Vermont 76 Stony Brook 62
Maybe Becker should think about playing loud rap music every practice.
Vermont went on the road and finished the regular season with their biggest win of the season. In control the entire game, the Cats took the air out of the gym early on and spoiled senior night for the Seawolves. The Cats will now head in to the playoffs as the three seed and are on a five game winning streak. During the win streak the defense has finally taken shape and Vermont is truly playing their most complete basketball of the season. The offense has been clicking for most of the season and now that the players have also bought into the defensive side of the ball, Vermont is a dangerous team. They have also started to rebound the ball at a high level, finishing with a 37-31 advantage over Stony Brook. A Stony Brook team that has a +8 rebounding margin on the season. Drew Urquhart was at the center of the strong rebounding, ripping down several big rebounds in the second half and finishing with 6 points and 7 rebounds. His floor time is uneven at times but tonight he really stepped up in the second half. The story of the game was Ernie Duncan. Duncan was unconscious, scoring 23 points on 8/12 shooting (4/4 from three). He scored at the rim, from three, and in the midrange. The whole arsenal was on full display and it continued a string of strong performances down the stretch. He also added 6 rebounds and 3 assists with only 1 turnover. Just a great all around game. The 23 points tied a career high which he set in the game at Albany. Stepping up in big games on the road is a great quality to see in a young player. Trae Bell-Haynes once again came up big with the game on the line. He hit a crucial three pointer when Vermont was searching for a basket to stop a Stony Brook run and then sealed the game with two beautiful finishes around the rim. Both the drives were "and ones" as he scored 6 straight to put the game away. The threat of the three pointer is already causing defenders to respect his pump fake and it is opening up even more driving lanes. This was another game where Vermont got crucial plays from several different players and played with composure. They finish the regular season with a strong 11-5 conference record. This win also gives Vermont the opportunity to get to the 20 win plateau for the eighth consecutive season with a win in the quarterfinal against Maine. Winning consistently at the college level is no easy task and the 20 win streak is a tremendous accomplishment and the mark of a great program. There are no easy match-ups and Vermont will have to come out with a sense of purpose and determination to take care of business on Wednesday. I will tip my cap to both the coaching staff and the players for fighting through adversity and coming out the other side a stronger and more cohesive team. There has been a lot of soul searching this year and right now it has paid off and the team is better off for it. It can be frustrating to see a young team go through growing pains but also satisfying and exciting when they finally put it all together. Time to get ready for playoff basketball!!!
Saturday, February 27, 2016
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
UNH at Vermont 2/24/16
Vermont 73 UNH 67
They are who we thought they were.
On a night when Ethan O'Day was being honored for a great career, the Cats turned the clock back and played like the teams that he has been accustomed to playing for. Vermont out-muscled and out-physicaled UNH on their way to a hard fought victory. The Cats played tough defense and forced UNH to take contested shots throughout the game. They also ended up with a 38-37 rebounding advantage against one of the best rebounding teams in the conference. Just a great all around game where everyone contributed positively and came up big in big moments. O'Day turned in a pedestrian looking 8 point, 8 rebound performance but this game was far more than a box score. O'Day played tough defense and grabbed some crucial rebounds. He also made several strong hustle plays and left it all out on the floor playing a team high 36 minutes on senior night. Even though at times he has struggled, O'Day really has put together a strong senior season where he has stayed out of foul trouble and rebounded at the highest rate of his career. It has been a joy to watch him in a Catamount uniform. Trae Bell-Haynes had one of the oddest games of his career. He led the team is scoring with 16 points despite only playing 23 minutes due to foul trouble. He scored by hitting 3-4 from three point range. That alone would not necessarily be strange, but he hit two of those threes back to back, pulling up, and with a defender right on him. Not typically part of his game but I would be happy to see him add that to his arsenal as he would become even tougher to guard. Cam Ward continued his strong play with 11 points and 5 assists to go along with zero turnovers. His ability to take care of the ball is tremendous and he always seems to be playing under control. He hit the big three pointer with the shot clock running down and a defender right in his grill. If the clock is winding down, he is the one I want with the ball. A couple other players like O'Day that played better than their boxscore were Ernie Duncan and Nate Rohrer. Duncan took the ball to the hole aggressively and it seems like he is starting to trust his body more. I think he will continue to add more dimensions to his game as he gets healthier and adjusts to the college game. Nate Rohrer continues to play valuable minutes and has really saved the Cats this year. He gives them a tough, physical, high IQ post player. He always seems to make big plays and tonight stepped up during several crucial moments. It still amazes me that he called Vermont out of the blue and joined the team. Kurt Steidl continues to do the dirty work and finished with 13 points and 6 rebounds. He has been a tremendous steady presence all year. No matter what happens with their seeding, this is a big win for Vermont. As long as they win their playoff game and give themselves a chance to go on the road and pull an upset, they will have had a good season. The Cats are playing their best basketball of the season at the right time and can go into the finale at Stony Brook loose and give them all they've got. UNH is a very tough team that has beaten Albany and taken Stony Brook to the last shot and Vermont has now swept them. For all the difficulties this season, what is most important is that Vermont has come through the other side stronger and is playing together at the right time.
