Vermont vs Maine 1/17/21

 Vermont 88 Maine 60

Vermont scorched the nets in another dominating performance for their fifth straight victory. The Cats have officially shook off the rust and are coming together as a team. With strong offensive and defensive performances during the win streak, Vermont is showing the versatility on both sides of the ball that made them the preseason favorites. Now that they have got their footing the coaching staff has been adding little wrinkles to their game plans with the zone last weekend and the full court press in today's game. The ability to experiment with different looks over the past few weekends is going to allow the Cats to keep opposing teams off balance. Justin Mazzulla scored a career high 23 points on 7-9 shooting from the field and a 7-7 performance from the line. He scored in a variety of ways and is settling in to his role on the team. With Stef Smith out Mazzulla took on a larger role in the offense and excelled. Ryan Davis continued to be the steady heartbeat of the Vermont offense with another 17 points. Isaiah Powell added 15 points and Ben Shungu stuffed the stat sheet with 10 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals. Robin Duncan continued his strong weekend and even knocked down a three, finishing with 3 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals in a team high 33 minutes. After a rough stretch of games it was crucial for Robin to get some confidence for the stretch run. Vermont is firing on all cylinders heading into the big showdown with Hartford. Both teams are going to be hyped after their championship match up from last season was cancelled. Hartford will be playing to remain in contention and Vermont will be out to prove that they are all the way back. It should be an exciting series with big implications for the regular season crown.