Vermont 64 UNH 49
One play changed the course of the entire game. UNH was pulling away and Vermont was struggling to score on offense. With Dre Wills cramping and Ethan O'Day dealing with foul trouble (again), Becker turned to an all freshman lineup in the biggest moment of the biggest game of the season. What a gutsy move by Becker and it continues to show that he believes in his players and will give them a chance to prove themselves no matter the situation. Drew Urquhart drove to the hoop and put up a tough shot that caromed off the rim. Things were looking bleak, the crowd was quiet, and then Zach McRoberts rose up and threw down a ferocious put back dunk to ignite the crowd and awaken the Cats. Now the dunk should not have counted because McRoberts touched the rim with his off hand before the dunk, resulting in a missed offensive goal-tending call. This missed call (of which there were many) enraged the UNH coach and as a result he received a technical foul. Trae Bell-Haynes calmly knocked down both free throws and what was a three point deficit turned into a one point lead. From that moment on Vermont could not be stopped. Bell-Haynes, or one.man.run as I often refer to him, made it seem like the court was tilted to the home side as he relentlessly drove the ball to the hoop, finishing at the rim, knocking down his free throws, and finding open teammates for dunks. When the dust settled, Bell-Haynes finished with 21 points and Vermont clinched the number two seed in the upcoming conference tournament. Just a tremendous accomplishment for the Vermont program who were supposed to be in a "rebuilding" year and who lost their top freshman recruit early in the season. Overcoming obstacles has been the story of this season for the Vermont program as I can not remember a year when a Vermont team faced more difficulties both in basketball and in life. Regardless of the results from this point on, this team has proved that they will carry the torch of the Vermont program and remain at the top of the conference. The most impressive thing has been the defense. Most prognosticators (me included) were expecting a significant defensive drop off. With young players learning a new system the deck was stacked against Vermont dominating defensively. Then somehow, they are better than last year. They have been an absolute force on the defensive end and their entire defensive identity was on display in the second half of the game. UNH didn't make a shot after the 14:57 point in the second half. Holding a team from making a shot for 15 minutes of game time is quite a feat. Time and time again this year they have shown the ability to completely lock teams up. With Wills and O'Day as rim protectors and the active hands of McRoberts, Vermont makes teams take tough contested shots on nearly every possession. They are flirting with being top 10 nationally in points allowed. Just amazing stuff. During the crucial part of the game Drew Urquhart played his best minutes in a long time. Vermont had been getting pushed around at the start of the second half and Urquhart came in with the tenacity that was needed. He got tough rebounds, attacked the rim, and didn't give anything easy underneath. For Drew U to remain focused through the struggles he has had this year is a testament to his resolve. It was nice to see him play well as he has loads of potential. Now the Cats can go into the Albany game and play free and easy. It will be a good test game to get some experience playing in a tough environment. Great day to be a fan of the Vermont program.
No comments:
Post a Comment