Sunday afternoon.
The win improves the Catamounts to 17-5 overall and 7-2 in America East play, while the Wildcats drop to 7-15 overall and 2-7 in conference action.
In addition to setting career highs in points and rebounds, McDonald took home America East Player of the Game honors for New Hampshire, finishing with two blocks and an assist. For Vermont, May Kotsopoulos was named Player of the Game, registering 26 points, three boards and two assists.
New Hampshire drew first blood in the contest, as Cari Reed got things started by burying a layup at 19:37, kicking off a 16-9 run that lasted just under 10 minutes. The Wildcats finished off the run with a 7-2 scoring stretch, as Candace Williams dropped in a pair of lay-ups, pushing the Wildcats ahead by seven.
After the change of possession, Courtnay Pilypaitis responded laying the ball in on the other end, cutting UNH’s lead to five, sparking a 9-1 run by the home team, giving UVM its first lead of the contest, holding an 18-17 advantage with 6:50 remaining in the first stanza.
The Catamounts retaliated with five unanswered points, as Kotsopoulos netted a 3-pointer and Tonya Young sank a jumper to push UVM ahead at 1:42. UNH finished the stanza off on a strong note, as McDonald banked in a layup and Williams buried a 3-pointer with six seconds remaining to set the score at 30-29, in favor of the Catamounts at the intermission.
New Hampshire was first to strike in the second frame, as McDonald nailed the first of two free throw attempts, knotting the score even at 30-30. UVM came back with seven unanswered points, as Kotsopoulos tallied every basket on the run, pushing the Catamounts to a 37-30 lead at 16:30.
Hopes of catching the Catamounts were short lived, as the home team pieced together a 23-8 run that lasted 5:20, giving UVM its largest lead of the afternoon, holding a 69-49 advantage with 6:21 to play.
The Wildcats would rebuttal, sinking seven unanswered points, as Amy Simpson iced the run with a 3-pointer, dropping Vermont’s lead down to 13 points, but that was as close to the lead as they would come, with the Catamounts holding on for the rest of regulation.
Williams finished with 17 points, six rebounds and two steals. Simpson chipped in with 12 points, six assists and two steals. Sophomore Lauren Wells added eight points, two boards and two assists.
Pilypaitis registered 18 points, 10 rebounds and four assists for UVM, while Young finished with 14 points, seven boards and two blocks.
The Wildcats return to action on Wednesday, Feb. 3 at 7 p.m. when they host Stony Brook at the Lundholm Gymnasium.
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