Vermont 98 Stony Brook 65
You think the Cats had this game circled?
Vermont hit a team record 19 three pointers on their way to obliterating preseason number one Stony Brook. In the first half both teams were trading blows from deep. The game had all the feels of the two top teams playing for keeps. The first twenty was up and down and being played at Stony Brook's tempo. The Cats came out in the second half, turned up the defense, and played the game the way they wanted it to be played. Stony Brook had no answer. The Seawolves struggled on offense with a lot of one on one play and were pretty disengaged on defense. There was a stark difference in the chemistry between the two teams. Vermont displayed the forged in the trenches chemistry that comes from the gauntlet of a non-conference schedule while Stony Brook looked like a team still trying to find their identity. The Cats had 21 assists and out rebounded the Seawolves by a 34-16 margin. That was a big time statement game for the Catamounts.
This victory was all about the team chemistry and depth that Vermont possess. You could pick names out of a hat tonight and every player performed their role and was ready to contribute when their name was called. Stony Brook tried several different lineup combinations but Becker was ready with a counter. The Seawolves tried to go small and the Cats were ready to match them. Finn Sullivan led the Cats with 19 points, all in the second half. Sullivan's offensive explosion came after spending most of the New Hampshire game and the first half of this one getting an earful from Becker. So to say he needed a stretch like that was an understatement. He was tremendous in the second half blowing the game wide open with three after three. Sullivan does so many things well and is just scratching the surface of his potential. Ryan Davis was right behind him with 17 points and 6 rebounds. With another 3-3 effort from three, Davis in now shooting 14-16 (88%) (!) from three over the last 5 games. Absolutely scorching. Ben Shungu, Justin Mazzulla, and Aaron Deloney stayed hot with 13, 10, and 11 points respectively while shooting a combined 8-12 from three. Deloney has looked very good since re-entering the rotation. Providing an offensive spark and playing his heart out on defense. Bailey Patella finally got in on the action, hitting his first two threes of the year and finishing with 8 points. Robin Duncan played aggressively once again. The box score hero award for tonight's game goes to isaiah Powell. He continues to do the dirty work and a little bit of everything for the Cats. Powell finished with 7 points, 10 rebounds, and a career high 9 assists while once again playing great defense. It felt like he grabbed every rebound.
That was an incredibly fun game to watch and Vermont reasserted itself as the team to beat and now face their first road test in over a month. UMBC has become their most intense rivalry over the past 5 years and is the one team in conference who has had consistent success against the Cats. UMBC boasts a high octane offense and plays at the fastest tempo in the league. It will be a good first test on the road.
