UMBC 66 Vermont 64
UMBC shot 70% in the first half and executed down the stretch to end Vermont's 12 game win streak. The Retrievers continue to be a thorn in the Cats side as they put together their best game of the season. Coming into the game UMBC was one of the worst shooting teams in the country. On paper with Vermont being one of the best defensive teams in the country it looked like offense would be hard to come by. With 10 threes combined in the first 8 minutes that was clearly not the case. It was a strange game from start to finish with UMBC only taking 39 total shots in the game (to Vermont's 55). Thirty- nine shots is a crazy low number of attempts. Since Ryan Odom has taken over UMBC is the king of finding strange and different ways to win games. All around college basketball streaks ended left and right. Baylor, San Diego State, and Gonzaga also saw their long win streaks come to an end. These are the dog days of the conference season and it often leads to odd results. Vermont definitely looked like they had the "we just got a big win" hangover. UMBC had more at stake as they fight to climb the standings and the Cats didn't play with a sense of urgency. This was the first game in a while where Vermont's bench mob didn't have much of an impact on the game. Ryan Odom is an excellent coach and is able to get his players to execute their game plan effectively and play loose as the underdog. Looking around the America East over the last few games, there have been many upsets with the bottom half of the league fighting for playoff positioning. Vermont had escaped a few close calls on the road to avoid the "bad loss" in conference play. The crazy amount of winning over the last 4 years has made Vermont feel invincible or impervious to the "bad loss". That is honestly an unreasonable expectation. Sometimes is isn't going to be Vermont's night and last night was an example of that. That certainly doesn't excuse the lackluster play but is serves as some perspective for just how hard it is to play at a high level game in and game out over the long college basketball season. Vermont historically responds very well after losses and these late season losses can be galvanizing as the team is reminded about the little things that need to be executed in order to win games. This loss is going to be more about how the next two games go. Is this a blip on the screen and serves as a reminder about never losing focus? Or is it indicative of something larger? The Cats have a week to find out as they prepare for their second chance to win the regular season title Saturday night at UMass Lowell.
Sunday, February 23, 2020
Thursday, February 20, 2020
Vermont at Stony Brook 2/21/20
Vermont 63 Stony Brook 54
Vermont still runs on Duncan.
Everett and Robin Duncan teamed up on offense and defense to lift Vermont to victory over Stony Brook. Vermont struggled to find any offensive rhythm for the entire game until Everett put the team on his back and made three shots from distance down the stretch. At the same time Robin locked up Makale Foreman on defense forcing two big turnovers as the Vermont defense again flummoxed their opponent. Everett finished with a big time 11 point, 10 rebound double double and Robin led the team with 6 assists. The player that kept Vermont in the game from start to finish was Ben Shungu. In a grind it out game, Mr. Grind himself came to play. Shungu out-muscled Stony Brook all night and finished with a career high 16 points and pulled down 9 rebounds, 4 of which were on the offensive end. His quickness and body control underneath the basket has been incredible during this win streak. The offensive boards he pulled down tonight were huge and he was his usual relentless self on the defensive end. He also knocked down a big three during the defining end of game run. Ryan Davis also continued his strong play with a 9 point, 9 rebound performance. If you haven't read between the lines this game was won on the boards. Vermont dominated the glass, out-rebounding the Seawolves 45-33. Isaiah Powell joined the fun as well knocking down his first two threes of the season and finishing with 9 points. It was truly another team win with Stef Smith contributing 9 of his own to the balanced scoring effort. All of this on a night where Anthony Lamb played probablly the worst offensive game of his career. Lamb finished 1-9 from the field for 3 points. He did pull down 6 rebounds and dish out 4 assists but never got anything going on the offensive end. He did provide incredible leadership as this team really showed mental toughness by winning another tough road game in a hostile environment. This team is coming together at the right time and the drive and determination is on display each game. Now they can clinch the regular season title with a win against a surging UMBC squad. That will be no easy game as the Retrievers are playing their best basketball of the season. The Cats are going to have to dig deep and avoid the letdown that sometimes comes after a big win. The first box on the championship task list can be checked by securing the regular season title on Saturday night.
Vermont still runs on Duncan.
