BURLINGTON, Vt. – The Lyndon State College men's basketball team battled with Division I The University of Vermont Saturday afternoon in Patrick Gymnasium, falling 79-20.

Darren Payen led the Catamounts with 16 points and nine rebounds, both game-highs.  Kurt Steidl and Cam Ward both added 10 points with seven and five rebounds, respectively.

Eric Vargas (Lowell, Mass.) registered four points, four assists, and three rebounds for the Hornets.  Raymond Monroe (Cranston, R.I.) led the Hornets on the boards with seven rebounds while Robert Rouelle (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) grabbed six rebounds to go along with four points.

Despite a tough offensive day for the Hornets, they played solid defense, forcing the Catamounts to use up the majority of the shot clock on most possessions.  The Hornets were also able to turn over the Catamounts 15 times while holding them to just two fast break points.

"The game was tough for us," stated head coach Chris Dorsey following the game.  "We were undersized at every position and that really affected us offensively.  We had many open looks but couldn't get shots to fall."

"Although the score doesn't reflect it, I was very pleased with our defensive efforts," Coach Dorsey expressed.  "We made them take contested shots, unfortunately they made them at a high percentage.  We had great communication, effort, and intensity for 40 minutes. That's all I can ask for from my guys."

The Hornets (1-1) travel to Fisher College on Tuesday for a 6:00 p.m. tip-off.

The Catamounts (3-1) head to Florida to play Wofford in the Gulf Coast Showcase on Monday.