BURLINGTON, Vt. (Interstat) — In a grinding America East Conference men’s basketball clash defined by defensive pressure and offensive struggles, the Vermont Catamounts used a dominant first half to secure a 63-54 victory over the NJIT Highlanders on Tuesday night at a sold-out Roy L. Patrick Gymnasium.

A crowd of 2,048 watched the Catamounts improve to 22-11 overall, while the Highlanders fell to 16-17. The game, a rematch of a Jan. 31 thriller won by NJIT and a Feb. 21 contest won by Vermont, never approached the offensive fireworks of those prior meetings. Instead, it was a methodical, physical affair where neither team shot above 42 percent from the floor and both offenses labored against tenacious defense.

The most important stretch of the game came early, as Vermont established a commanding lead that NJIT spent the entire night trying to claw back from. The Highlanders endured a catastrophic offensive start, missing their first nine field goal attempts and committing four turnovers before finally scoring nearly six minutes into the game. During that span, Vermont built a 12-0 lead, fueled by an inside presence from Gus Yalden, who scored the game’s first two baskets, and opportunistic transition play.

NJIT’s shooting woes were profound in the opening period. They finished the first half shooting just 7 of 29 from the field, a frigid 24.1 percent. While their defense managed to keep Vermont from running away completely, holding the Catamounts to 26 first-half points on 10-of-30 shooting, the damage was done. Vermont took a 26-18 lead into halftime, a margin that felt substantial in such a low-possession, defensively-oriented contest.

The second half saw a resurgence from NJIT guard Sebastian Robinson. The junior from Montclair, New Jersey, who finished with a game-high 20 points, spearheaded the Highlanders’ attempt at a comeback. He scored 16 of his points after halftime, including a personal 7-0 run that cut a 28-18 Vermont lead down to 28-25 with 17:52 remaining, forcing a Vermont timeout and briefly energizing the visiting squad.

However, every time NJIT threatened, Vermont had an answer. The critical sequence came after Robinson’s burst. Following the timeout, Vermont’s TJ Hurley hit a pull-up jumper to stop the bleeding. Then, after a Robinson three-pointer made it 30-28, Vermont’s TJ Long and Hurley connected on back-to-back three-pointers to push the lead back to eight points. This pattern repeated throughout the half; NJIT would close the gap to four or five points, only for Vermont to respond with a key basket, often from Hurley or Sean Blake, who each finished with 14 points.

NJIT’s effort was hampered by persistent offensive issues beyond Robinson’s scoring. The team managed only seven assists against 11 turnovers and posted an offensive rating of just 86.6 points per 100 possessions. David Bolden added 11 points for the Highlanders, but shot 4 of 15 from the field. Vermont, while not efficient, was more balanced and timely. Hurley matched Blake with 14 points, Noah Barnett added 11 points and nine rebounds, and Long finished with 11 points. The Catamounts also won the battle at the free-throw line, making 10 of 15 attempts compared to NJIT’s 5 of 7.

Defensively, Vermont’s eight steals and four blocks, two each from Yalden and Lucas Mari, disrupted NJIT’s rhythm consistently. The Catamounts also committed only eight turnovers, giving them a crucial advantage in possession.

The victory gave Vermont a 2-1 season series edge over NJIT and continued their strong form heading into the conference tournament. For NJIT, the loss underscored the offensive inconsistencies that have plagued them at times this season, as they were unable to overcome a poor start against a disciplined Vermont team on the road. The game’s final score, a combined 117 points, fell well below the pregame over/under line of 137.5, a testament to the defensive focus both teams brought to the court on Tuesday night.