Vermont at UMass Lowell 12/21/20

UMass Lowell 73 Vermont 65

Basketball is back.

In their first game since March, Vermont struggled to find a rhythm and fell to UMass Lowell in the season opener. The game was as discombobulated and filled with mistakes as expected. At full strength this first game was going to be a difficult one as the Cats tried to shake off the rust. Being down two frountcourt starters made the task even harder. With the frontcourt thin, Vermont was forced to play small which fits right into the way UMass Lowell wants to play. As a result the Riverhawks were able to dictate the flow of the game. Obadiah Noel shook off a scoreless first half due to foul trouble and pumped in 17 second half points. He is going to have a very good season for Lowell and will absolutely be making a push for player of the year. The hero for Lowell tonight was Ron Mitchell. The sophomore guard came off the bench and made big shot after big shot on his was to a career high 24 points. Every time Vermont made a run, Mitchell had an answer. Lowell capitalized on the Cats mistakes and led the game wire to wire. Becker has been very honest in saying that the team is not where it needs to be and that was clear tonight. The Cats committed 16 turnovers, missed 10 free throws, and shot 8-26 (30.8%) from three. The defensive rotations were slow and there was a lot of confusion when players were switching. The three point shooting was something I highlighted in my preview and I think this game illustrated what could be an area of difficulty for the Cats. Outside of Smith there is no other "can't leave" shooter. Stef Smith led the Cats with 18 points but struggled to find a rhythm before fouling out. Justin Mazzulla was a big time bright spot for Vermont as he almost single-handedly brought the team back in the second half and finished with 17 points. He looked great getting to the rim and used his size and physicality to score through contact. He also tied for the team high with 6 rebounds and played hard on the defensive end. He is going to be a force for the Cats this season. Robin Duncan continued his typical production. He was a non-factor offensively while playing tough defense and leading Vermont with 6 rebounds and 5 assists. His shooting has just not progressed and he is going to continue to fill the Brian Voelkel type role. I thought Nick Fiorillo performed well in his limited minutes. He couldn't get a shot to fall from the perimeter but scored his first collegiate points and wasn't overmatched. If these injuries persist he may see his role grow. The injuries to Ryan Davis and Tomas Murphy are a big blow to the Cats and they are going to have to try and grind out games to survive until they can get to full strength. They just don't have a replacement for their scoring ability in the point. This series seemed like a split to me from the get go so tomorrow is the crucial game in my mind. The rust is off. The games are happening. Now it is time to see what kind of adjustments can be made. That is going to be the true test this year. Win or lose how do teams respond to the game the next day.