Vermont 68 Dartmouth 63
When Vermont and Dartmouth play it can be expected that the game will be close, hard fought, and ugly. This game did not buck that trend and Vermont was able to rise from the rubble with a victory. Winning on the road is tough and a rivalry game makes it even tougher. The task became more difficult due to the fact that Vermont was without Ernie Duncan who suffered a concussion during the Marist game. Health continues to be a struggle for Vermont and it is no surprise that without their best shooter from deep, the Cats struggled from the perimeter. This should be the post where Ethan O'Day gets nothing but adulation for posting a 16 point, 8 rebound, 3 block night. He scored tough buckets underneath and played with grit and determination. Unfortunately what really sticks out is the 4-12 shooting from the free throw line. That is a pitiful number and it is made worse by the fact that most of those misses were in crunch time when Vermont was trying to put the game away. Poor O'Day just cant put it all together in the same game. Something always seems to be lacking. Nonetheless, O'Day did what senior captains do on the road and that is set the tone and play tough. Kurt Steidl put together another nice night on the boards and hit some crucial free throws. Trae Bell-Haynes also had a nice game with 15 points. Cam Ward continued his strong play and hit a big shot down the stretch. For Vermont to win a tough game on the road without one of their top players is a step in the right direction. The Cats will have to hope for a healthy Duncan on Saturday for a tough road game against preseason Ivy favorite Yale. They will need all hands on deck in what should be another grinder.
No comments:
Post a Comment