Vermont overcame a slow start behind 24 points from Mike Trimboli to beat Buffalo 78-70 in a featured ESPNU BracketBusters contest on ESPN 2. The Bulls, who sit in first place in the Mid-American Conference East Division standings, hit 9 of their first 10 shots and jumped out to a 19-6 advantage, but Vermont, which improved 22-7 overall, charged back in large part to senior Colin McIntosh, who had 12 of his 18 in the first half, and took a 41-39 lead to the locker room. The Catamounts came out firing in the second half, hitting 59 percent of their attempts, and grew the lead to as much as 16. Buffalo made a late charge with relentless full court pressure and cut the deficit to five with 53 seconds left, but Trimboli, who also had six rebounds and seven assists, sank four free throws to give UVM the win. Junior Marqus Blakely contributed 15 points, nine rebounds and five blocks for the Cats, who have now won 13 of their last 14 games.
The game marks the fourth time in five years that an America East team has appeared among the televised contest in ESPNU BracketBusters, but was the the conference's first victory and first nationally-televised home game in the event. Vermont (at Nevada, 2005) and Albany (at VCU, 2006; at Boise State, 2007) enjoyed the other television appearances.
Boston University, UMBC and Hartford were the other America East teams in action as part ESPNU BracketBusters Saturday. Sophomore John Holland scored 24 points to lead the Terriers to a 63-57 win against Iona at Case Gym. The Retrievers got double-doubles from senior Darryl Proctor (23 points, 11 rebounds) and Chauncey Gilliam (17, 10) and led at halftime, but fell at Rider 71-65. In Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Hartford was held to just 23 percent shooting in a 57-35 loss at Marist.
A pair of key league matchups take place tomorrow. New Hamphire, winners of back-to-back games, travel to Binghamton, which boasts a six-game win streak, at 2 p.m. The Bearcats can earn no less than a share of the regular-season title, the top seed for the America East Championship and an automatic NIT bid should they lose in the tournament. Albany looks to snap a five-game losing skid in its regular-season home finale againsy Maine at 2 p.m.