Everett and Robin Duncan teamed up on offense and defense to lift Vermont to victory over Stony Brook. Vermont struggled to find any offensive rhythm for the entire game until Everett put the team on his back and made three shots from distance down the stretch. At the same time Robin locked up Makale Foreman on defense forcing two big turnovers as the Vermont defense again flummoxed their opponent. Everett finished with a big time 11 point, 10 rebound double double and Robin led the team with 6 assists. The player that kept Vermont in the game from start to finish was Ben Shungu. In a grind it out game, Mr. Grind himself came to play. Shungu out-muscled Stony Brook all night and finished with a career high 16 points and pulled down 9 rebounds, 4 of which were on the offensive end. His quickness and body control underneath the basket has been incredible during this win streak. The offensive boards he pulled down tonight were huge and he was his usual relentless self on the defensive end. He also knocked down a big three during the defining end of game run. Ryan Davis also continued his strong play with a 9 point, 9 rebound performance. If you haven't read between the lines this game was won on the boards. Vermont dominated the glass, out-rebounding the Seawolves 45-33. Isaiah Powell joined the fun as well knocking down his first two threes of the season and finishing with 9 points. It was truly another team win with Stef Smith contributing 9 of his own to the balanced scoring effort. All of this on a night where Anthony Lamb played probablly the worst offensive game of his career. Lamb finished 1-9 from the field for 3 points. He did pull down 6 rebounds and dish out 4 assists but never got anything going on the offensive end. He did provide incredible leadership as this team really showed mental toughness by winning another tough road game in a hostile environment. This team is coming together at the right time and the drive and determination is on display each game. Now they can clinch the regular season title with a win against a surging UMBC squad. That will be no easy game as the Retrievers are playing their best basketball of the season. The Cats are going to have to dig deep and avoid the letdown that sometimes comes after a big win. The first box on the championship task list can be checked by securing the regular season title on Saturday night.
Saturday, February 15, 2020
Binghamton at Vermont 2/15/20
Vermont 76 Binghamton 48
Another game. Another dominating team effort.
Vermont won their 11th straight game in style, defeating Binghamton in front of a sellout crowd. This team is really coming together. The roles are becoming defined and each player is building confidence on the court. Becker has been able to play long stretches with interesting lineups. This has built Vermont's depth up to the point where they have a significant advantage over the other teams in the conference when they go to their bench. The best stat to illustrate this cohesion up and down the bench is the fact that Vermont only turned the ball over 4 times in this afternoons game. The Cats can grind their opponents down and throw so many different looks on both offense and defense. During this streak the defense is something to to behold. The on the ball defense from Vermont's perimeter players is some of the best I have ever seen. There is just no room to work and they can both close out the three and stop the drive. Getting good shots against the Vermont defense is a monumental task. Bailey Patella was once again the spark for the Cats as he had a huge putback slam followed by an off balance one handed three pointer at the first half buzzer. He finished with 7 points and 10 rebounds and once again wreaked havoc all over the court. Patella's bench mob cohort Ryan Davis again provided instant offense and finished with 13 points and 6 rebounds. Robin Duncan had the best non-Patella highlight of the night when he flipped the ball behind his head to Davis for an easy two. Ben Shungu continues to out physical opponents each game and is doing all the little things to help the Cats win. Anthony Lamb and Stef Smith provided the big scoring outputs with 19 and 18 respectively. Both knocked down three from three and Lamb added 8 rebounds for good measure. Now the stage is set for the Stony Brook game on Thursday night. The Cats will be motivated to come out and turn the tables on the Seawolves home court.
Another game. Another dominating team effort.
Vermont won their 11th straight game in style, defeating Binghamton in front of a sellout crowd. This team is really coming together. The roles are becoming defined and each player is building confidence on the court. Becker has been able to play long stretches with interesting lineups. This has built Vermont's depth up to the point where they have a significant advantage over the other teams in the conference when they go to their bench. The best stat to illustrate this cohesion up and down the bench is the fact that Vermont only turned the ball over 4 times in this afternoons game. The Cats can grind their opponents down and throw so many different looks on both offense and defense. During this streak the defense is something to to behold. The on the ball defense from Vermont's perimeter players is some of the best I have ever seen. There is just no room to work and they can both close out the three and stop the drive. Getting good shots against the Vermont defense is a monumental task. Bailey Patella was once again the spark for the Cats as he had a huge putback slam followed by an off balance one handed three pointer at the first half buzzer. He finished with 7 points and 10 rebounds and once again wreaked havoc all over the court. Patella's bench mob cohort Ryan Davis again provided instant offense and finished with 13 points and 6 rebounds. Robin Duncan had the best non-Patella highlight of the night when he flipped the ball behind his head to Davis for an easy two. Ben Shungu continues to out physical opponents each game and is doing all the little things to help the Cats win. Anthony Lamb and Stef Smith provided the big scoring outputs with 19 and 18 respectively. Both knocked down three from three and Lamb added 8 rebounds for good measure. Now the stage is set for the Stony Brook game on Thursday night. The Cats will be motivated to come out and turn the tables on the Seawolves home court.
