The Cats held off a pesky Western New England squad and opened their season with a win. It was another mixed bag with stretches of good play and tough stretches playing through mistakes. In the first half, the Golden Bears came out firing and took an early lead thanks to strong three point shooting. The Cats responded with some shooting of their own and took a ten point lead into the half. In the second half. The Cats were locked in for a stretch and began to expand the lead. Late in the game the physicality got a bit out of hand and the free throw parade began for both teams. This created quite a choppy end of game and the Cats struggled to make their free throws. With Gus Yalden, Trey Woodyard, and Chris Kuzemka in street clothes on the bench, Vermont is still trying to find time playing as a healthy unit to build chemistry. It is clear on the court when combinations are just not clicking yet due to inexperience and a lack of time playing as a single unit. Hopefully this slow ramp up to the Division I opener against Brown this weekend will give the Cats the reps they need.
TJ Long led the Cats with 18 points in a team high 32 minutes. He looks decisive and quick with his release from the outside. TJ Hurley chipped in 14 points and played tough on the defensive end. David Simon was the other Catamount in double figures with 10 points, including a massive dunk. He also blocked 4 shots on defense and looks like a solid rim protector. The unsung hero as usual was Noah Barnett. He continues to be an endless source of energy and momentum. Barnett finished with 7 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 blocks. He is one of those players that charges up his teammates when he is on the court. Lucas Mari flashed some potential with a team high 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and finished with 6 points. His court vision is very good and he has great size and athleticism. It was a bit of an uneven performance with 4 turnovers but his energy was good on defense and he was more comfortable running the offense. Jackson Skipper chipped in 9 points and Ben Johnson knocked down his first two threes as a Catamount. Sean Blake dished out 4 assists but struggled on the defensive end.
A quick turnaround for their final tune-up on Wednesday before diving into the season proper. With the Women's opener tomorrow as well it will be a Patrick Gym heavy start to my week. Basketball is life!!
