Vermont 73 Stony Brook 52
Vermont bounced back after a tough loss and reasserted themselves as the team to beat in the America East by taking it to Stony Brook on the road. This was a huge win for the Cats without their star player Antony Lamb who was still out with a concussion. Ernie and Everett Duncan picked up the slack and led Vermont to victory. Ernie was masterful throughout the game finishing with 25 points on 7-14 shooting. He attacked the rim relentlessly and got himself to the free throw line. Everett poured in 20 points of his own to go along with 7 rebounds. That is three straight games in double figures for Everett as he has found his stroke again. Samuel Dingba was tremendous again with 7 points and 11 rebounds. The game was very physical and early on the physicality was all from the Stony Brook side. Vermont dug deep and was able to dictate the physicality for the second half of the game. The fact that the Cats did not allow themselves to be pushed around caused the Stony Brook physicality to backfire as most of the Seawolves starters were in foul trouble. The Vermont players certainly payed for it with Ernie, Everett, and Dingba all taking head shots during the game. You could see that after the UMBC game the emphasis from the coaching staff was on remembering that the defensive side of the ball is where Vermont needs to maintain their focus. This was a must win game for the Catamounts regular season title hopes and they showed up in a big way. Now they have the week off which could not come at a better time with Lamb out and this physical game taking its toll. Robin Duncan landed funny on the last play of the game so I hope that it was just a rolled ankle and he will be ready to go for next Saturday. This team proved today that they will not be pushed around with or without Lamb. A great confidence boost for the team as a whole and a great way to go into this week of practice.
P.S.
I have to give a shout out to Ryan Davis for making the first three pointer of his career. That has to feel good.
Saturday, January 26, 2019
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
UMBC at Vermont 1/23/19
UMBC 74 Vermont 61
The Cats winning streak came to a screeching halt at the hands of UMBC. Vermont struggled to find an offensive flow without Anthony Lamb who missed the game with a concussion. Vermont didn't make their first field goal of the second half until there were under 9 minutes left. The offense was just atrocious and it was hard to watch as no one was able to step up and make the tough shots. Holding the Cats scoreless for long stretches has become UMBC's calling card since Ryan Odom took over. The defensive scheme he employs has been very effective at disrupting Vermont's offensive flow. The Cats looked like a team missing their go to player and team leader. It goes without saying but there is no one more crucial to the Vermont's success than Lamb. In years past with the balanced scoring, the Cats were able to overcome injuries as their offensive scheme was not overly dependent on one player. That is not the case this season and it is exacerbated by the fact that Lamb is Vermont's only true post player. Their frontcourt is not deep enough to make up for his absence. Now they have a few days to pick themselves up and get ready to go after Stony Brook as that game takes on a different feeling now that they are sitting at one loss. Bad games happen and the Vermont fans have been spoiled over the last two years with Vermont not laying a egg during conference play. Hopefully Lamb is back for the game against Stony Brook but if he is not someone is going to have to take charge and fire up the Cats.
The Cats winning streak came to a screeching halt at the hands of UMBC. Vermont struggled to find an offensive flow without Anthony Lamb who missed the game with a concussion. Vermont didn't make their first field goal of the second half until there were under 9 minutes left. The offense was just atrocious and it was hard to watch as no one was able to step up and make the tough shots. Holding the Cats scoreless for long stretches has become UMBC's calling card since Ryan Odom took over. The defensive scheme he employs has been very effective at disrupting Vermont's offensive flow. The Cats looked like a team missing their go to player and team leader. It goes without saying but there is no one more crucial to the Vermont's success than Lamb. In years past with the balanced scoring, the Cats were able to overcome injuries as their offensive scheme was not overly dependent on one player. That is not the case this season and it is exacerbated by the fact that Lamb is Vermont's only true post player. Their frontcourt is not deep enough to make up for his absence. Now they have a few days to pick themselves up and get ready to go after Stony Brook as that game takes on a different feeling now that they are sitting at one loss. Bad games happen and the Vermont fans have been spoiled over the last two years with Vermont not laying a egg during conference play. Hopefully Lamb is back for the game against Stony Brook but if he is not someone is going to have to take charge and fire up the Cats.
