Vermont 66 Stony Brook 51
18 in a row and an undefeated conference season is a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon.
Vermont took control early and didn't let off the gas, cruising to a big victory on senior day. The seniors came out of the gates firing, including a Kurt Steidl dunk and electrified the Patrick Gym crowd. Anthony Lamb took it from there and dominated every facet of the game. Lamb finished with 19 points, 5 Rebounds, 4 steals, 3 blocks, and zero turnovers. He pulled down tough rebounds in traffic, scored from all over, and played great defense. He was everywhere and Stony Brook had no answer. He has played his way into the discussion as one of the best players in the conference with the run he is on down the stretch. He has already locked up rookie of the year and his evolution as player this season has been fun to watch. Payton Henson has rediscovered his outside touch and it is opening the court up for him. Much like at the beginning of the year, Henson's outside shot has to be respected again and as a result he is finding more driving lanes. Ernie Duncan once again made his only two shots of the game just when Vermont needed some offense to squash one last Stony Brook rally. The cohesiveness of the team is on display night in and night out. It is one thing to be a great team, it is another thing entirely to play like a great team every game. Vermont just doesn't rattle and grinds the other team down over the course of the game. The last two games have been some of the best defensive efforts I have seen. The Cats have forced a season's worth of shot clock violations and teams are struggling to even get up good shots. This teams deserves to enjoy this accomplishment tonight and then get ready for the final chapter of this America East season. Being great in the regular season in a wonderful thing, but now the real season begins. Everything up to this point has been about putting themselves in the best position to win the America East tourney. Clinching home court was a big step and with the incredible Patrick Gym atmosphere behind them it is time to push for the title.
Saturday, February 25, 2017
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
Vermont clinches their 6th regular season title
Vermont 62 Albany 50
17 in a row, 25-5, America East regular season champs.
Vermont fought off a determined Albany squad to secure the America East regular season title. The first leg of the race for a championship has been completed. Securing home court throughout the playoffs is huge, especially with the tremendous fan support right now. This is also an opportunity to sit back and enjoy just how good this team has been. It is a treat to watch the Cats poise on the court. They play with such steady confidence and trust each other completely. What a time to be a Vermont fan. Continuing to win in conference against the teams you play twice a year, every year is no small task. Look around at the other conferences and you will see some very good teams have dropped conference games. Vermont's ability to take this season one game at a time and focus on the here and now despite all of the hype surrounding this program is incredible. Payton Henson was great tonight and showed the athleticism and shot making ability that he showcased at the beginning of the year before his injury. He scored in a variety of ways and was a key component of the run that secured the victory. His steal and layup to push the lead to 10 was a display of the athleticism he possesses. Henson finished with 18 points and 6 rebounds and was a perfect 6-6 from the line. Ernie Duncan hit a big three that pushed the lead to 8 right before Henson's steal. Duncan finished with 13 points on 5-8 shooting (3-5 from three) and it seemed like every one of the shots he hit was at a crucial point in the game. It was another balanced effort for the Cats but once again Dre Wills provided a tremendous spark off the bench with tenacious defense and scoring around the rim. His dunk in the second half was the turning point in the game. Vermont outscored Albany 28-11 after the Wills slam. He brings so much energy and fight off the bench. Vermont only turned the ball over 4 times and outscored Albany 20-2 in points off turnovers. Next up for Vermont is a showdown with Stony Brook to close out the regular season. It is senior day for Dre Wills, Kurt Steidl, and Darren Payen. It will be wonderful to celebrate those three players and their tremendous contributions to the Vermont program. It will also be fun for the Cats to have a chance at closing out the undefeated regular season. The sold out atmosphere will be incredible once again and that will likely be the norm the rest of the way as Vermont continues its quest for the America East title.
17 in a row, 25-5, America East regular season champs.
