Vermont 68 Binghamton 54
Trae Bell-Haynes led Vermont to victory with another dominating performance. Bell-Haynes stuffed the stat sheet with 21 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists. What more can you say about how great of a player he is? Night in and night out he relentlessly attacks opposing defenses. There are not enough superlatives to describe how globally he is able to affect the game. Drew Urquhart had a strong first half and finished with 15 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 blocks. His passing out of the high post is becoming one of the Cats go to moves. Everett Duncan continued his strong play with 8 points and another 9 rebounds. He is becoming so much more involved in the flow of the game and is giving Vermont some great physicality. Payton Henson shook off a very slow start and finished with 12 points and 6 rebounds. Ernie Duncan continued his strong defense getting 4 steals and chipping in 10 points. Once again Ra Kpedi's energy on the glass sparked the Cats. He continues to impress and is going to be an asset off the bench. Vermont's defense came through on a night that they struggled to make shots. To offset the poor shooting the Cats were able to grab 18 offensive rebounds. Another nice road win and the Cats finished off an 8-0 start to conference play. The second time through begins with a big game at UMBC on Saturday. UMBC is undefeated at home this season. The game on Saturday is the first game in their spectacular new events center so it will be an incredible atmosphere. The Retrievers have kept pace with Vermont sporting a 7-2 conference mark ahead of the matchup. It is going to be a battle and Vermont is going to have to come out sharper than they did in the game tonight. UMBC is going to be jazzed for this game as it is their opportunity to stay in the mix for the top spot in the conference. Should be an electric matchup between the top two teams in the conference.
Wednesday, January 31, 2018
Wednesday, January 24, 2018
Albany at Vermont 1/24/18
Vermont 61 Albany 50
Well that was a strange game.
Vermont overcame a medical emergency in the stands (the person is okay), several stoppages of play, a sloppy second half, and their rival Albany to win their 10th in a row. The game was uneven and physical as every Vermont/Albany matchup seems to be. It is interesting that the Cats offense is effective against almost any other team they play but is awful against Albany. Trae Bell-Haynes continued his tear with another strong performance. Bell-Haynes finished with 21 points and played strong defense against David Nichols. The poor foul shooting has been tough to take but he sure does keep coming up big otherwise. Everett Duncan finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds for his first career double double. Seven of his rebounds were at the offensive end and he played a team high 39 minutes. It was probably the strangest double double I have ever seen as he was absolutely dominant in the first half grabbing 10 of his 11 rebounds. He then all but disappeared in the second half. I have been pumping up Duncan's rebounding all season on this blog and tonight he validated my excitement. Ernie Duncan made the shot of the night, hitting a desperation three at the shot clock buzzer to give the Cats some life in the second half. He had a quite night otherwise but that was mostly due to the energy he was expending playing great defense on Joe Cremo. In a surprising turn of events Duncan has asserted himself as Vermont's defensive stopper. He is consistently drawing tough defensive assignments and has made himself into a very strong defender. Ra Kpedi ignited the Cats in his first half minutes with his hustle and strength on the boards. The inexperience showed after that but he could really provide a spark down the stretch as he continues to get up to speed. The defense was very strong for the Cats as they held Albany to only one made three. The way that the Cats have grown over the course of this winning streak without Anthony Lamb is fun to watch. It is a reminder about the strength of the program and a testament to the players and coaches. To be able to look forward and be ready to overcome any obstacle is a rare attitude to find in a group of players. Now the Cats have a week to prepare for their difficult three game road trip. Beginning next Wednesday Vermont plays at Binghamton, at UMBC, and at Albany. That is going to be a tough road and it is strange for the Albany games to be so close together. Time to rest up and get ready for the road.
P.S. Tonight is my 200th post. I never thought when I started to write this blog that it would grow into what it is today. Thanks for reading!
Well that was a strange game.