Saturday, January 19, 2019
Binghamton at Vermont 1/19/19
Vermont 78 Binghamton 50
A rejuvenated Samuel Dingba led a dominate Vermont team to a wire to wire victory over Binghamton. Dingba set the tone early with offensive rebounds on each of The Cats first two possessions. It was a sign on things to come as Vermont executed the most dominant rebounding effort I have ever seen. The Cats finished with a 47-16 rebounding advantage including 21-2 on the offensive glass. Dingba finished with 10 points and career high 14 rebounds for his first career double double. He was absolutely incredible in this game and it is a credit to his hardwork and persistence. Both he and the coaching staff continued to work hard and believed that he could have an impact despite his difficulties staying healthy and struggles on the court. Always great when a senior is taking advantage of his final season and playing with a sense of urgency. Vermont's defense was again dominant as teams continue to struggle to get shots at the rim. Ernie Duncan led the Cats with 20 points and Everett Duncan added 13. It was great to see Everett get some shots to fall as he has been struggling to adjust to his new role coming off the bench. Ryan Davis looked good again finishing with 6 points and 6 rebounds. Now UMBC comes to town on Wednesday night in their first meeting since the America East championship game. I would imagine the Cats will be charged up for that game. Then Saturday night is the big showdown on the road at Stony Brook. A big week with some emotional games and Vermont has to take care of business on Wednesday and avoid the "trap game" letdown. If they continue to play with the drive and intensity that they have been demonstrating they will continue to win games. Should be a fun week.
A rejuvenated Samuel Dingba led a dominate Vermont team to a wire to wire victory over Binghamton. Dingba set the tone early with offensive rebounds on each of The Cats first two possessions. It was a sign on things to come as Vermont executed the most dominant rebounding effort I have ever seen. The Cats finished with a 47-16 rebounding advantage including 21-2 on the offensive glass. Dingba finished with 10 points and career high 14 rebounds for his first career double double. He was absolutely incredible in this game and it is a credit to his hardwork and persistence. Both he and the coaching staff continued to work hard and believed that he could have an impact despite his difficulties staying healthy and struggles on the court. Always great when a senior is taking advantage of his final season and playing with a sense of urgency. Vermont's defense was again dominant as teams continue to struggle to get shots at the rim. Ernie Duncan led the Cats with 20 points and Everett Duncan added 13. It was great to see Everett get some shots to fall as he has been struggling to adjust to his new role coming off the bench. Ryan Davis looked good again finishing with 6 points and 6 rebounds. Now UMBC comes to town on Wednesday night in their first meeting since the America East championship game. I would imagine the Cats will be charged up for that game. Then Saturday night is the big showdown on the road at Stony Brook. A big week with some emotional games and Vermont has to take care of business on Wednesday and avoid the "trap game" letdown. If they continue to play with the drive and intensity that they have been demonstrating they will continue to win games. Should be a fun week.
Wednesday, January 16, 2019
Vermont at UNH 1/16/19
Vermont 73 UNH 59
Vermont overcame hot shooting from deep by UNH to move to 4-0 in conference. The Cats dug in on defense down the stretch and Ernie Duncan made some tough shots to put the game away. Samuel Dingba came up with two huge blocks and drew a charge when the Cats needed stops. If at the beginning of the season you had told me that Dingba was going to be a difference maker on this team, I wouldn't have believed you. He has really found a place on this team and is excelling in being the defensive stopper. Anthony Lamb again led the way with 28 points and 8 rebounds. The array of shots he can hit is incredible and he showcased the entire repertoire in this one. Robin Duncan came out in the second half with fire in his eyes and made some hard nosed plays to give Vermont its edge back. He is really becoming a leader on this team. Stef Smith knocked down some crucial threes when the offense was stalling out in the second half and finished with 14 points. Ryan Davis returned from injury and looked good in his first minutes of 2019. He could be a difference maker down the stretch as he provides an offensive option to a thin frontcourt. This game was a classic case of the huge underdog treating the game like the conference finals. UNH was pumped and ready to fight. As the top team you get everyone's best shot and UNH played very well in this game. Vermont was able to do enough to pull out the victory and will be able to go back to the tape and find some things they need to clean up before their next game against Binghamton on Saturday night.
