Vermont 86 Toledo 60
The Cats absolutely dominated Toledo on the road in an impressive bounce back win. I said in my previous post that this would be the game where we would learn alot about this team and oh boy did they deliver. A complete win on both sides of the ball and an impressive team win with several players stepping up in the absence of Shamir Bogues. Vermont was physical on the defensive end, making every single shot difficult for Toledo. The Cats also forced 15 Toledo turnovers and held the Rockets 20 points under their season average. Vermont imposed their will and made Toledo play their type of game. The stretch that got me really charged up was back to back possessions where they stole the ball from a Toledo player off a rebound for an easy two. Gutsy plays. On the offensive side of the ball, the perimeter shots fell in the first half and Vermont was moving the ball with ease. In the second half the Cats attacked the basket relentlessly, attacking the Rockets hard closeouts. Just a textbook slashing of the Toledo's defense. Big time performance in a big time spot.
TJ Long led the Cats with 19 points and this time it was from relentlessly attacking the rim and finishing through contact. He showed some real offensive versatility today and and it was a sigh of relief to see him get back on the court after a nasty fall slipping on some cheerleading signs under the basket. Matt Veretto is back as he finally shook off the effects of his eye injury and chipped in 16 points on 5-6 shooting from the field to go along with 5 rebounds. It was great to see him back in action and he even got a "from the parking lot" shoutout for a deep three in the first half. TJ Hurley battled through foul trouble and finished with 14 points in a perfectly efficient offensive night. Hurley plays with such great poise and is never in a rush. Aaron Deloney rounded out the double digit scorers with 11 points and pulled down a team high 7 rebounds. He had a strong game leading the Cats and stepping up at the point in Bogues' absence. Sam Alamutu really looked for his offense in this one and finished with 8 points off the bench. It is great to see him continue to grow and work to improve his game. Brenton Mills played great, stepping into big minutes. Mills finished with 5 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists in a really nice all a round game. Nick Fiorillo chipped in 5 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 blocks. Ileri Ayo-Faleye continues to give opponents nightmares at the defensive end, challenging every shot in his sphere. He also had a nice dunk in the second half as well.
A great way to start the Ohio swing before finishing the road trip at Miami (OH) on Friday. This team continues to impress with their ability to stay mentally tough and respond to adversity.