Vermont fought off a determined Albany squad to secure the America East regular season title. The first leg of the race for a championship has been completed. Securing home court throughout the playoffs is huge, especially with the tremendous fan support right now. This is also an opportunity to sit back and enjoy just how good this team has been. It is a treat to watch the Cats poise on the court. They play with such steady confidence and trust each other completely. What a time to be a Vermont fan. Continuing to win in conference against the teams you play twice a year, every year is no small task. Look around at the other conferences and you will see some very good teams have dropped conference games. Vermont's ability to take this season one game at a time and focus on the here and now despite all of the hype surrounding this program is incredible. Payton Henson was great tonight and showed the athleticism and shot making ability that he showcased at the beginning of the year before his injury. He scored in a variety of ways and was a key component of the run that secured the victory. His steal and layup to push the lead to 10 was a display of the athleticism he possesses. Henson finished with 18 points and 6 rebounds and was a perfect 6-6 from the line. Ernie Duncan hit a big three that pushed the lead to 8 right before Henson's steal. Duncan finished with 13 points on 5-8 shooting (3-5 from three) and it seemed like every one of the shots he hit was at a crucial point in the game. It was another balanced effort for the Cats but once again Dre Wills provided a tremendous spark off the bench with tenacious defense and scoring around the rim. His dunk in the second half was the turning point in the game. Vermont outscored Albany 28-11 after the Wills slam. He brings so much energy and fight off the bench. Vermont only turned the ball over 4 times and outscored Albany 20-2 in points off turnovers. Next up for Vermont is a showdown with Stony Brook to close out the regular season. It is senior day for Dre Wills, Kurt Steidl, and Darren Payen. It will be wonderful to celebrate those three players and their tremendous contributions to the Vermont program. It will also be fun for the Cats to have a chance at closing out the undefeated regular season. The sold out atmosphere will be incredible once again and that will likely be the norm the rest of the way as Vermont continues its quest for the America East title.
Wednesday, February 15, 2017
Vermont at UMass Lowell 2/15/17
Vermont 87 UMass Lowell 66
Vermont fought off a team wide illness, stormy weather, and a pesky opponent to win their 16th consecutive game and move to 14-0 in conference. This was a huge win for Vermont as it will be possibly their last road game and they also finish a tough stretch where they played five games in eleven days. Now the Cats have a nice break before the game with Albany next Wednesday and will try to get healthy. The fact that Vermont was able to win these last two road games without their full team speaks to their depth and focus. This team is also continuing to improve and playing better basketball as they move closer to the postseason. Much of that improvement has to do with the maturation of Anthony Lamb. He is becoming a complete player and blossoming into a leader on this team. Lamb finished with 24 points including 4-5 from three point land. He started off the year hot from the perimeter but then lost confidence and stopped shooting for much of the middle part of the season. He has the ability to step out and hit that shot and it is making him even more difficult to guard. He has worked very hard to push through the ups and downs of being a college freshman and is ahead of schedule for sure. Trae Bell-Haynes, Payton Henson, and Kurt Steidl all had strong games as well scoring 18, 11, and 11 respectively. Dre Wills got the start with Ernie Duncan battling illness and put up a nice 9 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals. He is looking to finish his Catamount career strong. The poise of this team is tremendous and they come out and take each game one at a time and don't seem to be getting caught up in the attention that their run is bringing to the team. There are many milestones that they are chasing including the most wins in a single season. The Vermont program has won 25 games several times and with their current record of 24-5. the Cats have a chance to tie that record against Albany. It is great to have two home games to finish out the season but those games are against two of the toughest opponents in the America East. I expect both those games to be tough battles and I expect Vermont will be ready.