Vermont overcame hot shooting from deep by UNH to move to 4-0 in conference. The Cats dug in on defense down the stretch and Ernie Duncan made some tough shots to put the game away. Samuel Dingba came up with two huge blocks and drew a charge when the Cats needed stops. If at the beginning of the season you had told me that Dingba was going to be a difference maker on this team, I wouldn't have believed you. He has really found a place on this team and is excelling in being the defensive stopper. Anthony Lamb again led the way with 28 points and 8 rebounds. The array of shots he can hit is incredible and he showcased the entire repertoire in this one. Robin Duncan came out in the second half with fire in his eyes and made some hard nosed plays to give Vermont its edge back. He is really becoming a leader on this team. Stef Smith knocked down some crucial threes when the offense was stalling out in the second half and finished with 14 points. Ryan Davis returned from injury and looked good in his first minutes of 2019. He could be a difference maker down the stretch as he provides an offensive option to a thin frontcourt. This game was a classic case of the huge underdog treating the game like the conference finals. UNH was pumped and ready to fight. As the top team you get everyone's best shot and UNH played very well in this game. Vermont was able to do enough to pull out the victory and will be able to go back to the tape and find some things they need to clean up before their next game against Binghamton on Saturday night.
Saturday, January 12, 2019
Hartford at Vermont 1/12/19
Vermont 81 Hartford 62
Vermont avenged last years defeat at the hands of Hartford in dominating fashion. This was the preseason number 1/2 match-up in the America East and it was all Catamounts. Right from the opening tip the Cats were flying all over the court and imposing their will. There was a fire in their eyes as they were relentless in gaining control of the game. The tone was set with the defense as Vermont blocked several shots early in the game including some big ones by Samuel Dingba. The transformation that Dingba has gone through over the last month has been nothing short of extraordinary. Early in the year Dingba struggled to remain on the court for more than a few minutes. Now he is starting and is making a difference at both ends of the floor. It is a testament to his hard work and determination and the coaching staff for working to find ways to give him the best chance for success. His defense and rebounding have been huge over the last few games. Anthony Lamb continues to be the best player on the floor and is putting together an all time great season. Tonight he took a beating and got up each time to dish out his own brand of strength and physicality. Lamb finished with 21 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Several of the rebounds in the second half were ripped out of opposing players hands as Lamb took over the paint. Isaiah Moll finally knocked down some shots from long range finishing 3-3 from three on his way to 15 points. He has really been playing better and better in every aspect of the game except knocking down shots. It was great to see him get some confidence and find success at the offensive end. He is going to be a dangerous offensive weapon if he finds his shot. I could write an entire post about how high of a level Robin Duncan is playing at. He is the guy setting the tone defensively as he relentlessly hounds opposing point guards and runs the offense like a four year veteran. A significant part of what he does so well will never show up in a box score. He affects the game in every aspect with an incredible court awareness and an unflappable desire to win. He is the catalyst on both defense and offense. The whole game changes when he is on the court which is incredible for a freshman point guard. A great statement win that really puts Stony Book and Vermont on a collision course. This Vermont team is hungry and focused. They are a joy to watch.
Vermont avenged last years defeat at the hands of Hartford in dominating fashion. This was the preseason number 1/2 match-up in the America East and it was all Catamounts. Right from the opening tip the Cats were flying all over the court and imposing their will. There was a fire in their eyes as they were relentless in gaining control of the game. The tone was set with the defense as Vermont blocked several shots early in the game including some big ones by Samuel Dingba. The transformation that Dingba has gone through over the last month has been nothing short of extraordinary. Early in the year Dingba struggled to remain on the court for more than a few minutes. Now he is starting and is making a difference at both ends of the floor. It is a testament to his hard work and determination and the coaching staff for working to find ways to give him the best chance for success. His defense and rebounding have been huge over the last few games. Anthony Lamb continues to be the best player on the floor and is putting together an all time great season. Tonight he took a beating and got up each time to dish out his own brand of strength and physicality. Lamb finished with 21 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Several of the rebounds in the second half were ripped out of opposing players hands as Lamb took over the paint. Isaiah Moll finally knocked down some shots from long range finishing 3-3 from three on his way to 15 points. He has really been playing better and better in every aspect of the game except knocking down shots. It was great to see him get some confidence and find success at the offensive end. He is going to be a dangerous offensive weapon if he finds his shot. I could write an entire post about how high of a level Robin Duncan is playing at. He is the guy setting the tone defensively as he relentlessly hounds opposing point guards and runs the offense like a four year veteran. A significant part of what he does so well will never show up in a box score. He affects the game in every aspect with an incredible court awareness and an unflappable desire to win. He is the catalyst on both defense and offense. The whole game changes when he is on the court which is incredible for a freshman point guard. A great statement win that really puts Stony Book and Vermont on a collision course. This Vermont team is hungry and focused. They are a joy to watch.
