BURLINGTON, Vt. (Interstat) — The Vermont Catamounts used a dominant first-half offensive display to overwhelm the New Hampshire Wildcats and secure an 80-57 victory in an America East Conference men’s basketball game Saturday at a packed Roy L. Patrick Gymnasium.

A crowd of 2,522 watched the home team improve to 15-10 overall, while New Hampshire fell to 8-14. The win completed a regular-season sweep for Vermont, which had defeated the Wildcats by 19 points in Durham just over a month ago.

The game was effectively decided in the opening 20 minutes, as Vermont built a commanding 42-29 halftime lead. The Catamounts shot efficiently from the field and capitalized on New Hampshire’s early offensive struggles. The Wildcats missed their first six field goal attempts and committed four turnovers before the first media timeout, allowing Vermont to establish a rhythm it would never relinquish.

The most important stretch of the game came midway through the first half. Leading 20-13, Vermont unleashed a decisive 17-4 run over a span of five minutes to blow the game open. The surge was fueled by balanced scoring and stifling defense. Gus Yalden, the 6-foot-9 forward from Appleton, Wisconsin, was central to the run, contributing a 3-pointer, an assist, and a blocked shot. Ben Johnson and TJ Hurley also connected from deep during the pivotal stretch, pushing the lead to 37-17. New Hampshire never recovered, unable to cut the deficit below 13 points for the remainder of the contest.

Yalden, Vermont’s top star, delivered a standout performance with 16 points, eight rebounds, two assists and two blocks in just 26 minutes. His interior presence on both ends set the tone. He was complemented brilliantly by guard Ben Johnson of Lexington, Kentucky, who poured in a game-high 26 points on efficient shooting, including four 3-pointers. Point guard Sean Blake of Mississauga, Canada, orchestrated the offense with seven assists and added 11 points.

For New Hampshire, forward Belal El Shakery of Alexandria, Egypt, posted 10 points and seven rebounds, while Comeh Emuobor of Raleigh, North Carolina, led the Wildcats with 12 points and six rebounds. The Wildcats managed 28 points in the paint but were hampered by 16 turnovers, which Vermont converted into 16 points. The Catamounts also won the rebounding battle and shared the ball effectively, finishing with 18 assists on their 30 made field goals.

Vermont’s offense cooled slightly in the second half, but its defense maintained pressure, holding New Hampshire to 28 points after halftime. The Catamounts consistently answered any modest Wildcat push with timely baskets, primarily from Johnson and Hurley, who finished with 13 points.

The victory keeps Vermont in the thick of the America East conference race as it heads into the final stretch of the regular season. New Hampshire, meanwhile, continues to search for consistency after dropping its second straight game.

Vermont next travels to face Binghamton on Thursday. New Hampshire returns home to host NJIT on the same night.