Vermont rolled into the semifinals, dominating an shorthanded NJIT team. The Cats were laser focused from the opening tip and put this one away early. After struggling to make perimeter shots down the stretch, Vermont made 13 threes and played suffocating defense. The depth of this team continues to give Vermont a significant advantage over the other teams in the league. There is very little dropoff from the starters to the second unit and in fact it is often the second unit that opens up the game offensively. Opposing teams get buried in a flash before they can make the necessary adjustments. This was a big statement to begin the playoff run. Coming out and playing loose while continuing to execute can be challenging this time of the year. The machinelike efficiency of this team continues to be impressive. The way everybody on the court moves the ball and how they trust each other is beautiful. Another 23 assists in this one and there were some absolute gems. Every player that stepped on the court scored in tonight's game and Vermont put six players in double figures. The group is the definition of a team.
Ben Shungu led the scoring attack with 15 points, which leaves him only one point away from 1,000. He struggled from deep but made up for it with some shifty finishes around the rim. Ryan Davis chipped in 13 points and 7 rebounds. Justin Mazzulla came back from injury with 11 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists in another tremendous all around game. He makes so many high IQ plays during the game and always seems a step ahead of everyone else. Speaking of high IQ, Robin Duncan put on an absolute clinic in affecting the game without scoring. Duncan came in and picked apart he NJIT defense, setting up his teammates for success. He finished with 2 points, 7 rebounds, and 9 assists, including a tip out rebound for a three that was one of the smartest plays I have ever seen. Duncan and Mazzulla execute the finer points of the game at another level. Like watching an instructional video on how to help your team win. Nick Fiorillo continues to come on strong down the stretch, finishing with 12 points this afternoon. His perimeter shooting is such a weapon for the second unit and he executes the baseline cut perfectly as well. Kam Gibson has also found his rhythm again after an injury marred middle of the season. Gibson finished with 12 points as well and knocked down 3/5 from three. Sixth man of the year Aaron Deloney rounded out the second unit double digit scorers with 11 on 3/4 shooting from three. The shooting off the bench has given Vermont such a dynamic lift. Today Fiorillo, Gibson, and Deloney combined to shoot 8/12 from three. What an weapon for the Cats. It was also nice to see Finn Sullivan get a few three pointers to fall as he has really struggled shooting since his hot streak earlier in the season. He actually snapped a 0-9 stretch over the previous four games. Hopefully that can give him a shot in the arm to shoot with confidence going forward. Also loved Bailey Patella finally getting a dunk. He can fire up the crowd like no other.
Now Vermont welcomes Binghamton to town on Wednesday. The playoff atmosphere in Patrick is something I have missed. It will be rocking for sure.
No comments:
Post a Comment