Gutsy.
In a must win game, Vermont dug deep and clawed their way to a huge win, snapping Maine's 6 game win streak. The Maine/Vermont matchups have always been physical, defensive battles and this one lived up to the billing. In the first half, both teams were locked in on defense and relied on timely three point shooting on offense. Every inch of space, every drive to the basket, and every shot was earned through hard work and guts. In the second half, the defenses remained locked in as each team tried to move the chess pieces around the board to unlock the offense. Vermont shrunk down to a six man rotation and went long stretches with almost no substitutions, pushing themselves to the limit to secure the win. After a few more late game press break gaffes, the Cats came up with the big plays and pulled out the win they desperately needed. Vermont was strong on the boards and forced Maine into fadeaway jumpers on the move for at least half of their attempts from the field. Maine's zone was really good and the Cats stayed patient and limited their turnovers. Now Vermont has the week off to build on this win and start a streak of their own.
TJ Hurley led the Cats with 15 points and has hit 4 threes in three consecutive games at a 57% (12-21) clip. Teams are really making him work and he fought for every point this afternoon. Shamir Bogues finished with 12 points and 6 rebounds while playing tremendous defense on the Maine guards. He also hit the big shot, a top of the key three to break a 49-49 deadlock with 30 seconds left. Bogues also played 39 minutes and earned some well deserved rest for sure. He was an absolute warrior this afternoon. Nick Fiorillo rounded out the double digit scorers with 11 points and 6 rebounds. Sean Blake had one of his most impactful games in a Catamount uniform, playing 25 minutes and stuffing the stat sheet with 5 points, 3 assists, and a team high 7 rebounds. He also stepped to the line at 47% from the charity stripe on the season and calmly knocked down two clutch free throws. Big time performance from the freshman and you can see the game starting to slow down for him. Sam Alamutu had a nice 4 point, 6 rebound, 3 assist lunchpail effort. He also drew several fouls by virtue of his physicality on the boards. Ileri Ayo-Faleye is in quite a shooting slump and was in the doghouse a bit in this game. He finished with 5 points and 6 rebounds but shot 2-10 from the field. Hopefully he can get his confidence back this week.
A week off before a big Saturday night showdown on the road at Albany.
