Vermont 79 UMBC 72
Just when it looked like Vermont was going to let another home game slip away.....the Cats dug deep and came through in the clutch. Vermont finally showed some moxie, getting tough when the game was on the line and making big plays. It has been a long time coming to see Vermont recover from some crucial mistakes and not fold. Vermont took its largest lead of the second half at 63-55 on an Ethan O'Day dunk. Then, much like it has all season, the ball bounced the way of the other team. While trying to break the press the referee stood directly in front of Cam Ward which prevented Ward from catching a pass. The ball bounced off the referee, right to a UMBC player for a layup. Bad luck. Then, clearly shook by the mistake, Ernie Duncan again turned the ball over for a fast break layup. These mistakes, like they have all year, put Vermont back on their heels and swung the momentum very quickly. UMBC continued to attack and capitalized on Vermont's lack of focus. Jairus Lyles hit 3-4 free throws and UMBC took a 66-63 lead with 4:40 to go. The Cats looked dejected and it felt as though the game was going to slip away. Enter Kurt Steidl. I said in my last post that Steidl could step up and take control of this team. He did just that in the game today by immediately tying the game with his fifth three pointer of the game. That one shot lifted the spirits of not only the team but the fans. With Patrick Gym rocking, Vermont got the stops it needed on defense and two crucial offensive rebounds at the other end of the floor. The first offensive rebound by O'Day resulted in an Ernie Duncan basket and the second offensive rebound was snatched by Nate Rohrer and put back for two. Throw in a Dre Wills layup and Vermont quickly built a 72-67 lead. UMBC was not about to go away with Jairus Lyles scoring at will, but Cam Ward converted a three point play to seal the game for Vermont. The comeback was very encouraging because so many different players stepped up and made big plays. It was a true team effort as every player on the floor at the end of the game contributed for Vermont. One note about Jairus Lyles: he is really really good and if UMBC could ever win enough games he has player of the year written all over him. What a talent. Back to Vermont. Kurt Steidl led Vermont in scoring for a second consecutive game with 17 points on 5-9 shooting from beyond the arc. He is really stepping up and I have to imagine he is going to be integral in leading this team and making them play up to their fullest potential. Getting Dre Wills back is a tremendous lift. He does everything well and brings a tremendous amount of toughness and grit. Wills put in another great all around effort with 11 points 10 rebounds and 6 assists. Ernie Duncan finally played the type of game he showed flashes of last year. Duncan's beautiful passing had all but disappeared this year and it finally returned against UMBC. Duncan finished with 7 assists and had several exciting feeds for easy buckets. He also scored 15 points which included a few nice mid-range buckets, which is great to see. The UMBC press was what brought them back into the game. The press was very effective and it was the point in the game where it was very clear how much they miss Trae Bell-Haynes. He is so good in the open court it prevents teams from pressing for long stretches of the game. I hope that the idea was to get him some rest to prepare for the upcoming schedule as he is crucial to Vermont's success. Vermont is going to need him as they enter a very tough stretch. The Next 5 games are: at UNH, Stony Brook, Maine, at Albany, and at UMass Lowell. That is a very tough stretch where Vermont could easily lose 4 out of 5. They have to play their best basketball of the season in order to come out of this stretch intact. The Cats need to focus on UNH and not start looking ahead to the big match-up with Stony Brook. Playing on the road at UNH is very difficult and the Wildcats are playing very well right now. Vermont has played better over the last two games and needs to continue improving each game in order to get some tough wins.
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