Burlington, VT - The University of Hartford women's basketball team had its eight game win streak snapped on the road at Vermont on Wednesday evening. The Hawks battled to pull within a point in the final seconds before the Catamounts May Kotsopoulos sinked a pair of free throws with 11 seconds to play. A last second Hawks three pointer from Lisa Etienne was off the mark giving the Catamounts their seventh victory in conference action (16-7 overall, 7-3 America East).
The Hawks (18-5 overall, 8-2 America East) were led by Nestle Purina ONE America East Player of the Game Jamie McCabe who put up a career high 15 points all from outside the arc. She finished the game shooting 5-of-8, all form outside the arc. McCabe was joined in double figures by Lisa Etienne who finished with 14, Danielle Hood who finished with 12 and Erica Beverly who added a double double, 10 points and 11 rebounds.
As a team, the Hawks shot 39.7 percent from the field (27-of-68), including a 47 percent clip in the second half, 14-of-30. Etienne also added six assists to her tally, one of two players to finish with six, MaryLynne Schaefer was the other. Schaefer finished with nine points.
Vermont finished the game shooting 41 percent from the field (24-of-59), but more crippling was a 54 percent second half, 15-of-28. The Catamounts were led by America East Player of the Game Kotsopolous, who finished with a career best 26 points on 9-of-19 from the field, including four three pointers, and 4-of-7 at the line. Courtnay Pilypaitis added a triple double for Vermont, 18 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists.
Hartford opened the game with Etienne scoring the first six Hawks points. Vermont then rattled off seven straight to pull ahead 9-6 before McCabe hit her first three of the game knotting the score. Vermont's Kotsopoulos would hit back to back baskets, a layup and three pointer to give the Catamounts a five point advantage. Hartford answered with five of its own, all inside the paint from Hood and Diana Delva who picked up an old fashioned three point play.
After a Kotsopolous three regained a three point advantage for Vermont, the Hawks scored seven straight to go ahead 21-17 with 6:19 remaining in the half. That run would be extended to 15-2 before all was said and done, which gave Hartford a 10 point lead with less than a minute to play before the break. Vermont wasn't going into the locker room quietly, scoring the final two baskets of the half all in the last 30 seconds to trail by five at the intermission.
Vermont came out of the break and scored six of the first eight points to pull within a point. Hartford answered with back to back three's one from McCabe, the other from Schaefer. Vermont wasn't going to let that stick, connecting on back to back three's of its own before a jumper from Sofia Iwobi put the Catamounts ahead by one with under 16 minutes to play.
After trading baskets and leads for the next three minutes, the Catamounts capitalized with a 13-1 run to take an 10 points lead, matching the largest by either team. Hartford answered with seven of the next nine to pull within five, 55-50 with 4:40 to play, but Pilypaitis answered with a pair of three's over the next three Vermont baskets, extending the lead back to 10, 63-53, with 2:40 to play.
Hartford wasn't going to rest, they scored the next two baskets, a three pointer from McCabe and a layup, off a turnover, from Beverly. The Hawks held Vermont to only free throws in the final 2:30, scoring a pair of three's to pull within one point with 12 seconds remaining. Kotsopolous would answer the call from her team, connecting on a pair of free throw attempts with 11 ticks remaining.
The Hawks final play would result in an Etienne three pointer which hit the back iron, and bounced off the front of the rim into the Catamounts hands. The Hawks will return to Chase Arena to host the New Hampshire Wildcats on Saturday, January 16 at 2:00 p.m.
