The walking wounded Cats gutted out a victory over Plattsburgh State. With three starters out (Shamir Bogues, TJ Long, Nick Fiorillo) this game served as an "audition" of sorts for some of the bench players to have an opportunity to build confidence and potentially play themselves into a larger role. The first 75% of the game was tough sledding for the Cats as they were a bit sluggish and had a hard time breaking through the very physical and foul prone Cardinals defense. Turnovers were abundant as the Cats tried to build chemistry on the fly with some new and different lineups. Everything finally clicked with the closing group of guys as they finally were able to drive to the rim and get some easy buckets for what felt like the first time all season. These games are all about getting some things to go right for the Cats and there was certainly a sense of relief at the end of the game as their play finally provided that release. This homestand feels like an absolutely crucial stretch for Vermont and I think the game on Saturday (health permitting) will provide a lot of information about the mentality of this team.
Noah Barnett led the Cats with 15 points. He does a great job of keeping it simple with one quick move to the hoop. It is also so valuable that he is a good free throw shooter (5-5 from the line). As he continues to adjust to the speed of the game and lock down the defensive rotations, his role could grow. I really felt before the game that this was an opportunity for Shy Odom to get some positive momentum and start to build confidence. For the first part of the game it was still a struggle for him to get going. Then he finally broke through and made some nice plays. Odom finished with 12 points and 5 rebounds and did a great job on baseline cuts, making himself available for the drive and dish. With Fiorillo likely out for a bit, Barnett or Odom will need to play a larger role. Gavin Perryman saw his first extended action and finished with 11 points. He plays with good energy and is not afraid to get into the thick of things. Ileri Ayo-Faleye finished with 11 points and 6 rebounds. Sean Blake had a tale of two halves game. In the first half he struggled mightily on defense and turned the ball over several times. Then the coaching staff had him start the second half and he was promptly involved in a turnover. It was clearly the plan to let him play through the mistakes as he regrouped and had a strong finish. He stuffed the boxscore with 8 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 blocks. Hopefully this can be a jumping off point for him as well. Jace Roquemore continued his strong play with 8 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists. Sam Alamutu also stuffed the stat sheet with 5 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists.
Happy Thanksgiving!!