Wednesday, January 9, 2019
Vermont at Maine 1/9/19
Vermont 73 Maine 49
Vermont used a balanced attack to take care of business against Maine. Both Anthony Lamb and Robin Duncan stuffed the stat sheet. They each finished with 11 points. Lamb had 6 rebounds while Robin grabbed 5. Robin led the way with 5 assists and Lamb had 4. Samuel Dingba provided strong defense and hustle with 3 blocks and 2 steals. Maine is not a very strong team and Vermont for the second straight night was able to bury the opposing team early. In doing so the Cats have been able to get their bench some minutes. Getting minutes for the players that struggled to find the floor early in the season is so important when facing the grind of the conference schedule. It is great to see guys like Ra Kpedi and Bailey Patella making positive plays on the court. Vermont's defense is really playing at a high level and that is going to be the key to their success. Their ability to frustrate teams and take them out of their game is important with opponents who are so familiar with your game. Now the first big test comes with the conference home opener against Hartford on Saturday night. Hartford pulled out the win at Patrick last season and was picked to finish second in the conference so this is a game that will hold a lot of emotion for both teams. I am expecting the atmosphere to be electric and it should be a good game.
Vermont used a balanced attack to take care of business against Maine. Both Anthony Lamb and Robin Duncan stuffed the stat sheet. They each finished with 11 points. Lamb had 6 rebounds while Robin grabbed 5. Robin led the way with 5 assists and Lamb had 4. Samuel Dingba provided strong defense and hustle with 3 blocks and 2 steals. Maine is not a very strong team and Vermont for the second straight night was able to bury the opposing team early. In doing so the Cats have been able to get their bench some minutes. Getting minutes for the players that struggled to find the floor early in the season is so important when facing the grind of the conference schedule. It is great to see guys like Ra Kpedi and Bailey Patella making positive plays on the court. Vermont's defense is really playing at a high level and that is going to be the key to their success. Their ability to frustrate teams and take them out of their game is important with opponents who are so familiar with your game. Now the first big test comes with the conference home opener against Hartford on Saturday night. Hartford pulled out the win at Patrick last season and was picked to finish second in the conference so this is a game that will hold a lot of emotion for both teams. I am expecting the atmosphere to be electric and it should be a good game.
Saturday, January 5, 2019
Vermont at Albany 1/5/19
Vermont 80 Albany 51
Vermont made a statement in their conference opener by blitzing Albany on the road. After Albany scored the first basket, Vermont responded with a 20-0 run and never looked back. The biggest takeaway from the game was how weak Albany looked. After so many years of success and hard fought games in this rivalry, this year could be a struggle for the Great Danes. Vermont's defense was incredible and made it difficult for Albany to get any good looks at the basket. The way the Cats are able to pressure the ball on the perimeter is something that is going to really give teams in the America East fits. The Cats also dominated Albany on the boards and were able to get open looks at will. Just about as perfect of an opener as Becker could have asked for. The biggest thing early in the conference schedule is for Becker to finally be able to develop an effective bench. He was able to do that in this game with Ra Kpedi and Bailey Patella. Those are guys that during conference play can give them a few good minutes a game. Without any blowouts in the non-conference there was no time to get those players some run. The way that Vermont was able to dominate and stay focused during the course of this game really demonstrated how locked in this team is to a winning mentality. They have the look of a team who is ready to go out and get these conference games. America East play is going to be fun.