P.S. It is tough to already be thinking about next year but if anyone has been following the 2016 Vermont recruit Anthony Lamb's senior season, it is hard not to get excited. Lamb averaged 30 points and 16 rebounds while leading his team to a number one seed. He is one of 4 finalists for Mr. Basketball in the state of New York and is currently trying to lead his team to back to back sectional titles. In the semifinals he led his team to an overtime victory with 45 points and 18 rebounds. His performance included scoring all 18 of his team's fourth quarter points, leading them back from 9 down and he hit 3 free throws to tie the game and send it to overtime. The kid is a beast and I absolutely cannot wait to see him in a Vermont uniform. His next game is the section final on February 28th.
They are who we thought they were.
On a night when Ethan O'Day was being honored for a great career, the Cats turned the clock back and played like the teams that he has been accustomed to playing for. Vermont out-muscled and out-physicaled UNH on their way to a hard fought victory. The Cats played tough defense and forced UNH to take contested shots throughout the game. They also ended up with a 38-37 rebounding advantage against one of the best rebounding teams in the conference. Just a great all around game where everyone contributed positively and came up big in big moments. O'Day turned in a pedestrian looking 8 point, 8 rebound performance but this game was far more than a box score. O'Day played tough defense and grabbed some crucial rebounds. He also made several strong hustle plays and left it all out on the floor playing a team high 36 minutes on senior night. Even though at times he has struggled, O'Day really has put together a strong senior season where he has stayed out of foul trouble and rebounded at the highest rate of his career. It has been a joy to watch him in a Catamount uniform. Trae Bell-Haynes had one of the oddest games of his career. He led the team is scoring with 16 points despite only playing 23 minutes due to foul trouble. He scored by hitting 3-4 from three point range. That alone would not necessarily be strange, but he hit two of those threes back to back, pulling up, and with a defender right on him. Not typically part of his game but I would be happy to see him add that to his arsenal as he would become even tougher to guard. Cam Ward continued his strong play with 11 points and 5 assists to go along with zero turnovers. His ability to take care of the ball is tremendous and he always seems to be playing under control. He hit the big three pointer with the shot clock running down and a defender right in his grill. If the clock is winding down, he is the one I want with the ball. A couple other players like O'Day that played better than their boxscore were Ernie Duncan and Nate Rohrer. Duncan took the ball to the hole aggressively and it seems like he is starting to trust his body more. I think he will continue to add more dimensions to his game as he gets healthier and adjusts to the college game. Nate Rohrer continues to play valuable minutes and has really saved the Cats this year. He gives them a tough, physical, high IQ post player. He always seems to make big plays and tonight stepped up during several crucial moments. It still amazes me that he called Vermont out of the blue and joined the team. Kurt Steidl continues to do the dirty work and finished with 13 points and 6 rebounds. He has been a tremendous steady presence all year. No matter what happens with their seeding, this is a big win for Vermont. As long as they win their playoff game and give themselves a chance to go on the road and pull an upset, they will have had a good season. The Cats are playing their best basketball of the season at the right time and can go into the finale at Stony Brook loose and give them all they've got. UNH is a very tough team that has beaten Albany and taken Stony Brook to the last shot and Vermont has now swept them. For all the difficulties this season, what is most important is that Vermont has come through the other side stronger and is playing together at the right time.
