Wagner 68 Vermont 61
The losing continues as Wagner hits 9 of 10 free throws down the stretch to seal a hard fought victory. As has been the case all year Vermont struggled out of the gate on their way to a 13 point halftime deficit. The difference in this game was that the Cats were able to claw their way back into the game and take a 56-55 lead with about 4 minutes to go. That fight was nice to see as it was more like the teams of the past 3 years. However, the poor offensive execution reared its ugly head and mistakes down the stretch cost Vermont the game. The crucial mistake came on a missed free throw by Wagner. Hector Harold failed to box out and instead of getting the ball down 58-57 with a chance to take the lead, Vermont found themselves down 60-57 after two more free throws. Harold had finally found his offense and had his best game as a catamount scoring 11 points. It is lapses like the missed box out that have been keeping him on the bench and preventing him from finding consistent playing time. Clancy Rugg fouling out a short time before really showed on that play as he was a beast down low all night. Rugg is hands down the greatest transformation by any player I have ever had the pleasure of watching for their entire four years. I will cover that in more detail in a later post but I just wanted to mention it now. Rugg has been unbelievable all season and continues to battle night in and night out. While the crucial mistake could have helped Vermont grind out a win, the real culprit in the loss was Vermont's arch enemy, outside shooting. The Cats continue to struggle finding a consistent shooter who can knock down a three pointer. In today's college game it is very difficult to win games without a threat from the three point line. Vermont shot 0 for 12 from three which is just mind boggling. Candon Rusin (7-23 from three) is struggling mightily and Sandro Carissimo (6-22 from three) is also cold from the three point line. Without a three point threat the Cats are losing the out in their inside-out game. One would think that at some point the shots will fall but this is not a good sign so early in the season. Another very concerning statistic is the insane amount of turnovers that Brian Voelkel has committed so far. Even though Voelkel is averaging a career high 5.8 assists per game, it is coming at a cost. Voelkel is also averaging 4.2 turnovers per game which is double his 2.1 per game career average. This number is alarming not only because it is ridiculously high, but also because it is so out of character for Voelkel. He has to reduce his turnovers in order for Vermont's offense to be more efficiently executed. The Cats showed more grit the past few games and that is certainly a positive take away. The long term concern now is: Will Vermont have the mental toughness to handle 10 loses in the nonconference? There is certainly a chance that they will hit that number. If that is the situation they find themselves in before they get healthy, will they be able to bounce back or will the damage already be done. We will have to see as they prepare for a nearly impossible match up with the Duke Blue Devils on Sunday.
On a side note, I am particularly excited for the game at Duke this weekend as I am going to make the trip down and see my first game at Cameron indoor stadium. Check back for an update!
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