Vermont made a statement in their conference opener by blitzing Albany on the road. After Albany scored the first basket, Vermont responded with a 20-0 run and never looked back. The biggest takeaway from the game was how weak Albany looked. After so many years of success and hard fought games in this rivalry, this year could be a struggle for the Great Danes. Vermont's defense was incredible and made it difficult for Albany to get any good looks at the basket. The way the Cats are able to pressure the ball on the perimeter is something that is going to really give teams in the America East fits. The Cats also dominated Albany on the boards and were able to get open looks at will. Just about as perfect of an opener as Becker could have asked for. The biggest thing early in the conference schedule is for Becker to finally be able to develop an effective bench. He was able to do that in this game with Ra Kpedi and Bailey Patella. Those are guys that during conference play can give them a few good minutes a game. Without any blowouts in the non-conference there was no time to get those players some run. The way that Vermont was able to dominate and stay focused during the course of this game really demonstrated how locked in this team is to a winning mentality. They have the look of a team who is ready to go out and get these conference games. America East play is going to be fun.
Wednesday, January 2, 2019
Dartmouth at Vermont 1/2/2019
Vermont 73 Dartmouth 59
Happy New Year!
Anthony Lamb continued his domination of the Ivy league, leading Vermont to victory over Dartmouth. Along the way Lamb scored the 1,000th point of his career. Lamb finished with 21 points, 14 rebounds, and 6 blocks. The number of blocks actually seems a little low as Lamb completely dominated the paint in the second half. He was a one man wrecking crew protecting the basket and cleaning up the glass. He makes several jaw dropping plays every night. Get to a game. He is a must see player. Isaiah Moll took the holiday break and hit the reset button as he was able to break out of his offensive slump with an 18 point performance. He looked a little calmer on the court and was able to limit the mistakes that were plaguing him before the break. Ben Shungu and Robin Duncan came up big on both ends of the floor as Vermont really clamped down on defense to pull away. The Cats were finally able to get some balanced scoring and big time contributions from their bench. The one concerning trend is the Cats continued struggles from the three point line. They finished a depressing 1-14 from three. That brings them to a 20-94 (21%) clip over their last four games. That is just awful and is significant because the three is a big part of the Vermont offense. They are just not generating enough open looks and when they do they are not knocking them down. It has been great that they have been able to win without the three by relying on their defense but they are going to need to start knocking down shots at some point. Now it is time for conference play. Anything goes during conference play as familiar foes and rivals duke it out every night. The 10 win non-conference is a great accomplishment and this team can feel good about how they battled and the experiences they gained. But now the real season begins. Stony Brook also had a very strong non-conference and looks poised to challenge Vermont for the title. It all starts with the rivalry game on the road against Albany. Crazy things can happen in the conference schedule and Vermont is going to have a target on their back every night. Time to go out and fight for a championship.
Happy New Year!
Anthony Lamb continued his domination of the Ivy league, leading Vermont to victory over Dartmouth. Along the way Lamb scored the 1,000th point of his career. Lamb finished with 21 points, 14 rebounds, and 6 blocks. The number of blocks actually seems a little low as Lamb completely dominated the paint in the second half. He was a one man wrecking crew protecting the basket and cleaning up the glass. He makes several jaw dropping plays every night. Get to a game. He is a must see player. Isaiah Moll took the holiday break and hit the reset button as he was able to break out of his offensive slump with an 18 point performance. He looked a little calmer on the court and was able to limit the mistakes that were plaguing him before the break. Ben Shungu and Robin Duncan came up big on both ends of the floor as Vermont really clamped down on defense to pull away. The Cats were finally able to get some balanced scoring and big time contributions from their bench. The one concerning trend is the Cats continued struggles from the three point line. They finished a depressing 1-14 from three. That brings them to a 20-94 (21%) clip over their last four games. That is just awful and is significant because the three is a big part of the Vermont offense. They are just not generating enough open looks and when they do they are not knocking them down. It has been great that they have been able to win without the three by relying on their defense but they are going to need to start knocking down shots at some point. Now it is time for conference play. Anything goes during conference play as familiar foes and rivals duke it out every night. The 10 win non-conference is a great accomplishment and this team can feel good about how they battled and the experiences they gained. But now the real season begins. Stony Brook also had a very strong non-conference and looks poised to challenge Vermont for the title. It all starts with the rivalry game on the road against Albany. Crazy things can happen in the conference schedule and Vermont is going to have a target on their back every night. Time to go out and fight for a championship.
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