Vermont at UMBC 2/19/26

UMBC 75 Vermont 62

UMBC started hot and made clutch shots down the stretch, taking down Vermont. Another big game where the Cats struggled to get going in the first half and dug themselves a hole that was too big to overcome. The Retrievers played a great game and have been playing great basketball since their loss to Vermont, especially on the defensive end. The Vermont offense continues to struggle to capitalize on open looks and they were bullied and beat up on the boards. It is too bad that they were down so big in this game early because the defense really got going in the second half during the comeback. The slow starts feel like Vermont not being quite ready for the other team's tenacity, as opponents are seizing an opportunity to take down a more vulnerable Vermont team than in past years (and exorcise some demons from the dominant run a few years ago). Saturday night's game is an absolute must win as any more losses would put them in danger of slipping out of the top three. 

TJ Long was a bright spot, scoring 21 points and pulling down 8 rebounds. Getting a healthy Long down the stretch could help the Cats make a playoff run so seeing him have back to back good games is a big positive. Gus Yalden scored 17 points and pulled down 12 rebounds but struggled to finish through UMBC's physical post defense. Momo Nkugwa gave great energy in the second half and was a big part of the comeback. He finished with 7 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals. TJ Hurley struggled mightily, making only one shot. He was very good on the defensive end but couldn't get anything going against the Retriever's ball pressure. Sean Blake struggled mightily on both sides of the ball. He struggled to finish at the rim and looked a step slow on the defensive side of the ball. Ben Johnson also struggled defensively and ended up only playing 16 minutes. 

Truly a season on the line moment for Vermont. Gotta come out with a strong first half on Saturday night. 

NO BRAKES ON THE GUSBUS!!!!!

Vermont 90 Bryant 63

Vermont and Gus Yalden stole Bryant's soul as the Bulldogs came unglued early in the second half, succumbing to the Catamount onslaught. This game was all about the first 5 minutes of the second half. Vermont used an efficient and workmanlike first half to build a 12 point lead at the break. Out of halftime, Vermont went on a 18-2 run that included two technical fouls and an ejection for Bryant head coach Jamion Christian. It is rare for a game to feel so over, so early in the game, but Bryant looked defeated after the first media timeout of the second half. This is the game Cats fans have been waiting for. This is the clicking on all cylinders, Catamount swagger game that fans have enjoyed often during the Becker tenure. The action was electric and it was far and away the most complete game of the season. Vermont shot 58% for the game, including an incredibly efficient 9/14 (64%) from three. The Cats were also 21/25 (84%) from the foul line, comfortably making the best of a very physical and chippy atmosphere. They absolutely dominated the paint, outscoring Bryant 36-18 and won the rebounding battle 34-26. A dominant win in a statement game going into the most important week of the conference season. With road games against the two teams they are chasing (UMBC and NJIT), must win is an understatement. Couldn't go into the week with better momentum. 

Gus Yalden was absolutely phenomenal in leading the charge for Vermont. He continues to improve each game and his enthusiasm and "crowdwork" absolutely swings momentum and energy. Yalden finished with 27 points on 10/15 shooting and pulled down 6 rebounds to go along with 3 assists. His spinning, scooping layup and three on the delayed fast break in the second half absolutely electrified Patrick. He is adjusting to the defensive attention that teams are throwing his way and improving his reads all over the court. Massive game. TJ Hurley continued to thrill Cats fans with his new found above the rim game, throwing down his most viscous dunk yet, as part of a 19 point performance. The extra emotion he has been showing during this hot streak has been so fun. TJ Long showed some of his old form with a 14 point, 5 rebound performance that included a 3/5 effort from three. This was the first "big three" game and hopefully a sign of things to come as team health improves. Sean Blake continues to find new ways to change speeds and create offense for Vermont. Blake finished with 10 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists and is impacting the game in so many ways.

This is one to enjoy and build on for the deciding week of the conference regular season. Lots of love for the Cats on Valentines day!

I also wanted to thank everyone that reads and comes along on this ride with me as this is my 600th (!!!!!!) post. That is a lot of words over the almost 13 years that I have been writing this blog. 