Vermont overcame a medical emergency in the stands (the person is okay), several stoppages of play, a sloppy second half, and their rival Albany to win their 10th in a row. The game was uneven and physical as every Vermont/Albany matchup seems to be. It is interesting that the Cats offense is effective against almost any other team they play but is awful against Albany. Trae Bell-Haynes continued his tear with another strong performance. Bell-Haynes finished with 21 points and played strong defense against David Nichols. The poor foul shooting has been tough to take but he sure does keep coming up big otherwise. Everett Duncan finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds for his first career double double. Seven of his rebounds were at the offensive end and he played a team high 39 minutes. It was probably the strangest double double I have ever seen as he was absolutely dominant in the first half grabbing 10 of his 11 rebounds. He then all but disappeared in the second half. I have been pumping up Duncan's rebounding all season on this blog and tonight he validated my excitement. Ernie Duncan made the shot of the night, hitting a desperation three at the shot clock buzzer to give the Cats some life in the second half. He had a quite night otherwise but that was mostly due to the energy he was expending playing great defense on Joe Cremo. In a surprising turn of events Duncan has asserted himself as Vermont's defensive stopper. He is consistently drawing tough defensive assignments and has made himself into a very strong defender. Ra Kpedi ignited the Cats in his first half minutes with his hustle and strength on the boards. The inexperience showed after that but he could really provide a spark down the stretch as he continues to get up to speed. The defense was very strong for the Cats as they held Albany to only one made three. The way that the Cats have grown over the course of this winning streak without Anthony Lamb is fun to watch. It is a reminder about the strength of the program and a testament to the players and coaches. To be able to look forward and be ready to overcome any obstacle is a rare attitude to find in a group of players. Now the Cats have a week to prepare for their difficult three game road trip. Beginning next Wednesday Vermont plays at Binghamton, at UMBC, and at Albany. That is going to be a tough road and it is strange for the Albany games to be so close together. Time to rest up and get ready for the road.
P.S. Tonight is my 200th post. I never thought when I started to write this blog that it would grow into what it is today. Thanks for reading!
Sunday, January 21, 2018
Vermont at Hartford 1/21/18
Vermont 76 Hartford 53
Vermont played their best 40 minutes of basketball this season and dominated Hartford at both ends of the floor on the way to their 9th straight victory. Payton Henson led the way with 18 points and 5 rebounds. He knocked down 3/5 from behind the arc and made great decisions with the basketball. Trae Bell-Haynes was right behind him with 17 points. Bell-Haynes threw in 6 rebounds and 4 assists. He played under control and took great care of the ball despite Hartford's ball hawking perimeter defense. Everett Duncan was the sharpshooter today knocking down 4/5 from three for 12 points. It was nice to see him make a few shots as he had been struggling over the last few games. Ra Kpedi played 14 minutes in his second career game and has the potential to be a contributor down the stretch. Kpedi had 6 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 blocks. He is still getting up to speed with the college game but he is a very good rebounder and shot blocker. He is certainly going to be able to provide the Cats similar minutes to what Samuel Dingba was giving the team before his injury. I have been very high on Kpedi since his commitment and today I saw glimpses of exactly what could make him a good player for Vermont. Now 6-0 on conference, Vermont is ready for their big showdown with Albany and the toughest stretch of their season. The fact that the Cats continue to not only win but improve despite the injuries, has been the most incredible part of this streak. The game against Albany at Patrick on Wednesday will be a great battle and a big test for Vermont.
