Just win baby.
Vermont clamped down on the defensive end after a sluggish first half and the offense finally broke through with a 15-0 run to push past Dartmouth. The Cats held Dartmouth without a basket for 8 minutes in the second half and held Dusan Neskovic scoreless after he came out red hot with 17 first half points. Coach Becker was hot from the start in this one, getting after guys left and right during the lackluster play in the first half. The halftime speech clearly had an effect as the effort and intensity was up a few notches in the second half. The defense continues to impress with its physicality and strong rim protection. So far this season the Cats have done a really good job at making things hard for opposing teams at the rim. That is crucial in keeping games within reach when the offense is struggling. The offense was choppy and a bit discombobulated in this one, looking like an early season game with guys seemingly not on the same page. They are still searching for consistency in getting to the rim and breaking down defenses off the dribble. The wealth of shotmaking continues to impress and is helping to dig the Cats out of some tough holes.
It was the TJ show during the big second half run as TJ Long made three consecutive threes before passing the baton to TJ Hurley for a quick five straight points. They both played tough physical defense in the second half as well in a clutch performance all around. They were the only Cats in double figures with Long finishing with 14 points and Hurley finishing with 12 points and 6 rebounds. It was great to see Long bounce back after a tough game and Hurley has looked better and better with each game. Hurley also had the highlight of the night with a huge three and the foul to really seal the game. Sam Alamutu continues to come up with big plays and led the Cats once again with 7 rebounds. He had a huge offensive rebound and bucket during the big run that ignited the crowd. Ileri Ayo-Faleye continues to make game changing plays with two big second half blocks. The first one could have blown a hole in the floor it was spiked down so hard. Nick Fiorillo finished with 5 points and 4 rebounds in 20 minutes. He played tough on both ends of the floor and adds an important dimension to the Cats rotation. Tonight was the first real tough game for Shamir Bogues as he looked out of sorts and finished with 5 turnovers. Aaron Deloney gutted through another tough shooting night but finished with 9 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists in a team high 31 minutes. He still doesn't look comfortable on the offensive end but is working hard to contribute to winning in other ways.
Now on to a big game Saturday night. Yale has looked very good in the early going this season and really took it to Vermont last season in a 73-44 loss for the Cats. The returners will be looking for a bit of revenge at Patrick in what should be a great game.
Thanks for the fine write up Lee. It was great to see the Defense start to get it together- it always makes a difference in these rock fights.
ReplyDeleteThe defense is really coming along.
DeleteGreat site Lee! Enjoy your insights. There's divided opinions on Fiorillo's impact. Personally I think he's having a big impact with his experience and size. Never realized what a good passer he was and he adds a lot more depth underneath. Also wondering if Deloney might be more comfortable as a sixth man and or not playing point.
ReplyDeleteI’ve never been high on fiorillo. I think the commitment to him is a guy who’s worked hard and Becker feels the loyalty to give him the minutes now that’s he’s healthy. But since his return, albeit two d1 games they have not looked the same. Also, lets not forget he was a walk on and there are very few Ben Shungu’s in this world. To me they look the best with any combination of the TJ’s, Bogues, Alamutu, Veretto, and Ileri on the court. We’ll see come conference time how Becker whittles it down to 8ish guys like he seems to do every year but I’d be inclined to see him favor those 6 with the majority of the minutes and have deloney, fiorillo and mills bring up the rear with the 15-20 min of playing time unless one of them has the hot hand, etc.
DeleteThanks for reading. I think Fiorillo provides solid veteran minutes. Deloney does seem to fit better off the bench.
DeleteGood write up. Nice to see the team pull together without a big night from Bogues. Bigs were getting abused in the first half and bounced back in the second. Alamutu especially played strong defense. Hurley stepped up. I second the idea of Deloney returning to the 6th man role he's been so good at. Becker always gets the most out of his players. Yale will be tough.
ReplyDeleteOnce there is enough game experience the coaching staff is really good at using the information to put the players in the best position to succeed.
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