BOSTON -- Anthony Lamb scored 19 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, blocked four shots and made big plays down the stretch to lead Vermont to a 78-72 win over Boston University in the Catamounts' season opener Friday night.

Stef Smith scored 20 of his 22 points in a second half in which Vermont came back from a 10-point deficit with 12:49 to go. Ernie Duncan added 18 points and Isaiah Moll added 12 for Vermont, the defending American East regular-season champion.

Lamb gave the Catamounts a 72-70 lead with a basket with 1:18 left then hit from the lane with 33 seconds to go. He blocked a shot underneath the Terriers' basket with Stef Smith hitting two free throws on the other end for a 76-70 lead with 14 seconds remaining. Lamb added two free throws late.

Max Mahoney scored 18 points, Tyler Scanlon 17 and Javante McCoy 10 for the Terriers (1-1), who were facing Vermont for the 100th time.