Vermont won a gritty, physical, ugly battle against Binghamton to move to 8-0 in conference play. The first half was played in a kind of slow motion with both squads struggling to find their offense and 12 total fouls called with only one total free throw taken. In the second half Binghamton threw everything but the kitchen sink at the Cats with big lineups, small lineups, and everything in between as they tried to find some way to break through the steely Vermont defense. The shotmaking showed up down the stretch and Vermont secured the victory. Once again the defense was the main event, absolutely smothering by making every possession long and every shot difficult. The Cats ended with only 5 turnovers and orchestrated the game with a calm power. The formula is there for the Cats: smothering defense, low turnovers, and timely shotmaking. The balance and depth of this team wears teams out and the unselfishness can render the opposing teams scout null and void as anyone and everyone is really to take the reins and lead the team at any given moment.
Aaron Deloney is flat out an incredible player. His career arc should be the blueprint for any young player who has their eye on a successful college career. Through his first two seasons he was averaging 2.6 points in 11 minutes per game and shooting 23% from three. AD never hung his head, waited his turn, put in the work, and made an impact from the bench when it was his time. He then put in even more work and earned his chance to get out there and lead the team as a starter. When adversity hit he was honest with himself, his coaches and teammates were supportive of him, and he knew that he could be everything he wanted to be in his role off the bench. Now his team is in first place and he is only 25 points away from 1,000. A tenacious competitor, tremendous leader, and an absolute baller. Six straight games in double figures. In conference play, 34 assists and only 6 turnovers. In today's game he was masterful, finishing with 16 points on 4-8 shooting from three and 5 assists. Becker said at the beginning of the year this was AD's team and it is safe to say he was right. TJ Long was the other Catamount in double figures with 14 points. He continues to attack the hard closeouts with physical drives to the rim. Matt Veretto got the Cats off to a hot start and finished with 8 points and 4 rebounds. Nick Fiorillo has just been exploding off the bench and impacting the game all over the place. Big rebounds, gorgeous passes, and clutch buckets. He finished with 8 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and showcased some nimble footwork around the rim with some crafty finishes. Jace Roquemore has become the swiss army knife off the bench, moving around on both sides of the ball and showcasing his versatility. Roquemore finished with 7 points this afternoon. Ileri Ayo-Faleye and Shamir Bogues struggled offensively, combining for just 4 points but once again were smothering on the defensive end. They both use their wingspans and quickness so well and can seemingly simultaneously threaten a double team and cover their own man.
Halfway through conference play and Vermont is ready to continue the march with a road swing down the coast next week.