Vermont fought off a team wide illness, stormy weather, and a pesky opponent to win their 16th consecutive game and move to 14-0 in conference. This was a huge win for Vermont as it will be possibly their last road game and they also finish a tough stretch where they played five games in eleven days. Now the Cats have a nice break before the game with Albany next Wednesday and will try to get healthy. The fact that Vermont was able to win these last two road games without their full team speaks to their depth and focus. This team is also continuing to improve and playing better basketball as they move closer to the postseason. Much of that improvement has to do with the maturation of Anthony Lamb. He is becoming a complete player and blossoming into a leader on this team. Lamb finished with 24 points including 4-5 from three point land. He started off the year hot from the perimeter but then lost confidence and stopped shooting for much of the middle part of the season. He has the ability to step out and hit that shot and it is making him even more difficult to guard. He has worked very hard to push through the ups and downs of being a college freshman and is ahead of schedule for sure. Trae Bell-Haynes, Payton Henson, and Kurt Steidl all had strong games as well scoring 18, 11, and 11 respectively. Dre Wills got the start with Ernie Duncan battling illness and put up a nice 9 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals. He is looking to finish his Catamount career strong. The poise of this team is tremendous and they come out and take each game one at a time and don't seem to be getting caught up in the attention that their run is bringing to the team. There are many milestones that they are chasing including the most wins in a single season. The Vermont program has won 25 games several times and with their current record of 24-5. the Cats have a chance to tie that record against Albany. It is great to have two home games to finish out the season but those games are against two of the toughest opponents in the America East. I expect both those games to be tough battles and I expect Vermont will be ready.
Sunday, February 12, 2017
Vermont at UMBC 2/12/17
Vermont 77 UMBC 74
Survival.
Teams that go on long winning streaks, through the gauntlet of conference play, have games that they probably shouldn't win but do anyway. That was the game today. Just when it looked like the flu was finally going to be the kryptonite to Vermont's win streak, the Cats survived a furious UMBC rally and set a program record with their 15th straight win. This week several other long conference winning streaks were snapped as it is very difficult to play well night in a night out through the grind of a conference season when you are playing teams for a second time. For 75% of the game Vermont looked every bit the undefeated team in the conference. Much like the game up in Burlington, UMBC erased a large deficit by going small and putting Vermont on the line every possession. It is a very interesting phenomenon to disrupt an offense by fouling but both times these two team played that is exactly what happened. For a team like the Cats that is so efficient offensively but not a good free throw shooting team, this may become a pattern for Vermont opponents. This method was especially effective in today's game because Vermont was missing their best free throw shooter in Kurt Steidl. Becker said "half the team" was fighting the flu and as result Steidl was unable to play. Vermont really missed his leadership, defense, and foul shooting. You could see the energy drain out of the Cats as they seemed to just want the game to be over. Who knows how much of that was exhaustion or a lack of focus but it was very noticeable. The UMBC press was very effective and forced Vermont into many unforced errors. The Retrievers picked up on Vermont's weakness and went for the throat. Luckily, and I do mean luckily, Vermont survived. The rest of the game was dominated by Dre Wills in what was the best game of his career. Wills tied his career high with 22 points and set a new career high with 13 rebounds. He completely changed the game with his offensive rebounding and before the late collapse at the line, was the best player on the floor. He stepped up in a big way when Steidl couldn't play and led the Cats to victory. Payton Henson finished with 11 points and 9 rebounds, but really struggled as the inbounder against the press. Anthony Lamb looked very good again on offense but was a little overwhelmed when UMBC made their run and finished with 6 turnovers. Not a great game for Vermont but much like they have all season, they found a way to win (or not lose as was the case today). This could be the preview of a semifinal matchup in the America East tournament. The small lineup that UMBC has used in both games has really given Vermont fits and they will have to make some significant adjustments if they meet again. It seems as though the flu and bad weather are attempting to derail Vermont. They are going to have to spend an extra night (at least) in Maryland before flying back to Burlington and then heading to UMass Lowell for Wednesday's nights game. With the team also battling the flu, and UMass Lowell being a very tough matchup for Vermont, that game will really test the Cats. After that game they have a layoff before their next game which is clearly going to be much needed. Another dose of adversity for the Cats to overcome.
Survival.
