AMERICA EAST CHAMPIONS!!!!

Vermont 66 UMBC 49

Today we spell redemption U-V-M.

In front of a charged up crowd the Vermont Catamounts punched their ticket to the NCAA tournament by taking down defending champ UMBC. Anthony Lamb led the charge with 28 points and 9 rebounds on his way to the Most Outstanding Player award. His leadership cannot be overstated. He keeps the team levelheaded and through his tenacity sets the example for all the other players to follow. Lamb did an excellent job against the double team and was able to take advantage of UMBC's aggressiveness on defense to get to the foul line. Stef Smith continued his strong finish to the regular season with 17 points and 8 rebounds. I have said all year that Smith's rebounding ability is vastly underrated and tonight he came up with some huge boards. His perimeter shots were not falling so he made a nice adjustment and came up with some beautiful finishes at the rim. The unsung heroes of the season also came to play in the title game. Even in my most positive and dreamlike projections this season I did not see both Ben Shungu and Samuel Dingba playing 35 and 20 minutes respectively, in the title game. Much less making crucial plays and being indispensable parts of the rotation. I give so much credit to those two players for working hard and making improvements to their game. Dingba has brought a tough physical defensive presence and given the Cats a strong offensive rebounder. He finished with 4 points and 5 rebounds in another gutsy effort. The most amazing story of the end of the season is Shungu's emergence as a go to player for Vermont. He hit some huge buckets down the stretch, including two huge three pointers. He has made himself into a serious offensive threat while continuing to play tough defense. He made life difficult for KJ Jackson and his block at the end of the first half was a huge momentum swing. Easy to root for players like that. This season might be one of the coaching staff's best as well. They worked hard to get the most out of a very young and thin bench. Becker said all week that they had a plan to take down UMBC and the Cats executed it perfectly. A 7th title, all in the last 16 years, is an incredible accomplishment. Coach Becker has continued to push the program further and is an incredibly special coach. One of the best in the business. What is most exciting is the family atmosphere and the attitudes of the players that come to the Vermont program. They all want to win and win the right way. After the game the players and coaches are all there on the court celebrating with the fans and taking pictures. This program goes beyond basketball and the fact that Becker and his coaching staff have been able to combine that with winning is an incredible feat. This three year run of success has been special and as fans we should all appreciate how rare it is to have a basketball program like this in our backyard. I think Vermont will probably get a 13 seed and can't wait to see this team in the tournament. Before the game this week I will post a preview of the matchup. Feels good to be back on top.