Vermont vs Binghamton 1/16/25

Vermont 72 Binghamton 64

Vermont never trailed in a wire to wire victory over Binghamton in their conference home opener. It was a strong all around performance and one that saw the Cats respond to every Bearcat challenge. The offense was strong, avoiding the cold streaks and scoring droughts that have plagued the Cats this season. After struggling with turnovers against Bryant, Vermont took care of the ball and only committed 6 turnovers. It was a weird game defensively where Binghamton shot a high percentage from the field but Vermont limited their opportunities at the line and forced 15 Bearcat turnovers. Early on the full court pressure that the Cats have been using lately really bothered Binghamton and set the tone for the game. Vermont finished with 11 steals as a team and did a great job jumping passing lanes, digging down on drives, and doubling in the post. A great way to kick off the homestand. 

TJ Hurley bounced back after the scoreless outing against Bryant in a big way, dropping a career high 26 points with a big second half. He really took over the game in the when the Cats needed big buckets. The continued expansion of his game at all three levels is making him more and more dangerous with the ball in his hands. Shamir Bogues is looking more and more like his healthy self and was an absolute all court wrecker in tonight's game. Bogues finished with 16 points, 5 rebounds and SEVEN steals. He was all over the court on defense and it felt like he deflected the ball on every possession. Great to see him playing well. Nick Fiorillo continues to play at a high level, finishing with 15 points and 6 rebounds. His early threes really opened up the Cats offense. Ileri Ayo-Faleye continues to be more aggressive on the offensive end and finished with 11 points and 4 rebounds. Another weird thing about this game is the four Cats mentioned above are the only four players who made a shot from the field in this one. 

Now the Cats have a week off to get ready for NJIT and continue to build on this early momentum in the conference schedule. 

Vermont at Bryant 1/11/25

Bryant 73 Vermont 53

Vermont took one on the chin at Bryant for their first conference loss. The Cats started out strong jumping out to an early ten point lead thanks to strong defense. Then the wheels came off as Bryant got red hot from three. The Cats came out flat in the second half and turned the ball over like crazy, allowing Bryant to run them out of the gym. It was a very strange game where you kind of have to tip your cap to Connor Withers, who went on a quite a heater to put Bryant on top. The turnovers came back in a big way and were the driving force in the loss. Felt like a bit of a letdown spot after the big win over UMass Lowell. Considering the short bench and tough road trip a 2-1 start is about where you would expect to be. Gives the Cats some motivation for the rematch at Patrick in February. 

Ileri Ayo-Faleye continued his strong play with 15 points, including 4-7 from three. His improved offensive aggressiveness and three point shooting is trending in a nice direction. Shamir Bogues finally got some shots to fall, finishing with 17 points and 6 rebounds. If he can return to form down the stretch it will completely change the Vermont offense. The Cats really missed Jace Roquemore in this game as Sam Alamutu and Sean Blake combined for 10 of the Cats 17 turnovers. Alamutu pulled down 11 rebounds but struggled with the added play-making responsibility. Nick Fiorillo struggled to get anything going against the big, physical Bryant defense. The shocker of the game was TJ Hurley being held scoreless on only three shots. He struggled with the size of the Bryant defenders and the added defensive attention. Shocking after looking so good against Lowell. 

Now the Cats get a three game homestand to bounce back and hopefully get healthier with a week off coming up after Binghamton on Thursday. Can't wait to be back at Patrick!!

STATEMENT MADE

Vermont 67 UMass Lowell 63

Vermont went on the road and made a big statement, ending the River Hawks 7 game win streak. Beating Lowell in their home gym is something only the Cats have done over the last few years. A monster win that announces to the league that despite the inconsistent performance thus far, the Cats are still the team to beat. As the Cats have all season they were faced with a shortened bench (Jace Roquemore, Shy Odom, TJ Long all in street clothes) and then battled foul trouble throughout. The trademark Catamount defense showed up in a big way, holding the River Hawks 21 points (!) below their season average. The most surprising turn of events was the Cats complete dominance on the boards. Vermont grabbed 17 offensive rebounds and finished with a 44-30 advantage on the boards. The Cats were all over the 50/50 balls and played with an incredible sense of urgency. It felt like they relished being the underdogs for once and played with a chip on their shoulder. The three point shooting was a struggle but each one that the Cats made was at a crucial juncture. Throughout the game, the Cats used their physicality and toughness on both ends of the floor. Gutsy performance. 