Vermont played their best 40 minutes of basketball this season and dominated Hartford at both ends of the floor on the way to their 9th straight victory. Payton Henson led the way with 18 points and 5 rebounds. He knocked down 3/5 from behind the arc and made great decisions with the basketball. Trae Bell-Haynes was right behind him with 17 points. Bell-Haynes threw in 6 rebounds and 4 assists. He played under control and took great care of the ball despite Hartford's ball hawking perimeter defense. Everett Duncan was the sharpshooter today knocking down 4/5 from three for 12 points. It was nice to see him make a few shots as he had been struggling over the last few games. Ra Kpedi played 14 minutes in his second career game and has the potential to be a contributor down the stretch. Kpedi had 6 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 blocks. He is still getting up to speed with the college game but he is a very good rebounder and shot blocker. He is certainly going to be able to provide the Cats similar minutes to what Samuel Dingba was giving the team before his injury. I have been very high on Kpedi since his commitment and today I saw glimpses of exactly what could make him a good player for Vermont. Now 6-0 on conference, Vermont is ready for their big showdown with Albany and the toughest stretch of their season. The fact that the Cats continue to not only win but improve despite the injuries, has been the most incredible part of this streak. The game against Albany at Patrick on Wednesday will be a great battle and a big test for Vermont.
Thursday, January 18, 2018
Vermont at New Hampshire 1/18/18
Vermont 67 New Hampshire 56
Vermont won their 8th straight game by grinding out a victory over New Hampshire. Overcoming a poor first half the Cats were able to find their offensive rhythm due to the play of their guards. Cam Ward, Ernie Duncan, and Trae Bell-Haynes combined for 33 of Vermont's 42 second half points. Bell-Haynes led they way with 18 of his 20 points in the second half. New Hampshire denied Bell-Haynes the ball every chance they could and bodied him up on the perimeter. The Wildcats were able to force him into 7 turnovers but each time Bell-Haynes bounced back with tough physical finishes at the rim. The toughness sequence of the night was Bell-Haynes blocking a three pointer, tracking the ball down, and laying it in to seal the game. He is on quite the run with 18 plus points in four straight. Ernie Duncan bounced back from a tough game on Monday night, knocking down 4/7 from three en route to 17 points. It was his offense midway through the second half that tilted the game in Vermont's favor. His maturation as a player has been key to this winning streak. He has worked hard and made himself a threat to score off the dribble. This allows Vermont to switch up their late shot clock situations and run different sets to keep the defense on its toes. Cam Ward continued his rise as he looks like the Ward from his first two seasons in a Catamount uniform. The swagger is back and he is knocking down big shots. Ward is up over 40% from three and has hit double figures in 3 of his last 4 games. Drew Urquhart was huge on the boards and had several beautiful blocked shots. He finished with 9 rebounds against one of the best rebounding teams in the country. This game was a perfect example of Vermont's ability to prevent rebounds. New Hampshire pulls down 41 rebounds per game and boasts a +9.6 rebounding margin. Vermont ended up even in rebounding allowing New Hampshire to grab only 28 rebounds. The Cats offensive and defensive efficiency really shines through when you look at their ability to keep teams off the glass. This win comes with the news of another Vermont player dealing with an injury. Samuel Dingba suffered a groin injury, just when he was becoming a contributor off the bench, and is out indefinitely. Another blow to the Cats depth and as a result Ra Kpedi is now activated from his redshirt season. He played five minutes in tonight's game and scored the first points of his Vermont career on a couple of free throws. This season has become the epitome of the Cats' "next man up" mantra. It is unfortunate that Bailey Patella and Kpedi have had to sacrifice their redshirt seasons but exciting that they have an opportunity to contribute during this conference run. Now it is on to Sunday's game on the road against the surprising Hartford Hawks. They still shoot the three and have a post game to go with it this season which has led to a stretch of big wins. Every road game in conference is a battle and it will be no different on Sunday afternoon.
