UNH at Vermont 2/13/19

Vermont 73 New Hampshire 44

Anthony Lamb hit the 20 point mark for the fourth straight game and the Vermont defense did the rest. The Cats dominated UNH to reach 20 wins for the 11th consecutive season. That is a tremendous accomplishment. That puts them in elite company with programs that are perennial final four contenders like Duke, Gonzaga, and Kentucky. To sustain that kind of success at a small school like Vermont is kind of unbelievable. It is a testament to the strong winning culture that the coaching staff and players have built. The result of the game was no surprise as UNH is the worst offensive team in the country this season. That program has fallen off a cliff with only one division one victory this season. There were no other players in double figures for Vermont as it was an opportunity for the bench to get some extended minutes. Ben Shungu continued his strong play and Ra Kpedi was finally able to get some extended minutes. Ryan Davis is starting to find his footing in the offense and is slowly but surely able to spend more time on the court. He is still a step behind on defense which of course draws Becker's ire. His play could be key down the stretch so the more repetitions he can get in game action the better. Stef Smith continues to play hard through his offensive slump. He finished with 8 points and 8 rebounds but has really been struggling from the field. Since starting the season off on fire his shooting percentage has dropped every month. In conference play he is shooting only 37-102(36%) from the field. He continues to affect the game positively in other ways but Vermont needs him to find his stroke again for the stretch run. Now the three game road trip that will really test this team. With Hartford and UMBC in the next two contests, the Cats will need to continue their tough play on the road and maintain their intensity on defense. Now is the time to put it all together.