Vermont 86 UMBC 69
On the road for the first time in over a month, Vermont used a scorching first 5 minutes to roll past UMBC. The hot shooting continued in the first half for the Cats as they put up 50 points thanks to 10-16 shooting from three. Vermont finally cooled off from three in the second half and the game became somewhat of a grind. UMBC kept trying to climb back in but each time the Cats made a big shot or came up with a big defensive play. The energy and engagement of this team continues to be there from start to finish. No matter the score, the Cats continue to play cohesive team offense and tough physical defense. Once again Vermont had 19 assists to only 8 turnovers. The chemistry over the last few games has been very good. This newfound offensive explosion demonstrates the value of playing such a tough non-conference schedule. It goes so far beyond wins and losses as the Cats play big, tough, physical teams from conferences that play with varying styles. With last year as a unique comparison with no non-conference schedule, the difference in the on court cohesion is clear. In order to be competitive in those early season games the Cats have to execute perfectly and as a result, the players are locked into where everyone is on the court on both ends of the floor. The shooting may come and go against good teams and long road trips, but the learning process in the trenches prepares the Cats to play better and better as the season goes on. Very impressive stretch from Vermont.
Ryan Davis led the Cats with 21 points and 9 rebounds. He is all the way back to his player of the year form. Deadly from deep and in the paint, Davis is forcing teams in to mismatches all game long. Finn Sullivan continued his hot shooting and finished with 20 points on 6-12 shooting from three. The shooting has been great to see and exactly what the Cats need but Sullivan's best highlight of the night was him chasing down a lackadaisical two on none break by the Retrievers to get the stop and the steal. Those are the plays that win championships and Sullivan makes several of them a game. Isaiah Powell continued his incredible all around play. As I have said before he epitomizes the workmanlike way in which Vermont wins games and honestly might be Vermont's most indispensable player. Powell finished with 13 points, 9 assists, and 7 rebounds. That is 18 assists over the last two games for the Cats 6-6 PF. Incredible performance. Aaron Deloney continued his strong play as well with 10 points and Ben Shungu shook off a tough day at the free throw line to finish with 13 points.
Vermont is firing on all cylinders as it heads into another road matchup against NJIT on Wednesday.
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