A special night at Patrick Gym

Vermont 85 Albany 62

What a special night at Patrick Gym. 

The senior class locked up their record 107th win with incredible performance. Josh Speidel scored the first bucket of the game and of his career to a lengthy standing ovation. What a journey he has had and the perseverance and hard work that it took to get to stepping on the court for that shot was unbelievable. Josh has inspired so many during his time at Vermont and will continue to inspire as he steps into the next chapter in his life.  Another wonderful bigger than basketball moment and one of the best moments in Vermont history. Not to be outdone, the other seniors all stepped up and seized their moment as well. Anthony Lamb spent the first half making sure that everyone else got their moment. These are the games when you are reminded how special of a player Lamb is and how much he cares for his teammates. Then in the second half he made sure to make his senior night special. Lamb sliced and diced the Albany defense on his way to 15 points. He only needs 5 more to hit the 1900 point plateau. Daniel Giddens came out ready to rock and threw down three big time dunks and added a massive block for good measure. Everett was not be to outdone by his longtime friend Josh and shook off a wave of emotions to start the game, pouring in a career high 22 points including a perfect 6-6 from three. Everett got to assist on Josh Speidel’s hoop in a wonderful moment for two longtime teammates. It is rare that every senior gets to have their moment but tonight it felt like the seniors had every moment. The most impressive non-senior performance was Aaron Deloney. He has come alive in the two games without Robin Duncan and seized control of the point guard position. Deloney was in complete control running the offense and finished with 10 points and 8 assists. He is fearless at the rim had some creative finishes. His court vision and play-making ability are at a very high level for a freshman and it was on full display tonight. Stef Smith rounded out the double digit scorers with 14 points and 7 rebounds. A great win to finish out the regular season. Another night of upsets in the America East to lead into what will be the most wide open playoffs that I can remember. But that is for the future. Tonight is all about the seniors and about reaching goals. Five years ago it seemed like this moment was out of reach for Josh. Through hard work and belief he was able to start in a college basketball game. What a moment.