Friday, March 18, 2022

NCAA tournament 2022: Vermont vs Arkansas game recap

 Arkansas 75 Vermont 71

Tantalizingly close. 

Vermont hung tough yet again in a big game but ultimately fell to Arkansas. The margins are so slim in these high stakes tourney games and Vermont just had a few plays here or there that ultimately decided the game. They battled hard and showed why they were so tough this season. Ultimately the Razorbacks did just enough on the offensive boards in the second half and after Ryan Davis went on a big run they sold out on the defensive end to make sure he didn't touch the ball again. The part the really hurts and leaves a bad taste in the mouth is the missed free throws. It is very hard to win games when you leave that many points out there. Stings even worse that it wasn't really a problem for the Cats this season. It is crazy that the Vermont program is in a place where they are almost expected to win a tournament game each year and that is something to appreciate. This one stings right now but the fact that in these big games they continue to hang tough and give themselves an opportunity to win is amazing. They were inches away from getting the big turnover and having a possession to tie or take the lead. One of my favorite parts of the game was hearing the U-V-M chants loudly and clearly on the broadcast. This was a team to be loved and appreciated this year.  This season will be fun to reflect on after the dust settles. 

Ryan Davis was unbelievable in bringing the Cats back in the second half. Hitting from the outside and making tough shots in traffic. Davis finished with 20 points on 7-10 shooting (4-5 from three). It was hard to not see him touch the ball down the stretch but he certainly did the Catamount faithful proud in his final game. Ben Shungu matched him with 20 points of his own and also added 6 rebounds. Shungu battled hs butt off and certainly missed some opportunities down the stretch but also brought them almost all the way back with a late three. The seniors really showed out and left it all on the floor and that included Justin Mazzulla. He played one of his best games in a Catamount uniform with 13 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists. The thing that really hurt Vermont tonight was that their depth was less effective., The second unit did not provide the lift that it had been throughout the season, particularly from the perimeter. They needed that secondary player to hit from the perimeter and it just didn't happen tonight. 

This team has so much to be proud of this season and they gave us one more great, back and forth, hotly contested game. I will give it a few days and then write a season recap. So thankful for another great season in Catamount Country. 

1 comment:

  1. I dont think the Cats were out classed or over whelmed. They played with Ark. Ark did an incredible job on perimeter defense shutting down cuts, drives and three pointers. We usually say the cats need to be perfect to pull an upset in the Dance. Here the opposite is true. The Hogs needed all they had to move on.

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