P.S. It is tough to already be thinking about next year but if anyone has been following the 2016 Vermont recruit Anthony Lamb's senior season, it is hard not to get excited. Lamb averaged 30 points and 16 rebounds while leading his team to a number one seed. He is one of 4 finalists for Mr. Basketball in the state of New York and is currently trying to lead his team to back to back sectional titles. In the semifinals he led his team to an overtime victory with 45 points and 18 rebounds. His performance included scoring all 18 of his team's fourth quarter points, leading them back from 9 down and he hit 3 free throws to tie the game and send it to overtime. The kid is a beast and I absolutely cannot wait to see him in a Vermont uniform. His next game is the section final on February 28th.
Saturday, February 20, 2016
Vermont at UMBC 2/20/16
Vermont 99 UMBC 54
Yowza!!!
In their most dominant effort of the year Vermont took care of business in Baltimore. Coach Becker took a timeout a minute and a half into the game after Vermont allowed two easy buckets. Whatever he said in that time out should be bottled up and repeated for the rest of the season as the Cats were one hundred percent unstoppable after that. The defense is really starting to come around and guys are hustling and playing their hearts out. Even when the Cats were struggling the offense was coming together and tonight it was a well oiled machine. Cam Ward turned in his second consecutive great performance (sorry about no Binghamton game write up, life happens). Ward had a perfect shooting day finishing 7-7 from the field, 6-6 from three, and 4-4 from the free throw line. All that adds up to a career high 24 points. It is great to see him start hitting from three again. The Bench mob was great for the second straight game as they accounted for 55 of the 99 points. Dre Wills had a monster stat stuffing game, finishing with 15 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists off the bench. Ethan O'Day scored 13 points to go along with 7 rebounds and 4 blocks. Ernie Duncan has officially broken out of his slump finishing with 11 points on 3-4 from three. That puts him in double figures for the 5th straight game during which time he is shooting 16-33(48%) from three. The Cats finally look motivated and passionate on the court and look to be coming together. They face a stiff test on Wednesday when New Hampshire comes to town. The senior night game is a very emotional atmosphere and New Hampshire is going to be motivated to avenge their worst loss of the conference season. For all the difficulties that Vermont has faced this year, they are still going to have a home playoff game and hopefully go on the road in the semifinals with a chance to pull an upset. That was ultimately what the consensus preseason prediction was. The way that Vermont has got to this point has been different and trying at times, but to put things in perspective they are about where most people thought they would be. Hindsight is 20/20 as they say and if Vermont can take care of business on Wednesday they will be set up to go to Stony Brook in the finale with nothing to lose. Here is their chance to continue the positive momentum and finish the season strong.
Yowza!!!
In their most dominant effort of the year Vermont took care of business in Baltimore. Coach Becker took a timeout a minute and a half into the game after Vermont allowed two easy buckets. Whatever he said in that time out should be bottled up and repeated for the rest of the season as the Cats were one hundred percent unstoppable after that. The defense is really starting to come around and guys are hustling and playing their hearts out. Even when the Cats were struggling the offense was coming together and tonight it was a well oiled machine. Cam Ward turned in his second consecutive great performance (sorry about no Binghamton game write up, life happens). Ward had a perfect shooting day finishing 7-7 from the field, 6-6 from three, and 4-4 from the free throw line. All that adds up to a career high 24 points. It is great to see him start hitting from three again. The Bench mob was great for the second straight game as they accounted for 55 of the 99 points. Dre Wills had a monster stat stuffing game, finishing with 15 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists off the bench. Ethan O'Day scored 13 points to go along with 7 rebounds and 4 blocks. Ernie Duncan has officially broken out of his slump finishing with 11 points on 3-4 from three. That puts him in double figures for the 5th straight game during which time he is shooting 16-33(48%) from three. The Cats finally look motivated and passionate on the court and look to be coming together. They face a stiff test on Wednesday when New Hampshire comes to town. The senior night game is a very emotional atmosphere and New Hampshire is going to be motivated to avenge their worst loss of the conference season. For all the difficulties that Vermont has faced this year, they are still going to have a home playoff game and hopefully go on the road in the semifinals with a chance to pull an upset. That was ultimately what the consensus preseason prediction was. The way that Vermont has got to this point has been different and trying at times, but to put things in perspective they are about where most people thought they would be. Hindsight is 20/20 as they say and if Vermont can take care of business on Wednesday they will be set up to go to Stony Brook in the finale with nothing to lose. Here is their chance to continue the positive momentum and finish the season strong.