Vermont won their 8th straight game by grinding out a victory over New Hampshire. Overcoming a poor first half the Cats were able to find their offensive rhythm due to the play of their guards. Cam Ward, Ernie Duncan, and Trae Bell-Haynes combined for 33 of Vermont's 42 second half points. Bell-Haynes led they way with 18 of his 20 points in the second half. New Hampshire denied Bell-Haynes the ball every chance they could and bodied him up on the perimeter. The Wildcats were able to force him into 7 turnovers but each time Bell-Haynes bounced back with tough physical finishes at the rim. The toughness sequence of the night was Bell-Haynes blocking a three pointer, tracking the ball down, and laying it in to seal the game. He is on quite the run with 18 plus points in four straight. Ernie Duncan bounced back from a tough game on Monday night, knocking down 4/7 from three en route to 17 points. It was his offense midway through the second half that tilted the game in Vermont's favor. His maturation as a player has been key to this winning streak. He has worked hard and made himself a threat to score off the dribble. This allows Vermont to switch up their late shot clock situations and run different sets to keep the defense on its toes. Cam Ward continued his rise as he looks like the Ward from his first two seasons in a Catamount uniform. The swagger is back and he is knocking down big shots. Ward is up over 40% from three and has hit double figures in 3 of his last 4 games. Drew Urquhart was huge on the boards and had several beautiful blocked shots. He finished with 9 rebounds against one of the best rebounding teams in the country. This game was a perfect example of Vermont's ability to prevent rebounds. New Hampshire pulls down 41 rebounds per game and boasts a +9.6 rebounding margin. Vermont ended up even in rebounding allowing New Hampshire to grab only 28 rebounds. The Cats offensive and defensive efficiency really shines through when you look at their ability to keep teams off the glass. This win comes with the news of another Vermont player dealing with an injury. Samuel Dingba suffered a groin injury, just when he was becoming a contributor off the bench, and is out indefinitely. Another blow to the Cats depth and as a result Ra Kpedi is now activated from his redshirt season. He played five minutes in tonight's game and scored the first points of his Vermont career on a couple of free throws. This season has become the epitome of the Cats' "next man up" mantra. It is unfortunate that Bailey Patella and Kpedi have had to sacrifice their redshirt seasons but exciting that they have an opportunity to contribute during this conference run. Now it is on to Sunday's game on the road against the surprising Hartford Hawks. They still shoot the three and have a post game to go with it this season which has led to a stretch of big wins. Every road game in conference is a battle and it will be no different on Sunday afternoon.
Monday, January 15, 2018
Maine at Vermont 1/15/18
Vermont 83 Maine 62
Vermont kept right on rolling, overcoming a slow start and putting Maine away with a big second half. Drew Urquhart led the way with a career high 21 points. The maturation of his game this season is remarkable. He just keeps getting better. His decisiveness when he has the ball has improved so much. This was an incredible team win. The Cats depth is starting to take charge much like it did last season. They can change the game plan or the lineup on the fly because they have so may different combinations and truly capable players. Cam Ward looks like his old self again, knocking down tough shots and providing a calming presence on the court. Trae Bell-Haynes is on an incredible streak right now. He is showcasing jaw dropping clutch plays night in and night out. He has rediscovered his explosiveness around the rim and is bringing that relentlessness that Vermont is accustomed to. In tonight's game he really stuffed the stat sheet with 18 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. He knocked down another two threes and because of that dimension right now teams are struggling to game plan to stop him. Ernie Duncan struggled shooting but led the team with 6 assists. His passing was great today as he picked apart Maine's defense. The unselfish way this team approaches each and every game is a thing of beauty. They are so patient and are always willing to make the extra pass. Now they face their toughest conference test so far traveling down to face a hot New Hampshire team. Durham is always a tough place to play and New Hampshire has been destroying opponents on the boards. They are using their size and dominant post play to wear teams down. This upcoming stretch is full of tough road games and is going to be the defining stretch of their season. This is where the progress by the Cats bench is most important as they try to continue their winning ways
