THE BASICS:

RESULT: Vermont 83, Hartford 68
LOCATION: Chase Arena at Reich Family Pavilion
ATTENDANCE: 1,103
RECORDS: Vermont (10-8, 1-1 America East); Hartford (6-12, 1-2)
 
THE LEAD:
Pancake Thomas scored 29 points, but Vermont placed five players in double figures to overcome a first-half barrage by the Hartford men's basketball team to post an 83-68 victory on Saturday. Ethan O'Day led the way for the Catamounts with 24 points, 10 rebounds and six blocks in the win.
 
Cam Ward added 17 points and seven assists for UVM, while Ernie Duncan (15), Kurt Steidl (11) and Everett Duncan (11) also finished in double digits. Jalen Ross had nine points, six rebounds, two assists and two steals in a losing effort for the Hawks.

FIRST HALF:
Vermont got off to a hot start to begin the game, opening a 9-0 lead before Taylor Dyson knocked down a three-ball to put the Hawks on the scoreboard. The visitors continued their strength at both ends, using an 8-0 run midway through the half to push the advantage all the way to 28-11.
 
But the Hawks got a steal from Justin Graham at the 10:45 mark and that sent the home squad on a run. The Hawks started raining down three-pointers, closing the half by hitting eight of their final 11 to post a 31-11 rally heading into the locker room.  
 
Thomas was the catalyst, as the junior delivered 21 points in the opening stanza, shooting 7-for-10 from the floor and 4-for-4 from behind the arc. The Hawks as a team went 9-for-14 before halftime.

SECOND HALF:
After the break, Vermont was able to stage a rally, rolling off seven-straight points to take a 46-42 lead. The teams then went back-and-forth to a 58-52 score, when after a hard foul, the Hawks were whistled for a key technical foul. The momentum broken, UVM was able to embark on a 14-3 run to open up a 17-point lead.
 
The Hawks staged a late rally, getting the deficit back to single digits in the closing minutes after Thomas finished off a strong layup through contact, but the rally was too late, as the Catamounts held strong defensively to close out the victory.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
• Thomas delivered his fifth 20-point game of the season and the 11^th by a Hartford player this year. Thomas has scored at least 20 in three of the last five contests and is averaging 22 points in that stretch.

• Jason Dunne delivered a career-high eight points in 15 minutes of work for the Hawks.
 
• After its red-hot first half from beyond the arc (9-for-14), Hartford was ice cold in the second (1-for-12).
 
• Hartford outscored Vermont off turnovers, 19-6, in the game. The five Hartford turnovers mark a season low.
 
UP NEXT:
Hartford remains at home for a Martin Luther King, Jr., Day matinee on Monday, as it will face Stony Brook at 1 p.m. The game is Teacher Appreciation Day, as all school teachers will be admitted free and all youths will be admitted for $3. For tickets, call 860-768-HAWK or visit HartfordHawks.com.