Sunday, February 14, 2016
Hartford at Vermont 2/14/16
Vermont 92 Hartford 81
Vermont got big buckets when they needed it down the stretch and got back on the winning track against Hartford. Kurt Steidl started off hot hitting 5 threes and scoring 19 first half points. Steidl finished with a career high 26 points. He continues to step up in games after tough losses. Dre Wills and came off the bench and recorded a double double with 13 points and 12 rebounds. Most of his production came during a crucial stretch late in the game. Wills has been very up and down but still manages to make plays down the stretch when his team needs him. Darren Payen continues to shine on the offensive end of the floor finishing with 15 points. He has a beautiful soft touch around the rim. It is really unfortunate that he struggles so mightily on the defensive end. The defensive struggles continued for Vermont and it is very hard to explain why when watching the games. It seems like they find new and different ways to struggle and just when one aspect of the defense looks better, a different breakdown occurs. It is great to get a win and maybe they can build some momentum over the next week before a big showdown with New Hampshire on February 24th. I wanted to take a little time in this post to comment on some of the things that Coach Becker said about the team this week. The points he made about chemistry and leadership make sense when you consider the rotating lineups and the playing time distribution. Payen and Drew Urquhart have seen minutes come and go and Nate Rohrer has fallen completely off the depth chart. He went from starting to zero minutes in a very short amount of time. That speaks to a clear lack of identity for many of the players on the team. The comments that Becker made about some guys having their own agenda is some very harsh criticism. Combine that with his comments about guys trying to step up and lead but no one following them is even more concerning. All of these things make sense when you see the on court play this year. Players look like they are clawing and fighting to define their role on the team and that is what has lead to stretches of very poor execution. The players are struggling to execute the game plan because they haven't figured what their role in the game plan is. All of this leads me to believe that when this season ends, there will be some major changes before next season. Whether it be players transferring out or players taking on very different roles on next years team. With how things have gone I see a significant shakeup and next years team will look very different. Next year is going to definitely begin with no roles guaranteed. That type of change may not be a bad thing, and the league will be wide open next season as there will be no clear dominant team for the first time in several years. The rest of this season to me is about making sure that Vermont can maintain enough continuity, positive energy, and drive to not let this difficult season leak out into next season.
Vermont got big buckets when they needed it down the stretch and got back on the winning track against Hartford. Kurt Steidl started off hot hitting 5 threes and scoring 19 first half points. Steidl finished with a career high 26 points. He continues to step up in games after tough losses. Dre Wills and came off the bench and recorded a double double with 13 points and 12 rebounds. Most of his production came during a crucial stretch late in the game. Wills has been very up and down but still manages to make plays down the stretch when his team needs him. Darren Payen continues to shine on the offensive end of the floor finishing with 15 points. He has a beautiful soft touch around the rim. It is really unfortunate that he struggles so mightily on the defensive end. The defensive struggles continued for Vermont and it is very hard to explain why when watching the games. It seems like they find new and different ways to struggle and just when one aspect of the defense looks better, a different breakdown occurs. It is great to get a win and maybe they can build some momentum over the next week before a big showdown with New Hampshire on February 24th. I wanted to take a little time in this post to comment on some of the things that Coach Becker said about the team this week. The points he made about chemistry and leadership make sense when you consider the rotating lineups and the playing time distribution. Payen and Drew Urquhart have seen minutes come and go and Nate Rohrer has fallen completely off the depth chart. He went from starting to zero minutes in a very short amount of time. That speaks to a clear lack of identity for many of the players on the team. The comments that Becker made about some guys having their own agenda is some very harsh criticism. Combine that with his comments about guys trying to step up and lead but no one following them is even more concerning. All of these things make sense when you see the on court play this year. Players look like they are clawing and fighting to define their role on the team and that is what has lead to stretches of very poor execution. The players are struggling to execute the game plan because they haven't figured what their role in the game plan is. All of this leads me to believe that when this season ends, there will be some major changes before next season. Whether it be players transferring out or players taking on very different roles on next years team. With how things have gone I see a significant shakeup and next years team will look very different. Next year is going to definitely begin with no roles guaranteed. That type of change may not be a bad thing, and the league will be wide open next season as there will be no clear dominant team for the first time in several years. The rest of this season to me is about making sure that Vermont can maintain enough continuity, positive energy, and drive to not let this difficult season leak out into next season.