Vermont kept right on rolling, overcoming a slow start and putting Maine away with a big second half. Drew Urquhart led the way with a career high 21 points. The maturation of his game this season is remarkable. He just keeps getting better. His decisiveness when he has the ball has improved so much. This was an incredible team win. The Cats depth is starting to take charge much like it did last season. They can change the game plan or the lineup on the fly because they have so may different combinations and truly capable players. Cam Ward looks like his old self again, knocking down tough shots and providing a calming presence on the court. Trae Bell-Haynes is on an incredible streak right now. He is showcasing jaw dropping clutch plays night in and night out. He has rediscovered his explosiveness around the rim and is bringing that relentlessness that Vermont is accustomed to. In tonight's game he really stuffed the stat sheet with 18 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. He knocked down another two threes and because of that dimension right now teams are struggling to game plan to stop him. Ernie Duncan struggled shooting but led the team with 6 assists. His passing was great today as he picked apart Maine's defense. The unselfish way this team approaches each and every game is a thing of beauty. They are so patient and are always willing to make the extra pass. Now they face their toughest conference test so far traveling down to face a hot New Hampshire team. Durham is always a tough place to play and New Hampshire has been destroying opponents on the boards. They are using their size and dominant post play to wear teams down. This upcoming stretch is full of tough road games and is going to be the defining stretch of their season. This is where the progress by the Cats bench is most important as they try to continue their winning ways
Wednesday, January 10, 2018
Vermont at Dartmouth 1/10/18
Vermont 91 Dartmouth 78
The seniors stepped up for Vermont and led them to victory over Dartmouth. Trae Bell-Haynes had an unbelievable game scoring a season high 27 points without missing a shot. 10/10 from the field, 6/6 from the line. Bell-Haynes was spectacular, slicing and dicing through the lane and finishing through contact. He also had a team high 5 rebounds and chipped in 3 assists and 2 steals. What a performance. He wasn't the only senior that stepped up. Payton Henson continued his hot streak, pouring in a season high 20 points and again got the Cats off to a hot start. It seems like Henson might have taken the "Vermont is dead without Lamb" narrative personally and is playing like a man on a mission. Cam Ward also had his finest game this season. Ward finished with season high 14 points on 5/6 shooting and dished out a team high 5 assists. You could see this type of performance on the horizon as Ward has been steadily gaining confidence as the season has progressed. Vermont's offense was humming all night. The Cats' relentlessly attacked the basket and put up a season high 91 points on a night they struggled from three. During this relentless attack they took tremendous care of the ball, committing only 5 turnovers. The only negative from this game was that the Cats difficulty defending the three reared its ugly head again. With their 10th non-conference win Vermont tied the program record for most non-conference wins. That is an incredible feat considering the degree of difficulty of their schedule. Now it is time to focus on securing home court advantage. Stony Brook comes to town on Saturday and that is always a tough game. So far the America East has been quite unpredictable and every team has to be ready to play every night.
P.S. Trae Bell-Haynes jumped up three spots on the all time scoring list with his performance tonight. He is currently 12th all time with 1,331. Next up on the list is current Middlebury head coach Jeff Brown who finished with 1,336 career points.
The seniors stepped up for Vermont and led them to victory over Dartmouth. Trae Bell-Haynes had an unbelievable game scoring a season high 27 points without missing a shot. 10/10 from the field, 6/6 from the line. Bell-Haynes was spectacular, slicing and dicing through the lane and finishing through contact. He also had a team high 5 rebounds and chipped in 3 assists and 2 steals. What a performance. He wasn't the only senior that stepped up. Payton Henson continued his hot streak, pouring in a season high 20 points and again got the Cats off to a hot start. It seems like Henson might have taken the "Vermont is dead without Lamb" narrative personally and is playing like a man on a mission. Cam Ward also had his finest game this season. Ward finished with season high 14 points on 5/6 shooting and dished out a team high 5 assists. You could see this type of performance on the horizon as Ward has been steadily gaining confidence as the season has progressed. Vermont's offense was humming all night. The Cats' relentlessly attacked the basket and put up a season high 91 points on a night they struggled from three. During this relentless attack they took tremendous care of the ball, committing only 5 turnovers. The only negative from this game was that the Cats difficulty defending the three reared its ugly head again. With their 10th non-conference win Vermont tied the program record for most non-conference wins. That is an incredible feat considering the degree of difficulty of their schedule. Now it is time to focus on securing home court advantage. Stony Brook comes to town on Saturday and that is always a tough game. So far the America East has been quite unpredictable and every team has to be ready to play every night.
