Vermont survived a second half charge from NJIT to pick up a victory at Patrick. Vermont started the game hot on both sides of the ball, knocking down shots from the perimeter and locking NJIT up at the other end. The game was very physical from the start and in the second half it really became a slog. I don't normally talk much about officiating but the second half of this game was called particularly poorly and as a result the action was extremely choppy and it really sucked the energy out of the building. It was another game where the Cats were shorthanded as leading scorer TJ Hurley joined the street clothes crew for tonight. With the offensive struggles Vermont has dealt with this season it was no surprise to see the offense stall in the second half without Hurley. The Cats did however, dish out 14 assists, only committed 6 turnovers, and were able to generate good shots. What really kept the game close was some poor free throw shooting in the second half (another area where they missed Hurley). Vermont finished 16-27 from the line (59%) which didn't do enough to punish NJIT's physical defense. It was great to pull out a win and give themselves a chance to sweep the homestand against UMBC on Saturday.
Ileri Ayo-Faleye was tremendous in tonight's game, stepping into a more prominent offensive role with Hurley out. Ayo-Faleye poured in a career high 27 points to go along with 9 rebounds. He was 4-5 from three tonight and is shooting 12-26 (46%) from distance in conference play. The increased aggressiveness on offense has really been paying dividends over the past few weeks. Shamir Bogues continued his hot streak with his first career double double. Bogues finished with 14 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, and zero turnovers (he only has 2 turnovers in conference play), Once again it seemed like he was everywhere all at once. He is so exciting to watch when he is locked in. Sean Blake was good off the bench, finishing with 7 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and zero turnovers. He is playing with more control and got to the rim at will tonight.
Can't wait for Saturday's game!