Wednesday, February 12, 2020
UNH at Vermont 2/12/20
Vermont 74 UNH 50
Another all out team effort by Vermont as they notched their 10th straight victory. Once again the Cats absorbed the initial frenzy of energy from the opposing team and wore down the Wildcats in the second half. Ryan Davis led the way with 16 points. He continues to finish with incredible touch and is fast becoming Vermont's most crucial offensive player. He is a matchup nightmare for opposing defenders and creates so much space on the court for his teammates to work with. He has also worked hard on improving his defense and he is starting to show major progress in that area as well. Bailey Patella found himself in the middle of another huge momentum swing with back to back dunks that electrified the crowd. He is a menace in passing lanes and is always fingertips away from about 5 steals a game. My favorite sequence of the night was a long defensive possession for the Cats full of loose balls and players diving to the floor. Then when Vermont finally secured the ball they pushed it ahead to Aaron Deloney who splashed in a three from the wing. That is a championship sequence from the Cats. Just laying it all on the line. Deloney is finding his footing out on the court and his perimeter shots are starting to fall. He is another all out hustle guy off the bench. Ben Shungu continued his strong physical play, chipping in with 12 points and 6 rebounds. He has really been finishing through contact over the last few games. Anthony Lamb struggled through some ineffectiveness, turned the ball over six times, and was visibly frustrated several times during the game. Something hasn’t looked quite right over the last two games but Lamb is persevering like he always does. He used every ounce of his will to finish with 12 points, 3 blocks, and a game high 13 rebounds. He has really been setting the tone around the rim on defense. Vermont is top 10 in the country at defending the two point shot and Lamb is a huge part of that. Another programmatic milestone for Vermont as they win 20 games for the 12th year in a row. That kind of continuity of success at a school like Vermont is honestly unprecedented. The work that the players, coaching staff, athletic department, and the University at largehave put in has really put Vermont in an unique and special position. Saturday should be another great one at Patrick.
Sunday, February 9, 2020
Vermont at Hartford 2/8/20
Vermont 69 Hartford 68
Ryan Davis was left wide open on the final possession and converted a lay in to lift the Catamounts to their 9 straight victory. The final play capped off another strong performance by Davis. With Lamb in foul trouble Davis was able to man the middle and keep the Vermont offense rolling. He fished with 16 points and 7 rebounds, including 5 offensive boards. That gives him 13 offensive boards over the last three games. He has blossomed into the best true big man in the conference over these last few games and gives Vermont a different dimension on offense. Everett Duncan is back in a big way. He scorched the nets scoring 18 points on 7-10 shooting including 4-7 from three. Finally shooting with confidence he has looked like the Everett of old over these last two games. Stef Smith kept the Cats in the game in the first half with his own hot shooting performance. Smith chipped in 15 points including 3-6 from three. Ben Shungu had an up and down game but gutted it out and finished with 11 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists. Isaiah Powell played over 20 minutes for the second consecutive game and did a great job defensively with Lamb out in the first half. Both teams struggled with execution down the stretch and it looked like a miscue was going to be the difference in the game. That turned out to be true as Ryan Davis' defender left him completely alone on the final possession. That was a good tough road win and it was good to play a close game after a string of games playing with big leads. Now Vermont has a two game homestand before the big road game against Stony Brook.