P.S. Trae Bell-Haynes jumped up three spots on the all time scoring list with his performance tonight. He is currently 12th all time with 1,331. Next up on the list is current Middlebury head coach Jeff Brown who finished with 1,336 career points.
Saturday, January 6, 2018
UMBC at Vermont 1/6/18
Vermont 71 UMBC 56
The 2,734 fans that braved the cold were rewarded with a dominating performance by the Cats. Payton Henson led the way with 16 points and a career high 14 rebounds leading Vermont's domination in the post. Henson again got the Cats off to a hot start and took control underneath. He also threw down a highlight reel dunk to punctuate a strong first half. This was a really strong team win. Everyone that played made positive contributions. Ernie Duncan and Trae Bell-Haynes fought through tough physical defense to finish with 12 and 13 points respectively. Everett Duncan did all the little things and finished with 7 points and 6 boards (4 offensive). Drew Urquhart payed a strong first half including some beautiful assists from the high post. He finished with 6 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists. Cam Ward and Stef Smith hit big shots and played tough defense. Samuel Dingba came up with 2 huge blocks and Nate Rohrer threw down an impressive dunk of his own. Vermont looked like a team on a mission tonight. Their defense was incredible against a team that puts a lot of points on the board. UMBC leads the conference in scoring at 78 points pere game and struggled to reach 56 tonight. The defense on Jairus Lyles deserves special recognition. Lyles is the leading scorer in the conference at 21 points per game and he was held to 8 points on 2-12 shooting. The Cats have certainly recommitted themselves to "Vermont" basketball over these last few games. They got some big wins this week and demonstrated that they are still the team to beat despite their injuries. One of the ways they are doing it is by limiting opponents chances at rebounds. They have actually allowed the fewest offensive rebounds and the ninth fewest total rebounds in the country. That is a testament to their strong defense and team rebounding. When a shot goes up guys are finding their man and putting a body on them. This makes up for the fact that they have the fewest steals in the country. This group takes everything thrown their way and moves forward, continuing to demonstrate that their best skill is their mental toughness. After a marathon week they get a little respite with only two games in the upcoming week. Next up is their last non-conference game at Dartmouth on Wednesday.
The 2,734 fans that braved the cold were rewarded with a dominating performance by the Cats. Payton Henson led the way with 16 points and a career high 14 rebounds leading Vermont's domination in the post. Henson again got the Cats off to a hot start and took control underneath. He also threw down a highlight reel dunk to punctuate a strong first half. This was a really strong team win. Everyone that played made positive contributions. Ernie Duncan and Trae Bell-Haynes fought through tough physical defense to finish with 12 and 13 points respectively. Everett Duncan did all the little things and finished with 7 points and 6 boards (4 offensive). Drew Urquhart payed a strong first half including some beautiful assists from the high post. He finished with 6 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists. Cam Ward and Stef Smith hit big shots and played tough defense. Samuel Dingba came up with 2 huge blocks and Nate Rohrer threw down an impressive dunk of his own. Vermont looked like a team on a mission tonight. Their defense was incredible against a team that puts a lot of points on the board. UMBC leads the conference in scoring at 78 points pere game and struggled to reach 56 tonight. The defense on Jairus Lyles deserves special recognition. Lyles is the leading scorer in the conference at 21 points per game and he was held to 8 points on 2-12 shooting. The Cats have certainly recommitted themselves to "Vermont" basketball over these last few games. They got some big wins this week and demonstrated that they are still the team to beat despite their injuries. One of the ways they are doing it is by limiting opponents chances at rebounds. They have actually allowed the fewest offensive rebounds and the ninth fewest total rebounds in the country. That is a testament to their strong defense and team rebounding. When a shot goes up guys are finding their man and putting a body on them. This makes up for the fact that they have the fewest steals in the country. This group takes everything thrown their way and moves forward, continuing to demonstrate that their best skill is their mental toughness. After a marathon week they get a little respite with only two games in the upcoming week. Next up is their last non-conference game at Dartmouth on Wednesday.