TJ Hurley led the Cats with 23 points and made two huge threes down the stretch. He was tough as nails, using his physicality to create space driving to the rim. The big shots down the stretch felt like Hurley fully realizing his role as the Cats offensive leader. Ileri Ayo-Faleye was everywhere finishing with 17 points and 11 rebounds while helping to shut down the River Hawks in the post. He had some wild misses from three but his offensive aggressiveness is something that is crucial for Vermont. Nick Fiorillo struggled shooting but finished with 10 points and 7 rebounds. He played tough, physical defense down low and really walled off the paint. With the injury to Roquemore, Sam Alamutu has been thrust into the secondary point guard role and due to foul trouble, he was the primary point guard in this evenings game. He played a strong game, finishing with 8 points and 6 rebounds. He had two crucial buckets in the second half and his ability to guard multiple positions was crucial in slowing down the high flying Lowell offense. Shamir Bogues was hampered by foul trouble but finished with 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks. Due to the foul trouble and the short bench, Noah Barnett, Sean Blake, and Seth Joba were forced into bigger roles and each contributed in their minutes. Barnett finished with 2 points and 5 rebounds, Blake made good decisions with the ball, and Joba hit a nice three. 

The signature Vermont defense is firing on all cylinders over the last few games. What a huge momentum boost for the Cats as they head into another tough road test against Bryant on Saturday. Conference play is the best. 

Vermont wins their America East opener

Vermont 60 New Hampshire 40

Vermont used a dominant second half to open conference play in the win column. It is hard to believe but it was actually Vermont's first road win since their opener at UAB exactly two months ago. It all starts with the Catamounts trademark, best in the conference defense, which was incredible this afternoon. The coaching staff made several adjustments going to a kind of diamond 1-3-1 zone and bringing intermittent full court pressure. It was very effective with the Cats forcing 17 turnovers and finishing with 10 steals. That gave the Cats a 21-7 advantage in points of turnovers. Vermont is looking for ways to get easier shots at the rim and getting more live ball turnovers is one great way to do so. The first half was a slog that saw Vermont continue to struggle mightily from two point range, finishing the half 3-17 from inside the arc. In the second half the offense opened up and clicked on all cylinders. The were able to generate shots at the rim, hitting 12-20 from two point range in the second half. The Cats took good care of the ball, finishing with only 8 turnovers. A really big second half performance in a really big spot. Road wins are hard to come by, especially in conference play, and with the big road swing to start the conference schedule it was important to kick it off right. 

TJ Hurley led the Cats with 17 points and also chipped in 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals. He has really settled in as the Cats best offensive weapon and continues to score at all three levels. Nick Fiorillo is in the best stretch of his Catamount career and is sparking Vermont with energy and perimeter shooting. He finished with 14 points, 5 rebounds, and great defensive energy. Ileri Ayo-Faleye was aggressive going to the rim and finished with 12 points and 4 assists. He had some nice finishes and made some great passes as well. Sam Alamutu got the start with Jace Roquemore injured and finished with 4 points and 5 rebounds. Shamir Bogues continues to struggle with finishing around the rim (3-11 from the field) but was a spark defensively, finishing with 9 points and 4 steals. There was not a lot of production off the bench as Becker really shortened up the rotation in the second half. 

A nice statement by the Cats to take care of business in the opener before the big showdowns next week with UMass Lowell and Bryant. Great measuring stick matchups to open the season and should make for exciting game action. 

Vermont vs Elms College 12/30/24

Vermont 121 Elms College 37

Vermont closed out the year with a dominant performance against overmatched Elms College. Normally there would be little to take away from a game that featured this much of a talent gap. However, this season has seen Vermont struggle mightily even in games against non division one opponents. On top of that, with the challenges that the Cats have faced so far, it was good for the team to have a game where basketball was fun and to see the ball go through the hoop. The effort and intensity was there throughout and the offense made shots, falling one point short of tying the program single game record set against NVU-Lyndon in 2018. Vermont will grab on to this positive momentum and get ready for the road gauntlet to start the 2025 year and the conference schedule. The game on Saturday against New Hampshire is the biggest game of the season so far as I think opening the conference schedule with a strong performance will make a statement not only to the rest of the league, but to the Cats themselves. With the vulnerability that they have shown so far this year, every team will be licking their chops and Vermont will be looking to reassert themselves.