Teams that go on long winning streaks, through the gauntlet of conference play, have games that they probably shouldn't win but do anyway. That was the game today. Just when it looked like the flu was finally going to be the kryptonite to Vermont's win streak, the Cats survived a furious UMBC rally and set a program record with their 15th straight win. This week several other long conference winning streaks were snapped as it is very difficult to play well night in a night out through the grind of a conference season when you are playing teams for a second time. For 75% of the game Vermont looked every bit the undefeated team in the conference. Much like the game up in Burlington, UMBC erased a large deficit by going small and putting Vermont on the line every possession. It is a very interesting phenomenon to disrupt an offense by fouling but both times these two team played that is exactly what happened. For a team like the Cats that is so efficient offensively but not a good free throw shooting team, this may become a pattern for Vermont opponents. This method was especially effective in today's game because Vermont was missing their best free throw shooter in Kurt Steidl. Becker said "half the team" was fighting the flu and as result Steidl was unable to play. Vermont really missed his leadership, defense, and foul shooting. You could see the energy drain out of the Cats as they seemed to just want the game to be over. Who knows how much of that was exhaustion or a lack of focus but it was very noticeable. The UMBC press was very effective and forced Vermont into many unforced errors. The Retrievers picked up on Vermont's weakness and went for the throat. Luckily, and I do mean luckily, Vermont survived. The rest of the game was dominated by Dre Wills in what was the best game of his career. Wills tied his career high with 22 points and set a new career high with 13 rebounds. He completely changed the game with his offensive rebounding and before the late collapse at the line, was the best player on the floor. He stepped up in a big way when Steidl couldn't play and led the Cats to victory. Payton Henson finished with 11 points and 9 rebounds, but really struggled as the inbounder against the press. Anthony Lamb looked very good again on offense but was a little overwhelmed when UMBC made their run and finished with 6 turnovers. Not a great game for Vermont but much like they have all season, they found a way to win (or not lose as was the case today). This could be the preview of a semifinal matchup in the America East tournament. The small lineup that UMBC has used in both games has really given Vermont fits and they will have to make some significant adjustments if they meet again. It seems as though the flu and bad weather are attempting to derail Vermont. They are going to have to spend an extra night (at least) in Maryland before flying back to Burlington and then heading to UMass Lowell for Wednesday's nights game. With the team also battling the flu, and UMass Lowell being a very tough matchup for Vermont, that game will really test the Cats. After that game they have a layoff before their next game which is clearly going to be much needed. Another dose of adversity for the Cats to overcome.
Friday, February 10, 2017
New Hampshire at Vermont 2/9/17
Vermont 82 New Hampshire 74
14 in a row.
Vermont withstood a hot start by New Hampshire and pulled away in the second half for their 22nd victory of the season. Anthony Lamb had his best game of the season leading Vermont to the victory. Lamb tied his career high with 26 points and added 13 rebounds, 9 of which were on the offensive end., He scored inside and out knocking down two threes to go along with an array of crafty finishes around the rim. He is improving each game and his strength underneath the hoop is overpowering. He put up those numbers through sheer will and tenacity. Trae Bell-Haynes was the other MVP, putting together his best all around game of the season as well. Bell-Haynes finished with a season high 23 points on 9-15 shooting and added 6 assists, 5 rebounds, and zero turnovers. He broke out of his mini slump and was back to attacking the basket with his tremendous speed. New Hampshire made a conscious effort to try and play faster than they usually do and it worked in Bell-Haynes' favor. After that it was another balanced effort with Kurt Steidl adding 11 points and Payton Henson chipping in 10. Cam Ward put together a great 7 points and 6 assists and Darren Payen blocked 5 shots. Payen completely changed the game in the second half by not allowing anything easy at the rim. The Cats took every shot that New Hampshire had and responded with a shot of their own. The atmosphere was tremendous in Patrick tonight and the student section was both the loudest and largest I have seen since I have been going to games. What a great all around game for the Vermont program. Now Vermont heads out on a very tough road trip. UMBC and UMass Lowell are two high octane offensive teams who are really going to test Vermont's defense. Both of those teams are difficult match ups for Vermont and I expect them to be tough games. That is all I have for now as it is way past my bedtime. Go Cats Go!
