It has become one of the better rivalries in New England, and Yale and Vermont played another tight game Friday in Burlington. The Catamounts, though, scored the final seven points to edge the Bulldogs 61-53 before a big crowd of 2,188 at Patrick Gym.
 
Azar Swain paced Yale with 22 points, 20 of which came in the second half.
 
Ryan Davis had 18 points and Ben Shungu added 13 to lead UVM, which improved to 3-1 on the season.
 
The game featured eight ties and 14 lead changes.
 
Yale's last lead was 46-44 when Swain hit two free throws with 5:09 left. The Catamounts, though, ran off the next five points. Isaiah Kelly's layup pulled the Bulldogs back within one, but Shungu immediately answered with a three-pointer.
 
A Swain trey cut Yale's deficit to 54-53 with 1:28 left, but Justin Mazzulla scored four points in the final 1:08, including a pair of free throws, to help seal the win for UVM.
 
Kelly finished with eight points and six rebounds for Yale (3-2). Jalen Gabbidon and August Mahoney each grabbed seven rebounds, and Matthue Cotton scored seven points.
 
Defensively, the Bulldogs limited UVM to 36.4 percent from the field.
 
The two teams combined to shoot just 8-of-47 from three-point range.
 
Yale and Vermont have been two of the most successful programs in New England in recent years. Both are ranked in the latest CollegeInsider Mid Major Top 25 – Yale is No. 20, UVM is No. 22. Over the last six seasons, the Bulldogs have won four Ivy League titles and earned three NCAA Tournament berths, including notching the first NCAA victory in school history.
 
The Catamounts have boasted a 120-34 record since the start of 2016-17. UVM has captured three America East titles in the last five seasons and has grabbed at least a share of the regular season title in each of those seasons.
 
Next up for Yale is the Rocket Mortgage Fort Myers Tip Off in Florida. The Bulldogs play Southern Utah on Tuesday at noon. Milwaukee and Bowling Green meet in the second game. The championship and consolation games are set for Wednesday.