Vermont at Binghamton 2/12/26

Vermont 73 Binghamton 65

Vermont clamped down on the defensive end and used timely shotmaking to take down Binghamton on the road. In the first half, Vermont attacked the rim at will and started to pull away. Binghamton got hot from three and were able to close the gap at the half. Both offenses hummed along in the second half and Vermont struggled to find space on the perimeter. The teams traded baskets until Vermont ratcheted up the defensive pressure to seal the game. It was a strange game where Vermont was able to get easy shots at the rim but struggled from distance. They shot an incredible 26-33 (79%!!) on shots inside the arc. Binghamton did a great job limiting the Cats opportunities from distance as Vermont was held well under their average attempts. It was great to see this group score efficiently and get the win on a night when they only made 3 three pointers. Vermont was good on the boards and made timely defensive plays. The Cats have no room for error in their quest for a regular season title and gutting out gritty road wins will be crucial.

Gus Yalden led the way for the Cats with a tremendous all around performance. He controlled the game with his post ups, screening, and passing. Yalden finished with 18 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists. He was under control and did a great job reading the defense and taking what they game him. TJ Hurley finished with 13 points and 5 rebounds. He threw down another slam and I am here for his "dunk era". Sean Blake scored 11 points and played tough defense, finishing with 3 steals. Lucas Mari continued his impactful play with 9 points and 2 steals. He is making a lot of the little plays that contribute to winning. TJ Long came alive down the stretch and hit some big shots. He finished with 8 points and 5 rebounds as he continues to work his way back form injury. Noah Barnett had an odd game where he scored 10 points but went 0-4 from the free throw line, grabbed only 1 rebound, and committed 4 fouls. 

Nice win on the road as the Cats get ready to welcome Bryant to Patrick Gym on Saturday.

Bounce Back

Vermont 80 New Hampshire 57

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. 

Vermont vs NJIT 1/31/26

NJIT 79 Vermont 77

NJIT came to Patrick with a purpose and handed Vermont their second conference loss of the season. The Highlanders came out with swagger and energy and led wire to wire in an big time performance. Their relentless defensive pressure and physical play in the paint really put the Cats back on their heels. Since entering the league, the Highlanders have pretty consistently been a thorn in the Cats side. In the first half Vermont could not hit a shot as the offense screeched to a halt. Becker has mentioned repeatedly that he feels like they have been generating good shots for good shooters but have not been knocking them down. This game was another demonstration of that inexplicable trend as many of the shots missed were good looks. The second half was choppy and chippy as tensions rose. It felt like a Murphy's law game as the Cats just couldn't string together enough plays to gain momentum. When they finally did get some shots to fall, there was not enough time left to climb out of the hole. This group has proven that they play well with their backs against the wall and shown tremendous grit in coming back in tough situations. Unfortunately, they have struggled to play with that same intensity early in games. Teams are always gunning for the Catamounts and some of the new players are learning how physical and gritty America East play can be. The results through the first half have shown without a doubt that on any given night, anyone can beat anyone.

Sean Blake led the Cats with a career high 23 points and added 8 rebounds and 4 assists. He was electric in the second half trying to will the Cats back using his speed in the open court. TJ Hurley finally went cold in the first half before knocking some shots down in the hectic final minutes. Hurley finished with 16 points on 5-15 shooting from the field. Noah Barnett bounced back from a tough night on Thursday and matched NJIT's physicality and energy. Barnett finished with 12 points and shifted some momentum the Cats way. Gus Yalden was the only Catamount to score for the first ten minutes of the game but struggled after that and finished with 12 points and 7 rebounds before fouling out. Teams have made life really difficult for Yalden lately and he is shooting only 8/21 (38%) from two and 2/14 (14%) from three over the last three games. They are forcing him to catch the ball away from the paint and throwing double teams from all angles. Ben Johnson struggled, going 1/6 from three. TJ Long returned to the lineup and finished with 7 points on 3-7 shooting. Lucas Mari rolled his ankle early in the first half and did not return. The Cats really missed his size and rebounding. They just cannot shake the injury bug these past two years. 

A tough loss at home to finish the first half of the conference season. No rest for the wicked as the always daunting road trip to Orono awaits. 

BIG WIN!!!

Vermont 64 UMBC 55

Vermont used tough defense and clutch shot-making to take sole possession of first place in the America East, beating UMBC in front of a raucous Patrick Gym crowd. The first half was a back and forth affair with both teams feeling each other out. In the second half, the Cats defense really locked in and made life difficult for the high flying Retrievers offense. In the middle of the second half, Vermont had several chances to stretch the lead and put the game away but could not cash in. UMBC took advantage and went on a 11-3 spurt to tie the game at 51. The Cats responded with big threes from Ben Johnson and Lucas Mari and got the stops they needed to win the game. The defense was particularly impressive in this one as UMBC was held under 60 points for only the second time this season. The lowest they had scored during conference play was 69. The rotations were great and they held the Retrievers to 23% (6-26) shooting from three. They also forced UMBC to play quite a bit in isolation as they were only able to muster 7 assists in the game. Offensively, the Cats are still struggling to find consistency but made 11 threes and had 13 assists on 20 made baskets. The ball movement was great once again and everyone is looking to find the best shot. Huge win to start a decisive weekend in the early battle for first place in the America East. 