Monday, February 8, 2016
Vermont at UMass Lowell 2/8/16
UMass Lowell 100 Vermont 93
This will be a very short post.
There is really not much to say outside of the fact that Vermont absolutely cannot stop UMass Lowell. Now matter what lineup or defense the Cats put on the floor, Lowell is able to score at will. The only saving grace is that Lowell is not eligible for the playoffs and Vermont has an entire year to plan for the next match-up. Vermont played zero defense and turned the ball over a ridiculous amount. In the second half every single turnover resulted in points for Lowell as they scored 31 points off turnovers for the game. Some of the turnovers were comically bad. Darren Payen threw the ball right to a Lowell player for a fast break score twice. Just an all around pitiful game. The way the Cats have played against Lowell this season looks nothing like the way they have played against any other team. This loss is also partly on the coaching staff because it is their responsibility to come up with a game plan and they made very few adjustments from the last time these two teams played. It is at the point in the season where it is safe to say that this team has the talent but not the intangibles to win on a consistent basis. It is going to be a long week of practice before playing against Hartford on Sunday.
This will be a very short post.
There is really not much to say outside of the fact that Vermont absolutely cannot stop UMass Lowell. Now matter what lineup or defense the Cats put on the floor, Lowell is able to score at will. The only saving grace is that Lowell is not eligible for the playoffs and Vermont has an entire year to plan for the next match-up. Vermont played zero defense and turned the ball over a ridiculous amount. In the second half every single turnover resulted in points for Lowell as they scored 31 points off turnovers for the game. Some of the turnovers were comically bad. Darren Payen threw the ball right to a Lowell player for a fast break score twice. Just an all around pitiful game. The way the Cats have played against Lowell this season looks nothing like the way they have played against any other team. This loss is also partly on the coaching staff because it is their responsibility to come up with a game plan and they made very few adjustments from the last time these two teams played. It is at the point in the season where it is safe to say that this team has the talent but not the intangibles to win on a consistent basis. It is going to be a long week of practice before playing against Hartford on Sunday.
Saturday, February 6, 2016
Vermont at Albany 2/6/16
Albany 75 Vermont 71
Vermont fought hard and played tough on the road but ultimately could not do enough to win. In the first half Vermont absolutely shot the lights out. This was mostly due to Ernie Duncan's career night. Their defense around the rim was great and they forced Albany to take contested perimeter shots. Vermont went into the locker room with a 10 point lead. Out of the gates Albany tightened up their defense and started to relentlessly take the ball at the rim. Vermont was pushed back on their heels and it looked like they were going to get run out of the building. Albany stormed all the way back and took a seven point lead. Things were looking bleak as Vermont could not hit anything from the perimeter. Then shots started to fall and Vermont clawed their way back into the game and took a one point lead at 71-70. Albany made enough free throws down the stretch and Vermont was unable to cash in on any more perimeter shots which resulted in the final margin. There were many good things and many bad things about this game. On the positive side of things, Vermont continues to play well on the road and has improved many of their weaknesses from earlier in the season. This game was Albany's Big Purple Growl event and there was a crowd of over 5,000 in attendance. Vermont not only took a big first half lead, but then fought back and almost pulled out the victory. Vermont's interior defense was much better. Individually Ernie Duncan and Cam Ward were tremendous. It was by far the best game of Duncan's young career. The live stats are not working so I do not have exact numbers but I believe he finished with a career high 23 points. He looked decisive and confident while looking a step quicker than he has been recently. It seems as though he is much more comfortable playing on the road as he continues to have more success away from Patrick Gym. Drew Urquhart also looked very good and is making the same kind of late season run he did last season. On the negative side of things, the Cats perimeter defense in the second half was atrocious. They could not and did not stop any dribble penetration and let Evan Singletary and Peter Hooley completely take over the game. Albany lives and dies at the free throw line as much as any team in the