TJ Hurley's Career Night Leads Vermont to a 77-68 Win Over UMass Lowell

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River Hawks fans are likely growing weary of a familiar script when the Vermont Catamounts come to town. Following Thursday night’s action, Vermont (12-8, 4-1) now holds a commanding 23–4 all-time record over UMass Lowell (8-12, 3-2). As River Hawks head coach Pat Duquette noted afterward, “The margin for error is really thin against a good Vermont team.”

That margin evaporated quickly thanks to a career night from Vermont graduate senior TJ Hurley, who exploded for 30 points on 10-of-19 shooting. Hurley was a force from deep (5-for-11) and perfect from the charity stripe (5-for-5). After averaging 21.5 points against UML last season, it’s clear that Hurley finds an extra gear when facing the River Hawks.

Dominance in the Paint

While Hurley provided the perimeter fireworks, Vermont did the dirty work inside, tallying 40 points in the paint.

Gus Yalden’s Impact: Redshirt sophomore Gus Yalden was the anchor inside, finishing with 14 points and 8 rebounds. All seven of his field goals came from point-blank range.
The Turning Point: The game featured five lead changes and three ties in a competitive first half. However, with the score knotted at 24–24 with 5:35 left in the period, Vermont uncorked a 16–5 run to take a 40–29 lead into the break. Hurley accounted for nine points during that decisive stretch.

River Hawks’ Gallant Effort Falls Short

UMass Lowell didn’t go away quietly. Behind a surge from Xavier Spencer, who scored all 13 of his points in the second half, the River Hawks pulled within one at 51–50 with 13:41 remaining.

However, Vermont proved why they sit near the top of the America East standings. They responded with a crushing 12–0 run, ignited by five points from Lucas Mari, to push the lead back to 63–50. It was a cushion the Catamounts would maintain until the final buzzer.

Key Performers

Player	Team	Stats
TJ Hurley	VER	30 PTS, 5 3PT, 5-5 FT
Gus Yalden	VER	14 PTS, 8 REB
Angel Montas Jr.	UML	18 PTS
Daniel Yepdo	UML	12 PTS, 40 MIN
Xavier Spencer	UML	13 PTS (All in 2nd Half)

Coach’s Corner

“He is a good shooter, reads ball screens well, and has a high release on his shot.” — Pat Duquette on what makes TJ Hurley so difficult to defend.

Next Stop: Baltimore

There is no time for UMass Lowell to dwell on the 77–68 loss. The River Hawks face a quick turnaround, boarding a plane Friday morning for Maryland. They are set to take on UMBC on Saturday afternoon in a crucial conference road test.