Vermont 74 Bryant 64
A big congratulations to Coach John Becker on becoming the winningest coach in Vermont history. It felt fitting that his big win came in a ugly grinder of a game as a nod to the Vermont teams of Becker's early years (but did it have to be that ugly?). An incredible accomplishment and a testament to the program that he has helped build over the last twelve years.
Vermont dominated the game from start to finish and used their trademark defense to hold Bryant well under their season average and force 21 Bulldog turnovers. The game was a masterclass in scouting, preparation, execution, and a team first mentality. The Cats forced the uptempo Bryant team to play at a slow pace and frustrated them with physical defense and a deliberate offense. Bryant was welcomed to the America East with the trademark foul plagued second half. It was a throwback performance for Vermont on a night where they struggled to make shots and break through on the offensive end. Tonight was the night this team started looking like a championship caliber team. They never wavered in a game with tension and high emotions, never got caught up in the moment, and executed the game plan. The Cats only turned the ball over 4 times despite relentless Bryant pressure and with both their primary ball handlers in foul trouble. Vermont continues to hound three point shooters, holding Bryant to 4/21 (19%) from three. A huge start to conference play for the Cats, and a big statement against another conference contender.
Aaron Deloney bounced back from his tough game against UMBC to lead the Cats with 19 points. Deloney shot 5-7 from three and provided his trademark spark off the bench. Matt Veretto once again roared out of the gates with the first seven Catamount points and finished with 13. He continues to impress and played a team high 31 minutes in tonight's game. Kam Gibson and TJ Hurley both used big nights from the free throw line to round out the Cats double figure scorers with 11 and 12 respectively. Hurley played well on the defensive end as well with a couple a steals and 4 rebounds. He was a little banged up at the end of game but hopefully it is a minor tweak. Robin Duncan once again set the tone and provided calm leadership on the court while chipping in 9 points of his own. The defensive rotations were really solid in this game and a reliable rotation is beginning to develop as players are settling into the system.
The atmosphere in Patrick was great, especially considering the choppy play. This team is really coming together and playing with great poise since they returned from their marathon November road trip. On to New Hampshire on Sunday before the big showdown with UMass Lowell next week.
