Vermont vaulted themselves into second place in the America East with their fourth straight win. The road game in Orono is always a tough one and this year it had the added flair of being a battle for second place in the conference standings. Once again Vermont got off to a hot start. The excitement came to a halt when Shamir Bogues went down with what looked like a knee injury. Sending positive vibes and hoping he is okay. There was a lull for the Cats after the injury and you could see a bit of "here we go again" creeping in. The Cats burst out of halftime with incredible team basketball and built up a 16 point lead. Maine punched right back and the game seesawed like that for the rest of the action. With timely shot-making and smothering defense, Vermont was able to pick up an absolutely huge win in a tough road environment. Vermont had 19 assists on 23 made baskets and the player and ball movement on offense was really sharp. When factoring in the loss of Bogues so early on, this win is even more impressive. Check another box off the "Catamounts we know and love" list as that "next man up" mentality has led them to many victories over the years despite losing key players. That is the type of game they were losing earlier in the season and serves as a great marker of how well they have been playing during this stretch.
TJ Hurley was awesome this afternoon. What a smooth and efficient offensive performance. He finished with 24 points on 7-13 (4-7 from three) shooting from the field. He played with an extra ferocity, going for a big dunk and silencing the crown with a huge logo three. The pull up three in the corner with two time defensive player of the year Kellen Tynes in his grill was a particular favorite of mine. What a performance. Sam Alamutu continued his inspired play with another new career high in rebounds and a Robin Duncanesque stat stuffing performance. He finished with 9 points, 7 assists, 13 rebounds, and 2 steals. He looks so much more confident and sure of his role than even a few weeks ago. Ileri Ayo-Faleye finished with 12 points and 3 blocks in a great two way performance. Sean Blake blew the game open to start the second half and finished with 8 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists in 28 minutes of action. He stepped right in for Bogues and looked as calm and in control as he has all season. Nick Fiorillo also had a strong all around game with 7 points, 5 assists, and 7 rebounds. A true team effort.
Now the big showdown against Bryant on Thursday in what should be an electric atmosphere in Patrick. It is going to be a blast!
