Vermont 85 Northeastern 74
All aboard the Gus Bus!
Vermont used another explosive second half to pick the win in the final game at historic Matthews Arena. In an eerily similar game script to Brown, Vermont came out slow and struggled to get their offense going. Once again the defense kept them in the game while they ground through the first half, going into the break down three. A slow start out of the gates in the second half until the Cats offense started to flow and they went on a 21-3 run to take over the game. Besides a little bit more "hold the lead" drama at the end, the Cats were able to close out a tough road win. Picking up another road win while tinkering with lineups and building chemistry was really impressive. The second half turnarounds are a credit to the coaching staff and the players for making adjustments and executing a plan of attack. Even thought the personnel was different this time, the second half adjustment was the same: put more shooters on the floor and spread out the defense with good ball movement. The offensive flow in the second half was tremendous and Vermont finished 13-23 (57%) from three, largely because of great open looks off kick outs. This game was all about the bench with the subs outscoring the starters 46-39. The depth started to show through in this game with contributions up and down the lineup.
Gus Yalden made his Catamount debut and changed the entire dynamic of the Catamount offense. He drew tons of defensive attention on the low block and passed out of the double team very effectively. The Cats also used him as an offensive hub out of the high post, where he found backdoor cutters. The Cats finally got the back to the basket scoring dimension they have been looking for. Yalden finished with a career high 18 points and also had 5 rebounds and 5 assists. He is full of emotion and intensity and completely took over the game in the second half with his scoring and passing. Absolute game changer for Vermont. Sean Blake continued his strong start to the season, scoring a career high 16 points, including 3-5 from three. He is learning how to dial the speed up and down while running the offense. Every part of Blake's game looks like it is taking a step up this year and it is a testament to his hard work in the offseason. Jackson Skipper played some more point guard in this one and continued his hot shooting to start the year, going 3-3 from deep for his 9 points. The TJs were hounded by the defense all afternoon, but fought through it to finish with 14 (Hurley) and 12 (Long) points. Both continue to play really strong physical defense. Ben Johnson has provided very solid minutes for the Cats, making the right play and knocking down shots when he is called upon.
The excitement continues to build as Vermont has flashed some serious potential over these last couple games. A long road trip ahead to Buffalo on Tuesday before heading down to Disney for Thanksgiving.