14 in a row.
Vermont withstood a hot start by New Hampshire and pulled away in the second half for their 22nd victory of the season. Anthony Lamb had his best game of the season leading Vermont to the victory. Lamb tied his career high with 26 points and added 13 rebounds, 9 of which were on the offensive end., He scored inside and out knocking down two threes to go along with an array of crafty finishes around the rim. He is improving each game and his strength underneath the hoop is overpowering. He put up those numbers through sheer will and tenacity. Trae Bell-Haynes was the other MVP, putting together his best all around game of the season as well. Bell-Haynes finished with a season high 23 points on 9-15 shooting and added 6 assists, 5 rebounds, and zero turnovers. He broke out of his mini slump and was back to attacking the basket with his tremendous speed. New Hampshire made a conscious effort to try and play faster than they usually do and it worked in Bell-Haynes' favor. After that it was another balanced effort with Kurt Steidl adding 11 points and Payton Henson chipping in 10. Cam Ward put together a great 7 points and 6 assists and Darren Payen blocked 5 shots. Payen completely changed the game in the second half by not allowing anything easy at the rim. The Cats took every shot that New Hampshire had and responded with a shot of their own. The atmosphere was tremendous in Patrick tonight and the student section was both the loudest and largest I have seen since I have been going to games. What a great all around game for the Vermont program. Now Vermont heads out on a very tough road trip. UMBC and UMass Lowell are two high octane offensive teams who are really going to test Vermont's defense. Both of those teams are difficult match ups for Vermont and I expect them to be tough games. That is all I have for now as it is way past my bedtime. Go Cats Go!
Monday, February 6, 2017
Binghamton at Vermont 2/6/17
Vermont 71 Binghamton 51
Vermont dominated Binghamton and pushed their win streak to 13 games. Vermont came out with toughness and focus and wore Binghamton down. The Vermont defense continues to challenge teams. The Cats forced 18 turnovers which they turned into 28 points. Dre Wills led the charge with 3 steals and changed the momentum of the game with a tenacious individual defensive effort. He chipped in 8 points in a very effective 12 minutes. The offense was ruthlessly efficient yet again, led by Ernie Duncan's 18 points on 6-8 shooting from three. Over the last four games Duncan is shooting 16-25 (64%) from deep. He is some kinda hot right now. Payton Henson is also returning to the form that he showed at the beginning of the season. He is playing with more confidence and crashing the boards hard. Darren Payen stayed hot as well finishing 5-5 from the field for 11 points and added 5 rebounds (4 offensive). Payen is shooting an insane 73% from the field this season and an outlandish 84% (43-51) in conference play. Talk about automatic. Vermont just flat out makes plays when they need to game in and game out. They methodically execute and respond to everything the opposing team throws their way. The Cats are really locked in and continue to show poise on the court. Each of these games is important no matter the opponent because Stony Brook keeps winning and is putting pressure on Vermont to maintain that number one seed. Vermont has quite a gauntlet to finish the season as they have already played all of the lower tier teams twice and only games against the upper tier remain. The showdown against New Hampshire on Thursday is really important because after that game they go to UMBC for what could be their toughest road game the rest of the way. Vermont has been tremendous at taking the season one game at a time and it should be a great battle on Thursday night.
