How to watch, live updates: Burlington-Rice in the D-I boys basketball title game at UVM
Burlington and Rice for the Division I boys basketball championship. Just like old times.
The state's biggest and most-storied rivalry adds another chapter tonight when top-seeded Rice (20-2) and No. 6 Burlington 14-9) meet in the finals for the first time since 2016 and 15th overall.
Tip-off is set for 8 at the University of Vermont's Patrick Gym.
2024 Final Four: How BHS, Rice advanced to the championship game
2016 revisit: BHS ends title drought, Rice's bid for four-peat
2015 revisit: Shungu, Rice secure championship three-peat
For more on tonight's final, including live updates, how to stream/watch and a full history of BHS-Rice title games, see below:
Final: Rice 66, Burlington 63
Game story: Rice holds off Burlington's furious rally.
22.2 seconds left in the fourth quarter: Rice 66, Burlington 63
Judkins and Munezero drain 3s and after Sharif goes 1 of 2 at the line, Burlington now with chance to tie. Wild final minute.
1:09 left in the fourth quarter: Rice 63, Burlington 57
After making sweet scoop for three-point play, Kasanga fouls out. Sharif nails first foul shot before timeout is called. Rice looking to seal championship at the line.
3:15 left in the fourth quarter: Rice 58, Burlington 52
Bessette throws down one-handed slam and the foul, via Cieplicki rebound and assist. BHS timeout. Bessette at the line when play resumes.
4:40 left in the fourth quarter: Rice 54, Burlington 52
After BHS takes its first lead of the game, Rice responds with 4-0 run. BHS over the foul limit.
6:20 left in the fourth quarter: Rice 50, Burlington 50
Kasanga splashes wing 3-pointer to knot the game at 50 following Bessette's two free throws.
End of third quarter: Rice 46, Burlington 46
The freshman Munezero making an impact with this speed and defense, gliding to hoop for three layups. Khams Ali's driving scoop in lane evens the game as we head to the fourth.
1:59 left in third quarter: Rice 42, Burlington 40
Seahorses hanging around and have drawn to within one point on two occasions.
Halftime: Rice 35, Burlington 28
At the break, Kasanga leads all scorers with 15 points on 5 of 6 shooting. For Rice, Sharif has 11 and St. Peter with 7.
Rice shot 15 of 37 from the floor but has advantages on the glass (22-12), second-chance points (10-2) and paint scoring (24-18). BHS made 11 of 23 field-goal attempts. Turnovers have been kept to a minimum: Rice with 4, BHS with 6.
2:04 left in second quarter: Rice 29, Burlington 24
Kasanga's breakaway dunk and runner sandwiched around Judkins spinning layup get BHS to within 29-24. Rice has twice been closing to breaking up bigger lead, but BHS has responded each time to keep it close.
4:35 left in second quarter: Rice 25, Burlington 18
Rice opens double-digit lead before BHS cuts into deficit. Dallas St. Peter and Evan Eaton, point guards for Rice, each with two fouls.
End of first quarter: Rice 18, Burlington 11
Fast start to the championship game. Rice getting a lot of good looks inside. Kasanga with nine points to pace BHS. Sharif with six points.
Rice shot 8 of 18 from the floor, BHS 4 of 11.
2:04 left in first quarter: Rice 13, Burlington 9
Kasanga has seven early points for BHS. Bessette's putback of a 3-point miss gives Rice its current cushion.
5:34 left in first quarter: Rice 6, Burlington 4
Rice finding success beating BHS pressure.
7:59 p.m.: Starters announced for Burlington, Rice
Burlington: Senior Henry Tornwini, sophomore Byron Robertson, Jr., junior Musa Kasanga, freshman Sawyer Judkins, freshman Pascal Munezero.
Rice: Junior Evan Eaton, junior Owen Eaton, junior Abdi Sharif, junior Grant Cieplicki, senior Drew Bessette.
7:31 p.m.: 29 minutes before tip-off
Some pre-game notes as fans make their way to their seats. ...
Rice has made it to the final day of the season for the fifth straight winter and 11th in the last 14 years. This is Burlington's 12th final of the 2000s.
Both teams are playing in their 36th title game. BHS can add to its state-record haul of 21 titles; Rice owns 18 crowns.
Burlington owns an 18-13 edge in all-time playoff meetings vs. Rice.
This winter, Rice is averaging 75.7 points a game and yielding 57.4. The Green Knights scored a season-high 103 points in a regular-season win over Colchester. BHS is scoring at a 67.3 points-a-game clip while giving up 607. The Seahorses twice eclipsed the 100-point barrier this winter.
How to watch Burlington-Rice championship game
Date: Thursday, Feb. 29
Site: UVM's Patrick Gym
Time: 8 p.m.
Stream: NFHS Network (subscription required)
Burlington-Rice: The rivals' history in championship matchups
Burlington has the most state titles in in Vermont boys basketball history with 21. Rice is third with 18, one back of Proctor's 19.
But how have the rivals fared against each other when they meet in the final? It's all square.
Burlington and Rice are tied at 7 in the teams' all-time finals meetings, dating back to 1923 when the Seahorses defeated Cathedral, Rice's predecessor, 35-21, and most recently when BHS captured the 2016 crown with a 37-29 result.
In terms of total playoff wins, BHS stands at 153; Rice at 151.
For recaps of all 14 previous title games, see below. Note: Information compiled by Vermont sports historian Paul Stanfield, who has used Free Press archives and other media research to maintain his website.
Burlington-Rice boys basketball finals history by Alex Abrami on Scribd
Become a member of the Vermont Varsity Insider Facebook group at https://bit.ly/2MGSfvX.
Contact Alex Abrami at aabrami@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter: @aabrami5.
This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: VT H.S. boys basketball championship: Live updates for Burlington-Rice