Ryan Davis was left wide open on the final possession and converted a lay in to lift the Catamounts to their 9 straight victory. The final play capped off another strong performance by Davis. With Lamb in foul trouble Davis was able to man the middle and keep the Vermont offense rolling. He fished with 16 points and 7 rebounds, including 5 offensive boards. That gives him 13 offensive boards over the last three games. He has blossomed into the best true big man in the conference over these last few games and gives Vermont a different dimension on offense. Everett Duncan is back in a big way. He scorched the nets scoring 18 points on 7-10 shooting including 4-7 from three. Finally shooting with confidence he has looked like the Everett of old over these last two games. Stef Smith kept the Cats in the game in the first half with his own hot shooting performance. Smith chipped in 15 points including 3-6 from three. Ben Shungu had an up and down game but gutted it out and finished with 11 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists. Isaiah Powell played over 20 minutes for the second consecutive game and did a great job defensively with Lamb out in the first half. Both teams struggled with execution down the stretch and it looked like a miscue was going to be the difference in the game. That turned out to be true as Ryan Davis' defender left him completely alone on the final possession. That was a good tough road win and it was good to play a close game after a string of games playing with big leads. Now Vermont has a two game homestand before the big road game against Stony Brook.
Wednesday, February 5, 2020
Maine at Vermont 2/5/20
Vermont 77 Maine 52
Vermont dominated a shorthanded Maine team to win their eighth in a row. Maine was without Andrew Fleming and was overmatched for the entire game. Vermont was clicking on all cylinders and again showed how dominant they can be. Everett Duncan finally got some threes to fall, knocking down 3-6 from deep and finishing with 12 points and 5 rebounds. His struggles from three this year have made him the missing piece offensively for the Cats. If he can bounce back down the stretch and recapture his elite shooting the Vermont offense becomes even more dangerous. Anthony Lamb led the Cats with 19 points mostly due to another 10-10 performance from the foul line. He is really reasserting himself and now sits five points shy of 1800 for his career. He will be just the sixth Catamount to reach that mark. Ryan Davis impressed once again and is making the transition to big time player status. His footwork and ability to make himself available for a pass underneath have been incredible. He finished with 13 points and 8 rebounds. Davis pulled down four more offensive boards and he has made himself into one of the most dangerous offensive rebounders in the conference. Stef Smith stayed hot, knocking down 4-7 from three on his way to 14 points. He also chipped in 5 assists for good measure. Smith is shooting an astronomical 14-19 (74%) from three over the last 4 games. Isaiah Powell got extended minutes due to Daniel Giddens injury and started to shake off some of the rust. He played great on the defensive side of the ball and pulled down 7 boards. His all out energy will certainly be needed down the stretch. Speaking of all out energy, Bailey Patella continues to be the unsung hero of the Vermont rotation. He picked up another 3 steals in this one but much of his impact isn't reflected in the box score. He is a disruptive force on the floor and is often the center of big momentum swings. The Cats continue to head in the right direction with their play and are ready for a big showdown with Hartford on Saturday night. The players know they can control their own destiny as long as they take it one game at a time and take care of business.
Vermont dominated a shorthanded Maine team to win their eighth in a row. Maine was without Andrew Fleming and was overmatched for the entire game. Vermont was clicking on all cylinders and again showed how dominant they can be. Everett Duncan finally got some threes to fall, knocking down 3-6 from deep and finishing with 12 points and 5 rebounds. His struggles from three this year have made him the missing piece offensively for the Cats. If he can bounce back down the stretch and recapture his elite shooting the Vermont offense becomes even more dangerous. Anthony Lamb led the Cats with 19 points mostly due to another 10-10 performance from the foul line. He is really reasserting himself and now sits five points shy of 1800 for his career. He will be just the sixth Catamount to reach that mark. Ryan Davis impressed once again and is making the transition to big time player status. His footwork and ability to make himself available for a pass underneath have been incredible. He finished with 13 points and 8 rebounds. Davis pulled down four more offensive boards and he has made himself into one of the most dangerous offensive rebounders in the conference. Stef Smith stayed hot, knocking down 4-7 from three on his way to 14 points. He also chipped in 5 assists for good measure. Smith is shooting an astronomical 14-19 (74%) from three over the last 4 games. Isaiah Powell got extended minutes due to Daniel Giddens injury and started to shake off some of the rust. He played great on the defensive side of the ball and pulled down 7 boards. His all out energy will certainly be needed down the stretch. Speaking of all out energy, Bailey Patella continues to be the unsung hero of the Vermont rotation. He picked up another 3 steals in this one but much of his impact isn't reflected in the box score. He is a disruptive force on the floor and is often the center of big momentum swings. The Cats continue to head in the right direction with their play and are ready for a big showdown with Hartford on Saturday night. The players know they can control their own destiny as long as they take it one game at a time and take care of business.
