BURLINGTON, Vt. (Interstat) — The Vermont women’s basketball team used a dominant third quarter to pull away from the Buffalo Bulls and secure a 73-55 victory in a non-divisional matchup on Wednesday afternoon at Roy L. Patrick Gymnasium.

In front of an announced crowd of 629, the Catamounts outscored the Bulls 23-10 in the pivotal third period to turn a competitive game into a comfortable lead. The surge proved insurmountable for a Buffalo squad that fell to 0-3 on the young season.

Vermont set the tone early, opening an 18-8 lead after the first quarter. The Bulls fought back in the second period, outscoring the Catamounts 11-12 to narrow the gap, but the third-quarter explosion by the home team sealed the outcome.

Despite the loss, Buffalo’s offense was powered by a pair of standout performances. Paula Lopez, a guard from Alicante, Spain, poured in a game-high 24 points, dishing out three assists in 37 minutes of action. Forward Meg Lucas of Melbourne, Australia, was a force inside, just missing a double-double with 19 points and nine rebounds.

The Bulls struggled with their offensive efficiency, however, converting on just 23 of 60 field goal attempts for a 38.3 percent shooting night. The team committed 15 turnovers, which Vermont converted into 22 points. Buffalo did find success in the paint, outscoring Vermont 34-32, and shot a perfect 4-for-4 from the free-throw line.

The Catamounts capitalized on Buffalo’s mistakes and controlled the pace for much of the game. The Bulls showed a late spark, erupting for 26 points in the fourth quarter, but the deficit was too large to overcome.

Other contributors for Buffalo included Ally Carman of Barnegat, New Jersey, who scored four points and grabbed four rebounds, and Amber Howard of Bensalem, Pennsylvania, who added two points and two rebounds.

The loss extends a difficult start for the Bulls, who fell to Kentucky 81-47 on Nov. 9 and to Marshall 53-39 on Nov. 3. Buffalo will look to secure its first win of the season when it returns home to host Fordham on Sunday.