nation and this game was no different. Albany finished the game +15 at the free throw line and it was 100% the reason they won the game. Most of those free throws were the result of Vermont's perimeter defenders not moving their feet. I do not think I have seen Dre Wills play a worse game. I realize he is banged up but he had no effect on either end of the floor. This game was very much about a senior laden, experienced team knowing what to do to win. Singletary and Hooley are both clutch players who are at their best when their team needs them. Tonight was another example of what a veteran presence can do for a team. The game was leaps and bounds better than the first meeting with Albany and gives hope that Vermont can continue to improve so they are playing their best basketball a month from now. They have to shake off this game and focus on getting revenge against UMass Lowell. This season is now focused solely on securing the third seed. In order to do that they need to go at least 5-1 the rest of the way. At this point in the season as a player you have to have a short memory because there is no more time to make up for an off game. Every game from here on out is the season. Vermont needs to bounce back and take care of business at UMass Lowell on Monday.
Vermont fought hard and played tough on the road but ultimately could not do enough to win. In the first half Vermont absolutely shot the lights out. This was mostly due to Ernie Duncan's career night. Their defense around the rim was great and they forced Albany to take contested perimeter shots. Vermont went into the locker room with a 10 point lead. Out of the gates Albany tightened up their defense and started to relentlessly take the ball at the rim. Vermont was pushed back on their heels and it looked like they were going to get run out of the building. Albany stormed all the way back and took a seven point lead. Things were looking bleak as Vermont could not hit anything from the perimeter. Then shots started to fall and Vermont clawed their way back into the game and took a one point lead at 71-70. Albany made enough free throws down the stretch and Vermont was unable to cash in on any more perimeter shots which resulted in the final margin. There were many good things and many bad things about this game. On the positive side of things, Vermont continues to play well on the road and has improved many of their weaknesses from earlier in the season. This game was Albany's Big Purple Growl event and there was a crowd of over 5,000 in attendance. Vermont not only took a big first half lead, but then fought back and almost pulled out the victory. Vermont's interior defense was much better. Individually Ernie Duncan and Cam Ward were tremendous. It was by far the best game of Duncan's young career. The live stats are not working so I do not have exact numbers but I believe he finished with a career high 23 points. He looked decisive and confident while looking a step quicker than he has been recently. It seems as though he is much more comfortable playing on the road as he continues to have more success away from Patrick Gym. Drew Urquhart also looked very good and is making the same kind of late season run he did last season. On the negative side of things, the Cats perimeter defense in the second half was atrocious. They could not and did not stop any dribble penetration and let Evan Singletary and Peter Hooley completely take over the game. Albany lives and dies at the free throw line as much as any team in the nation and this game was no different. Albany finished the game +15 at the free throw line and it was 100% the reason they won the game. Most of those free throws were the result of Vermont's perimeter defenders not moving their feet. I do not think I have seen Dre Wills play a worse game. I realize he is banged up but he had no effect on either end of the floor. This game was very much about a senior laden, experienced team knowing what to do to win. Singletary and Hooley are both clutch players who are at their best when their team needs them. Tonight was another example of what a veteran presence can do for a team. The game was leaps and bounds better than the first meeting with Albany and gives hope that Vermont can continue to improve so they are playing their best basketball a month from now. They have to shake off this game and focus on getting revenge against UMass Lowell. This season is now focused solely on securing the third seed. In order to do that they need to go at least 5-1 the rest of the way. At this point in the season as a player you have to have a short memory because there is no more time to make up for an off game. Every game from here on out is the season. Vermont needs to bounce back and take care of business at UMass Lowell on Monday.
Wednesday, February 3, 2016
Maine at Vermont 2/3/16
Vermont 85 Maine 68
Happy birthday Darren Payen!!!
