UMBC at Vermont 2/15/14

Vermont 76 UMBC 52

Another big win at home for Vermont. Clancy Rugg returned to form and led the Cats with 19 points. Rugg played like he did earlier in the year, taking it hard to the hole and drawing fouls. It would be great if he could get back into rhythm as he has been fairly non existent for much of this winning streak. Ethan O'Day continued his strong play with a 12 point 10 rebound performance. It wasn't his most efficient performance but he hustled all over the court and made things happen. Vermont again asserted themselves early in the game and as a result the bench got extended minutes for the third consecutive game. Part of me wonders if the starters remember what it is like to play a full game. Dre Wills continues to impress as he finished with 8 rebounds in only 12 minutes. In this game he made more mistakes that in his previous two games but he is really showing that he can contribute when called upon. Contributions like the crowd pleasing alley oop he threw to Ethan O'Day in the second half. Hector Harold continues to be a complete enigma for the Cats. I have actually seen him do a lot of little things well over the last few games. Things like boxing out on a rebound or getting a nice assist. Unfortunately for him at the same time he is doing the little things well, he has completely lost confidence in his offensive game. Harold looks tentative on offense and his free throws were atrocious in this game. It is just unfortunate because he has the talent to be a solid piece of the rotation. Brian Voelkel moved into third place all time for rebounding in the America East. Just another great accomplishment for Voelkel. He is actually also on pace to break his own single season assist record. There are almost too many good things that you could write about Voelkel. With his 7 points today Candon Rusin also moved within 9 points of 1,000. After a very successful homestand, it is time to take the show on the road. Vermont better dig deep and avoid a let down because New Hampshire is a different team than the one they played earlier in the year. As long as Vermont avoids falling behind early, I think they can take care of business. With four games left in the regular season I know that the players can see the title is within their reach. I hope they are able to take it one game at a time and continue to play at a high level.