Vermont 82 Harvard 71
2017 started out right.
Vermont played their best 40 minutes of basketball this season and wrapped up their non-conference slate with a big win over Harvard. The win brings their non conference record to 10-5 which is their best start under Coach Becker. The Catamounts played a tough schedule and look ready to begin conference play. The maturation of this team thus far this season has been great. This team wants to win and is leaving it all out on the floor. The tenacity and drive that they are currently playing with is that of a team that has a clear goal in mind. In tonight's game, the Cats got every loose ball, played tough physical defense, and dominated the offensive glass. Those are all "will" categories. That is the dirty work that is the mark of a winning team. Vermont finished with 15 offensive rebounds and were +13 on the glass. They out worked Harvard on every possession and attacked the rim relentlessly. Darren Payen led the team in scoring again, putting up a career high 21 points. Payen added 6 rebounds and 2 blocks in an incredible all around performance. He was unstoppable around the hoop scoring with an array of creative finishes. His turnaround this season has been nothing short of miraculous. He is playing with tremendous confidence and looks ready to finish his college career with a bang. Kurt Steidl also returned to form finishing with 17 points including 3-4 from three. Steidl scored in a variety of ways and hit big shot after big shot. He is now seven points away from 1,000 which is a testament to his reliability and consistent play over the course of his career. To continue a theme of the seniors stepping up, Dre Wills completely changed the game with his defense. Harvard's leading scorer Bryce Aiken put up 14 points on 6-6 shooting in the first half and looked unstoppable. Wills completely shut him down in the second half with incredible on ball defense. It looked like the Wills from two years ago and was fun to watch. Having the seniors step up and pull the team along with them is a great sign going into their final conference season. For the second straight game it was a great all around team win. Vermont only turned the ball over 7 times and each player contributed positively during their minutes. The improvement by Vermont on defense has been incredible. Harvard shot a very high percentage in this game but Vermont shut down some of their key offensive weapons and kept them from getting second chance points. Guys like Steidl and Ernie Duncan don't always get recognition for their defense but the two of them are solid defenders who stay between their man and the hoop. This team has bought into the system and is ready to make the push to March. Anything can happen in conference play but Vermont could not be more ready to take control. They played the toughest schedule in the conference and it has prepared them to face the grind of the conference season. The opener at Maine will be telling as to how they can maintain focus on what is a tough road trip to an opponent who is not as strong as many of the teams they have played. Overlooking a team can be dangerous and winning teams know how to take care of business one game at a time. It is hard not to be excited about the potential of this Vermont team.
P.S. If anyone is superstitious or believes in strange coincidences, in each of the three full years I have blogged, I have written exactly 43 posts per year. That is freaky... maybe I should play the lottery....
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