Vermont took one on the chin at Bryant for their first conference loss. The Cats started out strong jumping out to an early ten point lead thanks to strong defense. Then the wheels came off as Bryant got red hot from three. The Cats came out flat in the second half and turned the ball over like crazy, allowing Bryant to run them out of the gym. It was a very strange game where you kind of have to tip your cap to Connor Withers, who went on a quite a heater to put Bryant on top. The turnovers came back in a big way and were the driving force in the loss. Felt like a bit of a letdown spot after the big win over UMass Lowell. Considering the short bench and tough road trip a 2-1 start is about where you would expect to be. Gives the Cats some motivation for the rematch at Patrick in February.
Ileri Ayo-Faleye continued his strong play with 15 points, including 4-7 from three. His improved offensive aggressiveness and three point shooting is trending in a nice direction. Shamir Bogues finally got some shots to fall, finishing with 17 points and 6 rebounds. If he can return to form down the stretch it will completely change the Vermont offense. The Cats really missed Jace Roquemore in this game as Sam Alamutu and Sean Blake combined for 10 of the Cats 17 turnovers. Alamutu pulled down 11 rebounds but struggled with the added play-making responsibility. Nick Fiorillo struggled to get anything going against the big, physical Bryant defense. The shocker of the game was TJ Hurley being held scoreless on only three shots. He struggled with the size of the Bryant defenders and the added defensive attention. Shocking after looking so good against Lowell.
Now the Cats get a three game homestand to bounce back and hopefully get healthier with a week off coming up after Binghamton on Thursday. Can't wait to be back at Patrick!!