Vermont dominated Binghamton and pushed their win streak to 13 games. Vermont came out with toughness and focus and wore Binghamton down. The Vermont defense continues to challenge teams. The Cats forced 18 turnovers which they turned into 28 points. Dre Wills led the charge with 3 steals and changed the momentum of the game with a tenacious individual defensive effort. He chipped in 8 points in a very effective 12 minutes. The offense was ruthlessly efficient yet again, led by Ernie Duncan's 18 points on 6-8 shooting from three. Over the last four games Duncan is shooting 16-25 (64%) from deep. He is some kinda hot right now. Payton Henson is also returning to the form that he showed at the beginning of the season. He is playing with more confidence and crashing the boards hard. Darren Payen stayed hot as well finishing 5-5 from the field for 11 points and added 5 rebounds (4 offensive). Payen is shooting an insane 73% from the field this season and an outlandish 84% (43-51) in conference play. Talk about automatic. Vermont just flat out makes plays when they need to game in and game out. They methodically execute and respond to everything the opposing team throws their way. The Cats are really locked in and continue to show poise on the court. Each of these games is important no matter the opponent because Stony Brook keeps winning and is putting pressure on Vermont to maintain that number one seed. Vermont has quite a gauntlet to finish the season as they have already played all of the lower tier teams twice and only games against the upper tier remain. The showdown against New Hampshire on Thursday is really important because after that game they go to UMBC for what could be their toughest road game the rest of the way. Vermont has been tremendous at taking the season one game at a time and it should be a great battle on Thursday night.
Saturday, February 4, 2017
Vermont at Hartford 2/4/17
Vermont 79 Hartford 66
Vermont put away Hartford for their 12th straight win and pushed their record to 20-5 on the season. That gives Vermont their 9th consecutive 20 win season. A tremendous streak that is a reflection of the consistent high level of basketball that the Cats have been playing for a while now. Vermont has been able to build a program that good players want to be a part of because they would rather win that worry about individual statistics. I tip my cap to the entire men's basketball program for their hard work. The game tonight was a little lackluster. It was the first game where it seemed like the team was not focused and lacked that drive and tenacity they have shown all year. This was especially apparent on the defensive side of the ball where Vermont let Hartford get too many good looks and had too many mental lapses. Now the Cats were able to respond each time they had these lapses and kept Hartford at bay the entire game. That was mostly due to their distinct advantage underneath the hoop. Anthony Lamb and Darren Payen dominated the game from start to finish. Lamb led Vermont with 24 points. He scored in a variety of ways and was unstoppable. He added 4 blocks and 4 rebounds in a tremendous all around effort. Payen nearly matched him with 19 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 blocks. It was another balanced effort from the rest of the team and now they have a quick turnaround before Monday's game at home against Binghamton. The Binghamton game has all the makings of a trap game and they are going to have to snap themselves back into gear. With the big showdown with New Hampshire on Thursday and the short turnaround after tonight's game it would be very easy for the Cats to have a letdown. The leaders on this team will need to give a pep talk and get everyone ready to play. Trae Bell-Haynes is one of those leaders and he is in a slump over the last few games. He is out of sorts on the court and teams are really scheming to stop him. He is going to have to dig deep and get himself back on track for the stretch run.This is a big week for Vermont as after the Binghamton game Vermont has the New Hampshire game and then travels to UMBC for a very tough road game on Sunday. Vermont is going to get tested every step of the way from here on out as they try to build momentum for their postseason run.
