Vermont 79 Yale 70
Anthony Lamb exploded for a career high 34 points and led Vermont to a victory over Yale in the real home opener. Lamb was straight up dominant in this one. He did it all for the Cats. He shot 6-11 from three and single-handedly kept Vermont in the game in the first half. He finished with 4 blocks and 7 rebounds, physically dominating the paint in the second half. Vermont fans are seeing something special in Lamb's ascension this season. The other two big time game changers in the second half were Robin Duncan and Samuel Dingba. Dingba had his best minutes as a Catamount forcing a couple steals, two big blocks, and playing tough defense underneath. It was great to finally see Dingba make some positive plays. Becker switched his lineup coming out of half and inserted Robin instead of Everett. Robin responded by masterfully running the offense. He as able to get by Yale defenders and into the lane at will, which really opened up the perimeter during Vermont's big run. His length was on display at both ends of the floor as he bothered entry passes on the defensive end and was able to fit passes into tight windows on the offensive end. There is so much subtlety to his game and it is beautiful to watch. He has solidified his spot in the rotation. Isaiah Moll struggled mightily at the offensive end but it was nice to see him make big contributions in other aspects of the game. He played big minutes in the second half and played hard and was tough on the boards. If he can continue to grow the other parts of his game he will continue to earn big minutes. Stef Smith and Ernie Duncan continued their strong shooting from the perimeter. The shift in the style of Vermont basketball is becoming more evident with each game as Becker is letting the reins loose and allowing some quicker shots and more freedom for his offensive playmakers to create opportunities. What has been most amazing about the increased offensive freedom is that the Cats have been able to do such a great job limiting turnovers. They only committed 6 turnovers and have been valuing the ball nicely to start the season. It is nice to see that the playing well in losses to good teams actually was an indicator that this team is starting to put things together. This group is coming together quickly and still has more room to grow. Sunday afternoon presents another big test with a tough Bucknell squad coming to Patrick. Going to be another fun one. One interesting tidbit is that Jimmy Sotos from Bucknell and Ryan Davis played on the same high school basketball team.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
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