UMass Lowell at Vermont

Vermont 83 UMass Lowell 58

After an eight day layoff Vermont came out with a sense of purpose and buried Lowell in the first half. Putting Lowell away so early in the game allowed the bench to get productive minutes for the second consecutive game. The all star off the bench in this game was again freshman Dre Wills. During his extended minutes in the last two games he has absolutely been the best player on the floor. In this game he had his hand on the ball every possession and played with a reckless abandon that seemed to completely change the rhythm of the game. Wills finished with 6 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals in only 14 minutes of action. His last two games combined? 34 minutes, 10 points (5-5 shooting), 12 rebounds, 2 assists, 5 steals, 2 blocks, and only 1 turnover. Just silly numbers.  He also gave a glimpse into his exceptional athleticism with an easy two handed slam in transition. He has certainly begun to work himself into a role down the stretch and these minutes are extremely valuable for him to get comfortable playing in whatever situation Becker puts him in. If Wills can learn the system and refine his game in the off-season he could have a significant role on next years team. Buzzer Beaters are fun to watch no matter the situation. There is something inspiring about a player making a shot when he absolutely has to. Half court buzzer beaters are even more exciting because you almost never see them go in. Even though Sandro's shot had no bearing on the outcome of the game, it was pretty cool to see it drop through the net. Vermont as a group is clicking on all cylinders and certainly has the look of a championship caliber team. The Cats are in the drivers seat and they are playing like they know it. Stony Brook has been struggling for the past few games and everyone else in the conference plays like Jekyll and Hyde. Vermont is seizing their opportunity right now and this weeks games will really be important. With the match up against Stony Brook looming in two weeks, Vermont has to avoid looking ahead and running into a bad loss. The game at New Hampshire is always scary to me and they are finally playing with their full team. Having already beat Stony Brook on the road, New Hampshire is not going to back down from anybody. Shortly after that, Hartford arrives at Patrick gym and they have begun to solidify themselves as the best of the rest in the conference. Not to mention Hartford beat Vermont on their home floor last year. Either of those two games could be a "trap game" as Vermont prepares for their senior day showdown with Stony Brook. Maintaining focus and treating every game like it is their last is key to maintaining their high level of play in the last few weeks of the season..