Vermont put away Hartford for their 12th straight win and pushed their record to 20-5 on the season. That gives Vermont their 9th consecutive 20 win season. A tremendous streak that is a reflection of the consistent high level of basketball that the Cats have been playing for a while now. Vermont has been able to build a program that good players want to be a part of because they would rather win that worry about individual statistics. I tip my cap to the entire men's basketball program for their hard work. The game tonight was a little lackluster. It was the first game where it seemed like the team was not focused and lacked that drive and tenacity they have shown all year. This was especially apparent on the defensive side of the ball where Vermont let Hartford get too many good looks and had too many mental lapses. Now the Cats were able to respond each time they had these lapses and kept Hartford at bay the entire game. That was mostly due to their distinct advantage underneath the hoop. Anthony Lamb and Darren Payen dominated the game from start to finish. Lamb led Vermont with 24 points. He scored in a variety of ways and was unstoppable. He added 4 blocks and 4 rebounds in a tremendous all around effort. Payen nearly matched him with 19 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 blocks. It was another balanced effort from the rest of the team and now they have a quick turnaround before Monday's game at home against Binghamton. The Binghamton game has all the makings of a trap game and they are going to have to snap themselves back into gear. With the big showdown with New Hampshire on Thursday and the short turnaround after tonight's game it would be very easy for the Cats to have a letdown. The leaders on this team will need to give a pep talk and get everyone ready to play. Trae Bell-Haynes is one of those leaders and he is in a slump over the last few games. He is out of sorts on the court and teams are really scheming to stop him. He is going to have to dig deep and get himself back on track for the stretch run.This is a big week for Vermont as after the Binghamton game Vermont has the New Hampshire game and then travels to UMBC for a very tough road game on Sunday. Vermont is going to get tested every step of the way from here on out as they try to build momentum for their postseason run.
Wednesday, February 1, 2017
Maine at Vermont 2/1/17
Vermont 74 Maine 53
Vermont continued to take care of business in the America East with a 21 point victory over Maine. That makes 11 wins in a row for the Cats and runs their record to 19-5 on the season. That means the game at Hartford on Saturday gives Vermont a chance to lock up their ninth straight 20 win season. The game tonight was choppy and Vermont's offense is not as fluid as it could be, but their defense is getting better and better. This game epitomizes the shift they have made in identity over the course of the season. The first time they played Maine it was an up and down game that the Cats won 90-77. It was really after that game that Vermont made a commitment to the defensive side of the ball. Kurt Steidl was tremendous tonight in shutting down one of the the top scorers in the conference in Wes Myers. Vermont continues to block shots at a high rate and that starts with Anthony Lamb. He has an uncanny ability to block shots without leaving the floor and he has clearly made a commitment to improving his defense. Lamb played a strong game tonight leading the Cats with 15 points. He added 7 rebound and 2 blocks and has broken through his brief slump. Payton Henson added 13 points and 8 rebounds and is slowly getting his rhythm back after missing time with an injury. It was another balanced team effort and another methodical victory. The focus this team is demonstrating night in and night out is fun to watch. They are taking their season one game at a time and staying grounded while in the midst of one of the best stretches in Vermont history. The crazy thing is I don't think the Cats have played their best basketball thus far and can still make improvements. This team has such a high ceiling if they can maintain the work ethic and attitude they have demonstrated thus far this season, there is no telling what they can achieve.
Vermont continued to take care of business in the America East with a 21 point victory over Maine. That makes 11 wins in a row for the Cats and runs their record to 19-5 on the season. That means the game at Hartford on Saturday gives Vermont a chance to lock up their ninth straight 20 win season. The game tonight was choppy and Vermont's offense is not as fluid as it could be, but their defense is getting better and better. This game epitomizes the shift they have made in identity over the course of the season. The first time they played Maine it was an up and down game that the Cats won 90-77. It was really after that game that Vermont made a commitment to the defensive side of the ball. Kurt Steidl was tremendous tonight in shutting down one of the the top scorers in the conference in Wes Myers. Vermont continues to block shots at a high rate and that starts with Anthony Lamb. He has an uncanny ability to block shots without leaving the floor and he has clearly made a commitment to improving his defense. Lamb played a strong game tonight leading the Cats with 15 points. He added 7 rebound and 2 blocks and has broken through his brief slump. Payton Henson added 13 points and 8 rebounds and is slowly getting his rhythm back after missing time with an injury. It was another balanced team effort and another methodical victory. The focus this team is demonstrating night in and night out is fun to watch. They are taking their season one game at a time and staying grounded while in the midst of one of the best stretches in Vermont history. The crazy thing is I don't think the Cats have played their best basketball thus far and can still make improvements. This team has such a high ceiling if they can maintain the work ethic and attitude they have demonstrated thus far this season, there is no telling what they can achieve.
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