Vermont 86 Marist 60
The Cats returned home and dominated the Marist Red Foxes. Using a significant size advantage, Vermont dominated the paint, crushing Marist on the boards (46-20) and getting easy buckets down low. This is a game the Vermont is supposed to win and they did it in convincing fashion. The return of Dre Wills is a wonderful thing and watching this game it is easy to see how important he is to Vermont. This game would have been very different and that is a testament to how many different ways Dre can affect the game. He shut down Marist's best scorer on the defensive side of the ball and it is no accident that the Cats' best team defensive effort of the year coincided with Dre's return. On the offensive side of the ball Dre stuffed the stat sheet with 10 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 assists. He got to the rim at will and flew all over the glass. He can affect the game in so many ways that he is one of the few players that can change the entire team dynamic. His health the rest of the season will be the biggest factor in Vermont's success. It looked like the week off helped Kurt Steidl as he responded with his best offensive game of the season. What made Steidl's game really special was the addition of the one dribble pull up jumper. Steidl hit about four of those shots and it added a great dimension to his game. His growth as a player has been tremendous and if his health can also improve, Vermont will have the full team they need. Darren Payen continues to look great. He hit shots from all over the floor and hustled after every lose ball and rebound. He is contributing more than was expected and it has given Vermont a potent 1-2 punch underneath. Overall the Cats effort was the best it has looked all season. Many players were diving for lose balls and getting tough rebounds. That is the kind off effort Vermont will need to demonstrate night in and night out to sustain success. Nate Rohrer was impressive again finishing creatively around the rim and hitting from the outside. He is the perfect type of player for Vermont's system and plays hard on every possession. Now it is back on the road to face Dartmouth on Wednesday. It will be a good test to see if the Cats can bring the same intensity they had at home into a road environment. One of the other interesting story lines will be Trae Bell-Haynes adjusting to coming off the bench. He had a very uneven game this afternoon, looking great finishing around the rim but looking lost when trying to pass the ball. It will be a great battle between him and Ernie Duncan for minutes and will most likely be very match-up dependent. This upcoming three game road trip will be a great litmus test now that Vermont is back at full strength.
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