The Cats bounced back from two tough losses and dominated New Hampshire from the opening tip. A wire to wire and much needed win for Vermont. Thursday night's game was a pretty rock bottom moment for this years group and today's game was going to be telling as to how they are gonna handle the second half of the season. They came out with energy and focus on both ends of the court and finally got off to a good start. The ball movement was particularly crisp as they carved up the Wildcat defense. There was a little lull at the end of the half where the Cats let New Hampshire back into the game, but they erased any doubt of a letdown with a strong second half. The shotmaking that was such a part of the team construction this offseason finally came through and the defense was engaged and physical. Vermont finished with 20 assists in a incredibly balanced team effort. They knocked down 15 three pointers and dominated the boards. A big time performance in a big spot.
Ben Johnson was the star, scoring 26 points on 7/10 shooting from three. He was spectacular at finding space and moving without the ball. He is really shifty coming off screens and doesn't need much space to let it fly. Gus Yalden got the Cats off to the hot start, scoring all of his 16 points in the first half. He knocked down 3/5 from deep and pulled down 8 rebounds. His screening and passing led to a lot of open looks and he was more engaged on defense. TJ Hurley scored 13 points, including a nice dunk. He is really taking his game to another level and attacking closeouts with force. Sean Blake finished with 11 points and 7 assists and moved the ball incredibly well all afternoon. Noah Barnett got the start and did a little bit of everything. He finished with 6 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists and helped set the tone defensively. Lucas Mari returned from injury and immediately made an impact with his defense and rebounding. I do not think it is a coincidence that the defense struggled without him over the last two games. He has become a very impactful and versatile defender and is huge on the boards. He finished with 8 rebounds and 3 assists and brings high energy when he is on the floor.
Huge win to hopefully help propel Vermont into high gear for the stretch run.
