Vermont at Cincinnati 12/3/19

Cincinnati 82 Vermont 73

Vermont's comeback bid fell short in a hard fought game with the Cincinnati Bearcats. Vermont got down by 20 points early in the second half but chipped away and pulled within 7 late in the game. Cincinnati played a nearly perfect game knocking down 12/19 from three and 22/26 from the free throw line. Considering that the Bearcats played out of their minds,Vermont hung tough. There were some defensive lapses but for the most part Cincinnati just didn't miss. The fact that the Cats were able to remain in the game and fight back says a lot about the character of this team. With how the last few games have gone, it would have been easy to mail it in and get back home. Vermont never gave up and really dug deep during their second half run. Anthony Lamb recommitted to being an inside presence despite the fact that the Bearcats were running several defenders at him every time he touched the ball. As a result he had another tough shooting night but finished with 16 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 blocks. He was diving all over the floor and gave everything ounce of effort he had in his body. Stef Smith exploded out of slump late in the second half and finished with 18 points. He also played like a warrior battling through back spasms. Everett Duncan also played very will finishing with 13 points and 8 rebounds. It was really important for him to see a few shots go through the rim. As a whole the Cats knocked down 15/28 from three. Quite a turnaround from the past few games. Seven different players made threes as the stat correction came back all in one game. The shots had to start falling at some point for Vermont as they are not going to spend the whole season being one of the worst shooting teams in the country. There are a lot of positives to take away from this game. The Cats showed some life on offense and the team was more engaged in the game. Especially considering they were shorthanded, this was a much more complete game. Now they begin a long homestand where they will be home for the entire month of December. Perfect timing for a team that needs to get healthy and build some positive momentum. I am looking forward to seeing some games at Patrick.