By ADAM ZAGORIA
Entering Saturday, the Vermont men’s basketball team hadn’t beaten a current member of the Big East Conference since the 1923-24 season.
And obviously, head coach John Becker wasn’t around then.
Thanks to Anthony Lamb’s 17-foot jumper over two defenders with 2.4 seconds left, UVM made program history Saturday with a 70-68 win over St. John’s at Carnesecca Arena.
Anthony Lamb has ice in his veins ❄️ pic.twitter.com/fh0mhUHODD
— ♦️ CollegeHoopsAlert ♦️ (@AlertHoops) November 17, 2019
The Catamounts did beat Rutgers in an early-season tournament in 2009. But with this win, they are 4-0 and off to their best start in 42 years heading into Tuesday’s showdown at No. 9 Virginia.
“Give credit to Vermont,” Red Storm coach Mike Anderson said. “I thought they played outstanding. I thought they made all the big plays going down the stretch so congratulations to them. With a guy like Lamb with 10 seconds to go, he’s capable of making a big play and that’s what players do.”
Lamb, who was named to the preseason Julius Erving Award watch list for the nation’s top small forwards, finished with 23 points, 13 rebounds and five assists.
.@UVMmbb picked up $150K total for the games with @StJohnsBBall and UVA, per source. They beat @StJohnsBBall yesterday and play No. 9 UVA Tuesday.
— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) November 17, 2019
LJ Figueroa led the way for St. John’s with 14 points and 10 rebounds for his first double-double of the year. The junior, who drained three of his seven three-point attempts on the day, led the Johnnies with six double-doubles a season ago.
After trailing 55-46 with less than seven minutes remaining, Mustapha Heron and Rasheem Dunn hit 3-pointers for St. John’s to tie the game at 68-all. Dunn was playing in his first game since getting a legislative relief waiver earlier this week.
“It was a wonderful day,” said Dunn, who finished with 13 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists “First time playing this year and just having that game, getting my feel back, getting my groove back. Last but not least, being on the court with the team I work hard with all year and every day this summer. We go to practice, play hard, play together, play smart.”
While St. John’s (3-1) will next host Columbia Wednesday, Becker and the Cats will try to knock off the reigning national champions on Tuesday.
Becker told me before the season this might be his best team ever. And now they have put the nation on notice.
Photo: UVM Athletics
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