BURLINGTON, VT.  – UNCG men's basketball hands Vermont just its ninth home loss since the 2014-15 season, dropping the hosting Catamounts by a final of 54-53 in Roy L. Patrick Gymnasium. With both teams sporting top-20 defenses, Wednesday night's matchup was billed as a grudge match, meeting all expectations with a game-total of 38 field goals made. 

Points were hard to come by for both teams in the early goings with the Spartans opening up a 9-4 lead, before falling behind 14-11 midway through the first half. The Spartans and Catamounts put up an additional 19 points each before the half however, with Isaiah Miller leading the visitors with six points in the first 20 minutes. UNCG held the inside advantage over the first half of play, scoring 18 of its 30 points inside the paint, while holding Vermont to just eight in the post. 13 points from the Catamounts' leading scorer Anthony Lamb was the ultimate difference in the scoreline however, as the Spartans were forced to settle for a 33-30 deficit going into the break. 

The defensive struggle continued into the second half with both teams going scoreless in the first three and a half minutes. The Spartans and Catamounts continued to trade buckets through the majority of the half until a 9-0 UNCG run, boosted by three-pointers from Kyrin Galloway, Michael Hueitt Jr. and Miller, put the Spartans on top 49-46 with 5:32 remaining. The home team continued to fight back and retook their lead over the next three possessions, but it would be some late game heroics from senior forward James Dickey to help UNCG retake and cement the lead. 

Tied at 52, Dickey received a pass at the top of key before driving to the hoop and beating his mark for the go-ahead bucket. Vermont would get the opportunity to tie things back up at the foul line, but it was Dickey once again coming up with a big rebound at the back end of the Catamounts' two shots that helped seal the 54-53 victory. 

Three Things To Know
-- The Spartans held Vermont to a 40.9 field goal percentage, while keeping a Catamount squad averaging over seven three-pointers per game to just three field goals made from beyond the arc 

-- Isaiah Miller delivered a team-high with 11 points, while pulling down seven boards. Dickey's nine rebounds puts him at 857 for his career, and one short of tying the fifth-highest mark in Spartan history

-- Forward Mohammed Abdulsalam came within a point of the career-high he set against Averett earlier this year, scoring eight on a perfect 4-for-4 night

-- The Spartans win over Vermont is their third straight when playing on the road, and the 150th of Head Coach Wes Miller's career at UNCG

Up Next For The Spartans

The Spartans return to Greensboro for a three-game homestand, starting off with a Saturday tip-off against Northern Kentucky inside Fleming Gymnasium. UNCG has never played the Norse, meeting the Horizon League member for the first time in program history.

-- UNCG –