TJ Hurley stayed red hot, scoring 18 points on 7-11 shooting. He also grabbed 7 rebounds and played tremendous defense on DJ Armstrong Jr. He looks so in command on the court right now. Lucas Mari continued his breakout with 16 points and 6 rebounds. He scored 8 of those points down the stretch to put the game away including two beautiful corner threes. He has turned a corner in his adjustment to the college game and has been huge over the past week. Ben Johnson continues to impress in his starter role, finishing with 11 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists. His three in response to UMBC tying the game was clutch. He also had a great block on a three point attempt in the second half. Sean Blake was incredible despite only taking 2 shots (and despite a tough night at the foul line). He finished with 5 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists and is making so many big plays. He has really found an incredible balance to his game and is running the offense with a strong presence. Gus Yalden struggled to get going, shooting 2-13 from the field. Teams are really throwing a lot at him defensively and forcing him to catch the ball away from the paint. He is battling and scored 8 points while more crucially dishing out 5 assists. Even when he is struggling to score he is opening up the offense with his screening and punishing the extra defensive attention with his passing. Ben Michaels continues to provide tough defense and finally got a shot to go down. 

Huge momentum and confidence builder going into another showdown with second place NJIT on Saturday. Can't wait!

Vermont at Bryant 1/24/26

Vermont 62 Bryant 52

In an absolute grinder of a game, Vermont made clutch shots down the stretch and finished a very tough week on the road at 2-1. In the first half, Bryant was barley functional on offense, only making three shots. Unfortunately Vermont struggled to pull away and put Bryant on the line which kept the Bulldogs in the game. In the second half, Vermont looked like they might pull away but their offense then came to a screeching halt and Bryant finally found some room on offense. Like in many games for the Cats this season, it came down to which team was going to execute and make the big shots down the stretch. Vermont made plays in the crucial moments and came out with a win. The defense for Vermont was good and forced Bryant into really tough shots at the end of the shot clock for much of the game. Unfortunately the Cats continue to put other teams on the line too often and it makes it tough to put teams away. Becker spoke this week about the fact that this is the first conference play experience for many of the newcomers and how fierce the battles get regardless of record. This game was a good example of how important it is to put teams away because the emotion and energy can turn on a dime in these hotly contested games. Offensively, the shot making continues to come and go over the past few months. They are still getting good shots, they just aren't not falling. Stills feels like there is some room there. Despite the shooting difficulties, the ball movement was excellent with 13 assists on 19 made baskets and the Cats pulled down 16 offensive boards while winning the battle 40-30 overall. At several big moments, the offensive rebounding was key and broke the Bulldogs spirit. They continue to take good care of the ball with only 6 turnovers. A good "find a way" win in a tough environment at the end of a long week. 

TJ Hurley stayed hot with a Herculean effort down the stretch. He finished with 26 points to follow up his career high 30 on Thursday. This feels like that senior bump as he ready's make one last run as a Catamount. Watching the game slow down for him in real time (not that he has ever been in a hurry) at a different level than in the past is so cool. Great decision making and finding the right spots to attack. Incredible heater going 18/35 (51%) from the field, 9/20 (45%) from three, and 11-12 (92%, which oddly enough drops his percentage) from the line over the the two games. All while being hounded by the defense. Star. Gus Yalden was the other Catamount in double figures with 14 points. He struggled to get going in this one and has actually cooled off quite a bit from three (2-12 over the last 3 games). But shooters shoot and he made the big three to give the Cats some breathing room before making a great read on the very next play to get Hurley a wide open look to put the game away. Sean Blake finished with 9 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists in a solid all around effort. Lucas Mari was good again off the bench, finishing with 5 points and 7 rebounds. Ben Michaels didn't score and continues to struggle to find his offense, but pulled down 9 boards and led the charge on the offensive glass with 4. Ben Johnson is averaging 29.5 minutes per game since TJ Long's injury and continues to give solid veteran minutes. I have to give him a shout out for the fact that he has only turned the ball over 4 times all season. Crazy. I like to call that the Everett Duncan award (look up his insane low turnover numbers). Noah Barnett's return gives that Cats a level up both on the boards and the defensive end. 

Now a short break before a big showdown in an early battle for first place with UMBC. Patrick better be rocking!!