Thursday, January 4, 2018
Vermont at UMass Lowell 1/4/18
Vermont 88 UMass Lowell 77
Ernie Duncan was red hot and Drew Urquhart continued his incredible senior season as Vermont braved the storm and won their conference opener at UMass Lowell. Duncan finished the night with 32 points (20 in the second half) on 10/11 shooting including 5/6 from three. Several of his makes were with a high degree of difficulty. It felt like he could have had even more tonight as most of his shots were nothing but net. His willingness to go to the rim is really opening up his offense as teams can no longer close him out hard at the three point line. Drew U looks better and better every game and is absolutely seizing the moment in his senior season. He was a monster in this game, using his size advantage to dominate the paint. In his second start replacing Anthony Lamb he finished with a career high 19 points and tied a career high with 12 rebounds. Seven of those rebounds were on the offensive glass. Seven! He also stroked another three pointer and is shooting with a tremendous amount of confidence. His put back plus the foul after a missed free throw with 1:30 to go was the play that sealed the game. Payton Henson got the Cats off to a hot start and finished with 15 points and 6 rebounds. Cam Ward also played very well finishing with 8 points in his best effort of the season. The defense is still a work in progress but a great win to open conference play none the less. UMass Lowell is a very pesky team that has given Vermont fits. Jahad Thomas just destroys the Cats every game and is an incredibly versatile player. With a quick turnaround and a storm preventing an easy trip home, Vermont has some work to do before Saturday's home opener against UMBC. The Retrievers are a difficult matchup for Vermont and have played them tough over the last few years. They love to shoot the three and it is really going to test Vermont's defense. They also like to play small so Vermont is going to have to mix and match lineups to keep pace. It is going to be a cold walk up the hill to Patrick on Saturday night but I am ready to brave the elements.
Ernie Duncan was red hot and Drew Urquhart continued his incredible senior season as Vermont braved the storm and won their conference opener at UMass Lowell. Duncan finished the night with 32 points (20 in the second half) on 10/11 shooting including 5/6 from three. Several of his makes were with a high degree of difficulty. It felt like he could have had even more tonight as most of his shots were nothing but net. His willingness to go to the rim is really opening up his offense as teams can no longer close him out hard at the three point line. Drew U looks better and better every game and is absolutely seizing the moment in his senior season. He was a monster in this game, using his size advantage to dominate the paint. In his second start replacing Anthony Lamb he finished with a career high 19 points and tied a career high with 12 rebounds. Seven of those rebounds were on the offensive glass. Seven! He also stroked another three pointer and is shooting with a tremendous amount of confidence. His put back plus the foul after a missed free throw with 1:30 to go was the play that sealed the game. Payton Henson got the Cats off to a hot start and finished with 15 points and 6 rebounds. Cam Ward also played very well finishing with 8 points in his best effort of the season. The defense is still a work in progress but a great win to open conference play none the less. UMass Lowell is a very pesky team that has given Vermont fits. Jahad Thomas just destroys the Cats every game and is an incredibly versatile player. With a quick turnaround and a storm preventing an easy trip home, Vermont has some work to do before Saturday's home opener against UMBC. The Retrievers are a difficult matchup for Vermont and have played them tough over the last few years. They love to shoot the three and it is really going to test Vermont's defense. They also like to play small so Vermont is going to have to mix and match lineups to keep pace. It is going to be a cold walk up the hill to Patrick on Saturday night but I am ready to brave the elements.
Tuesday, January 2, 2018
Vermont at Harvard 1/2/18
Vermont 62 Harvard 56
Vermont ringing in the new year with a big win.