Vermont pulled away from Maine in the second half by dominating in the paint. At the center of it all was Payen putting in his best effort as a Catamount. Payen finished with 18 points and 13 rebounds and made several other hustle plays on both ends of the floor. After losing his starting job and looking entirely lost for the month of January, it was starting to look like Payen wasn't going to contribute in the way the coaching staff had hoped. This is only one game but he is slowly looking like he may be figuring things out. His offensive skills have been strong all year but he has been unable to stay on the court due to his defensive deficiencies. Maine doesn't exactly have an imposing frontcourt but Payen had been struggling no matter the opponent. It is nice to see him have a good game and hopefully this will boost his confidence and springboard him to a strong finish. His counterpart Ethan O'Day also had a great game and is really putting it all together. O'Day led Vermont with 23 points and contributed all around by adding 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocks. In conference play he is averaging 16.5 ppg, 7.1 rpg, and leads the conference at 2.4 bpg. He is stepping up in a big way and trying to finish his career on a high note. Trae Bell-Haynes had a nice game with 11 points and a season high 8 assists. Drew Urquhart and Dre Wills both hit double figures off the bench and played great during the run that put the game away. Wills knows how to step up in the big moments and gives this team a finisher. He still doesn't look fully healthy and at this point is seems as though it is going to linger for the rest of the season. Speaking of health, I think Ernie Duncan has hit the proverbial "freshman wall". He is really struggling to contribute positively on the court now that his outside shot has stopped falling. The rigors of a full season after sitting out for so long seem to be taking their toll. Maine still looked weak to me but I kept telling myself "this team beat Albany?!?" Maine just couldn't stop anyone around the rim as Vermont shot 20-23 (87%) from inside the three point line in the second half. Now the Cats have a brutal Saturday/Monday road trip from Albany to UMass Lowell. Two teams that beat Vermont handily and two very tough road games. They have to at least split the two games if they have any hope at earning a home playoff game. All the games are important down the stretch but this is the weekend that will determine a lot about how the rest of the season will play out for Vermont.
Happy birthday Darren Payen!!!
Vermont pulled away from Maine in the second half by dominating in the paint. At the center of it all was Payen putting in his best effort as a Catamount. Payen finished with 18 points and 13 rebounds and made several other hustle plays on both ends of the floor. After losing his starting job and looking entirely lost for the month of January, it was starting to look like Payen wasn't going to contribute in the way the coaching staff had hoped. This is only one game but he is slowly looking like he may be figuring things out. His offensive skills have been strong all year but he has been unable to stay on the court due to his defensive deficiencies. Maine doesn't exactly have an imposing frontcourt but Payen had been struggling no matter the opponent. It is nice to see him have a good game and hopefully this will boost his confidence and springboard him to a strong finish. His counterpart Ethan O'Day also had a great game and is really putting it all together. O'Day led Vermont with 23 points and contributed all around by adding 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocks. In conference play he is averaging 16.5 ppg, 7.1 rpg, and leads the conference at 2.4 bpg. He is stepping up in a big way and trying to finish his career on a high note. Trae Bell-Haynes had a nice game with 11 points and a season high 8 assists. Drew Urquhart and Dre Wills both hit double figures off the bench and played great during the run that put the game away. Wills knows how to step up in the big moments and gives this team a finisher. He still doesn't look fully healthy and at this point is seems as though it is going to linger for the rest of the season. Speaking of health, I think Ernie Duncan has hit the proverbial "freshman wall". He is really struggling to contribute positively on the court now that his outside shot has stopped falling. The rigors of a full season after sitting out for so long seem to be taking their toll. Maine still looked weak to me but I kept telling myself "this team beat Albany?!?" Maine just couldn't stop anyone around the rim as Vermont shot 20-23 (87%) from inside the three point line in the second half. Now the Cats have a brutal Saturday/Monday road trip from Albany to UMass Lowell. Two teams that beat Vermont handily and two very tough road games. They have to at least split the two games if they have any hope at earning a home playoff game. All the games are important down the stretch but this is the weekend that will determine a lot about how the rest of the season will play out for Vermont.
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