Saturday, February 1, 2020
Vermont at Albany 2/1/20
Vermont 86 Albany 75
Well that was a fun one.
In a wild game where shots were falling from everywhere, Anthony Lamb poured in a season high 33 points to lead the Cats to their seventh straight victory. The game seesawed back and forth as both teams scorched the nets. In the first half Lamb and Cameron Healy traded big shot after big shot. At the end of the first half Vermont and Albany traded three point buckets and it looked like the Great Danes were going to go into halftime with a one point lead. Stef Smith didn't like the sound of that so he dropped in a three-quarters court heave to give Vermont a two point halftime lead. Vermont came out in the second half and capitalized on that momentum, ballooning the lead to 21 points. Then Albany came roaring back thanks to some electric three point shooting by Antonio Rizzuto. After all that offense what ended up sealing the game was Vermont's toughness on the glass. Robin Duncan grabbed three offensive rebounds on one possession as Vermont dominated the glass over the last 4+ minutes. Lamb was electric in this game scoring from everywhere and looking like the Lamb of last season. Over the last few games he has seen less double teams and the results speak for themselves. This game was a perfect example of the conundrum facing opposing defenses. In the first half Albany did not double Lamb and he scored 20 points. The Great Danes came out in the second half and began doubling. The rest of the Cats caught fire and the lead grew without Lamb's scoring. Stef Smith was a sniper in this game knocking down 4-5 from three on his way to 14 points. Smith also led the team with 6 assists. Ryan Davis was forced into an even larger role with Daniel Giddens going down with what looked like a potentially serious injury. Davis responded yet again and dominated the paint with 13 points and 6 boards. His offensive rebounding has been particularly impressive, pulling down tough rebounds in traffic and getting the ball back up at the rim quickly. Ben Shungu rounded out the double digit scorers with 10. Another great team win on the road in a tough environment. Albany was riding the energy of the crowd for much of the game and the Cats were able to respond each time. Through he first half of the conference season the Cats sit at 7-1, alone in first place. They have reestablished themselves as the team to beat and are making progress with each game. The second half of the conference season begins with Maine at Patrick on Wednesday night.
Well that was a fun one.
In a wild game where shots were falling from everywhere, Anthony Lamb poured in a season high 33 points to lead the Cats to their seventh straight victory. The game seesawed back and forth as both teams scorched the nets. In the first half Lamb and Cameron Healy traded big shot after big shot. At the end of the first half Vermont and Albany traded three point buckets and it looked like the Great Danes were going to go into halftime with a one point lead. Stef Smith didn't like the sound of that so he dropped in a three-quarters court heave to give Vermont a two point halftime lead. Vermont came out in the second half and capitalized on that momentum, ballooning the lead to 21 points. Then Albany came roaring back thanks to some electric three point shooting by Antonio Rizzuto. After all that offense what ended up sealing the game was Vermont's toughness on the glass. Robin Duncan grabbed three offensive rebounds on one possession as Vermont dominated the glass over the last 4+ minutes. Lamb was electric in this game scoring from everywhere and looking like the Lamb of last season. Over the last few games he has seen less double teams and the results speak for themselves. This game was a perfect example of the conundrum facing opposing defenses. In the first half Albany did not double Lamb and he scored 20 points. The Great Danes came out in the second half and began doubling. The rest of the Cats caught fire and the lead grew without Lamb's scoring. Stef Smith was a sniper in this game knocking down 4-5 from three on his way to 14 points. Smith also led the team with 6 assists. Ryan Davis was forced into an even larger role with Daniel Giddens going down with what looked like a potentially serious injury. Davis responded yet again and dominated the paint with 13 points and 6 boards. His offensive rebounding has been particularly impressive, pulling down tough rebounds in traffic and getting the ball back up at the rim quickly. Ben Shungu rounded out the double digit scorers with 10. Another great team win on the road in a tough environment. Albany was riding the energy of the crowd for much of the game and the Cats were able to respond each time. Through he first half of the conference season the Cats sit at 7-1, alone in first place. They have reestablished themselves as the team to beat and are making progress with each game. The second half of the conference season begins with Maine at Patrick on Wednesday night.
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