Banding together after losing their leading scorer the Cats went on the road and defeated Harvard. It was Lamb's fellow post-men Payton Henson and Drew Urquhart leading Vermont to victory. Henson led the Cats with 17 points. He was aggressive from the opening tip and fought through the tough physical Harvard defense. His best moment of the game came on a beautiful backdoor cut, slamming home a ferocious dunk plus the foul to seal the game. Drew U stepped up big as well in his first game replacing Lamb. He shot 3/4 from three and finished with 11 points. It seemed like each of his threes were at crucial points in the game. It is great that he is shooting with confidence and also amazing/funny that prior to this game he had 5 made three pointers in his entire career. What a way to step up. This was a game where Vermont was the team that hit big shots in the second half. They caught fire from three and both Duncans hit big shots when Vermont needed a bucket. It was also great to see Trae Bell-Haynes go 5/5 from the free throw line as he seems to have gotten over his early season struggles. Samuel Dingba had his best minutes of the season, getting rebounds and throwing down a dunk. Bailey Patella came off his redshirt to play the first minutes of his college career. Anything Vermont can get from him would be great. This is a big win for Vermont's mentality going forward. They were able to win a tough game on the road without their leading scorer. That is a great boost as they prepare to play without Lamb for an extended period of time. It was also nice to see Vermont play some tough defense in the second half. When Harvard was raining threes in the first half I was admittedly distraught. Harvard came into the game shooting 28% from three which is 344 out of 351 Division 1 teams this season. This was the moment where it really seemed like everyone was going to shoot the lights out from three against the Cats. It may have just been a stat correction but I think Vermont make some adjustments in the second half and limited Harvard to 1/9 shooting from three in the second half. Now the Cats have a quick turnaround before opening conference play against UMass Lowell on Thursday night. Lowell has been a tough matchup for Vermont in the past so this game cant be overlooked with a big showdown against UMBC on Saturday night at Patrick. Throw the records out because everyone is 0-0 and it is time for the conference season.
Vermont ringing in the new year with a big win.
Banding together after losing their leading scorer the Cats went on the road and defeated Harvard. It was Lamb's fellow post-men Payton Henson and Drew Urquhart leading Vermont to victory. Henson led the Cats with 17 points. He was aggressive from the opening tip and fought through the tough physical Harvard defense. His best moment of the game came on a beautiful backdoor cut, slamming home a ferocious dunk plus the foul to seal the game. Drew U stepped up big as well in his first game replacing Lamb. He shot 3/4 from three and finished with 11 points. It seemed like each of his threes were at crucial points in the game. It is great that he is shooting with confidence and also amazing/funny that prior to this game he had 5 made three pointers in his entire career. What a way to step up. This was a game where Vermont was the team that hit big shots in the second half. They caught fire from three and both Duncans hit big shots when Vermont needed a bucket. It was also great to see Trae Bell-Haynes go 5/5 from the free throw line as he seems to have gotten over his early season struggles. Samuel Dingba had his best minutes of the season, getting rebounds and throwing down a dunk. Bailey Patella came off his redshirt to play the first minutes of his college career. Anything Vermont can get from him would be great. This is a big win for Vermont's mentality going forward. They were able to win a tough game on the road without their leading scorer. That is a great boost as they prepare to play without Lamb for an extended period of time. It was also nice to see Vermont play some tough defense in the second half. When Harvard was raining threes in the first half I was admittedly distraught. Harvard came into the game shooting 28% from three which is 344 out of 351 Division 1 teams this season. This was the moment where it really seemed like everyone was going to shoot the lights out from three against the Cats. It may have just been a stat correction but I think Vermont make some adjustments in the second half and limited Harvard to 1/9 shooting from three in the second half. Now the Cats have a quick turnaround before opening conference play against UMass Lowell on Thursday night. Lowell has been a tough matchup for Vermont in the past so this game cant be overlooked with a big showdown against UMBC on Saturday night at Patrick. Throw the records out because everyone is 0-0 and it is time for the conference season.
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