Everyone that played scored and there were eight Catamounts in double figures. Nick Fiorillo continues to look sharp from the perimeter and filled up the stat sheet with 12 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists. Shy Odom looked healthier, quicker on the court, and finished with 11 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals, and 3 blocks. With more familiarity with the system and improved health, he could be impactful during the conference portion of the season. It was really important for all the Cats to get their chances and make the best of them, allowing the players to exhale and believe that they can make it happen when called upon. 

Closing the book on a difficult non-conference schedule, the season starts anew on Saturday. No matter what has happened to this point in the season, every team starts 0-0 on their quest for a conference title. Can't wait to see how Vermont comes out and plays this weekend. Happy New Year!

Vermont at Dartmouth 12/21/24

Dartmouth 84 Vermont 54

The Jekyll and Hyde season continues for Vermont as they were run out of the gym by Dartmouth this afternoon. One step forward, two steps back at every turn has the Cats hitting rock bottom and searching for answers. The things that stands out now reflecting on the non-conference is how the lack of team identity has meant that every time the Cats right the ship in one area, another area becomes a concern. Defense is strong, offense is weak. Offense starts to get going, defense disappears. Fix the turnovers, transition defense falls flat. I guess I jinxed today's game with my praise of the Cats perimeter defense as Dartmouth scorched the nets from three. It really has been Murphy's law in Catamount country this season. In a sequence that encapsulates the luck so far, TJ Long gets a nice steal, goes in for a layup, gets blocked, re-injures his knee, and Dartmouth comes down on the other end and knocks down a three. Snakebit. Maybe the Cats need to make a sacrifice to the basketball gods to reset their karma. Going to be a lot of refection and soul searching over the holiday break as Vermont again tries to hit the reset button and salvage the season with a run in the America East. 

Happy Holidays to everyone!!

Vermont vs Miami OH 12/18/24

Vermont 75 Miami OH 67

Vermont snapped their losing streak with a win over Miami OH. In the first half, the Cats were firing on all cylinders on both sides of the ball. The offensive movement was crisp and they were able to generate good shots. On the defensive side of the ball, the Cats did a great job containing the Redhawks perimeter shooting. The Cats opened the second half with another nice run to extend the lead. Then once again the offense hit a wall and the full court pressure from Miami OH rattled Vermont. This time however the Cats were able to hang on by virtue of red hot free throw shooting. There were flashes of that Catamount resolve and this was a huge win for Vermont. This is the type of game they have been coming up short in and despite the continued issues with the press, it was great to see them dig deep and pull out the win. Vermont absolutely lived at the free throw line as they took advantage of the Redhawks high pressure, frenetic defense. The Cats finished a whopping 29-32 (90%) from the free throw line. There were some very bad turnovers in the pressure situations down the stretch but overall the Cats only turned the ball over 9 times, which is a significant improvement. The defense continues to impress, particularly on the perimeter. Vermont held the Redhawks to 1-15 shooting from three and that is now the third time this season they have held a team to 1 or fewer made threes. The game was a step in the right direction and gives the Cats some solid footing to build upon. 

Nick Fiorillo continues his inspired play, finishing with a team high 21 points by virtue of a 14-15 performance from the line. He was really aggressive off the dribble and helps space the floor with his shooting ability. He has book-ended his injury absence with an incredible three 20 point games over his last 4 games played. Great to have him back. TJ Hurley also scored 20 points, continuing to attack closeouts and pull up in the mid-range. He is evolving into more and more of a go to scorer. Ileri Ayo-Faleye finished with 9 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 blocks. He attacked the rim more in tonight's game and hopefully continues to expand that part of his game. Shamir Bogues made some clutch free throws and finished with 10 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks. The Bogues and Ayo-Faleye blocks down the stretch were the game saving plays. Jace Roquemore finally got a three to drop and finished with 5 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists. I thought Shy Odom showed some nice flashes and looked quicker and more decisive. He finished with 5 points in 12 minutes. 

A nice win at home before taking the short trip down 89 to try and build off this momentum against Dartmouth. Also what an awesome atmosphere recognizing the incredible NATIONAL CHAMPIONS Vermont Men's soccer team. What a run. What a game Monday night. The greatest sports moment in Vermont history.