Vermont vs Elms College 12/30/24

Vermont 121 Elms College 37

Vermont closed out the year with a dominant performance against overmatched Elms College. Normally there would be little to take away from a game that featured this much of a talent gap. However, this season has seen Vermont struggle mightily even in games against non division one opponents. On top of that, with the challenges that the Cats have faced so far, it was good for the team to have a game where basketball was fun and to see the ball go through the hoop. The effort and intensity was there throughout and the offense made shots, falling one point short of tying the program single game record set against NVU-Lyndon in 2018. Vermont will grab on to this positive momentum and get ready for the road gauntlet to start the 2025 year and the conference schedule. The game on Saturday against New Hampshire is the biggest game of the season so far as I think opening the conference schedule with a strong performance will make a statement not only to the rest of the league, but to the Cats themselves. With the vulnerability that they have shown so far this year, every team will be licking their chops and Vermont will be looking to reassert themselves.

Everyone that played scored and there were eight Catamounts in double figures. Nick Fiorillo continues to look sharp from the perimeter and filled up the stat sheet with 12 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists. Shy Odom looked healthier, quicker on the court, and finished with 11 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals, and 3 blocks. With more familiarity with the system and improved health, he could be impactful during the conference portion of the season. It was really important for all the Cats to get their chances and make the best of them, allowing the players to exhale and believe that they can make it happen when called upon. 

Closing the book on a difficult non-conference schedule, the season starts anew on Saturday. No matter what has happened to this point in the season, every team starts 0-0 on their quest for a conference title. Can't wait to see how Vermont comes out and plays this weekend. Happy New Year!

Vermont at Dartmouth 12/21/24

Dartmouth 84 Vermont 54

The Jekyll and Hyde season continues for Vermont as they were run out of the gym by Dartmouth this afternoon. One step forward, two steps back at every turn has the Cats hitting rock bottom and searching for answers. The things that stands out now reflecting on the non-conference is how the lack of team identity has meant that every time the Cats right the ship in one area, another area becomes a concern. Defense is strong, offense is weak. Offense starts to get going, defense disappears. Fix the turnovers, transition defense falls flat. I guess I jinxed today's game with my praise of the Cats perimeter defense as Dartmouth scorched the nets from three. It really has been Murphy's law in Catamount country this season. In a sequence that encapsulates the luck so far, TJ Long gets a nice steal, goes in for a layup, gets blocked, re-injures his knee, and Dartmouth comes down on the other end and knocks down a three. Snakebit. Maybe the Cats need to make a sacrifice to the basketball gods to reset their karma. Going to be a lot of refection and soul searching over the holiday break as Vermont again tries to hit the reset button and salvage the season with a run in the America East. 

Happy Holidays to everyone!!

Vermont vs Miami OH 12/18/24

Vermont 75 Miami OH 67

Vermont snapped their losing streak with a win over Miami OH. In the first half, the Cats were firing on all cylinders on both sides of the ball. The offensive movement was crisp and they were able to generate good shots. On the defensive side of the ball, the Cats did a great job containing the Redhawks perimeter shooting. The Cats opened the second half with another nice run to extend the lead. Then once again the offense hit a wall and the full court pressure from Miami OH rattled Vermont. This time however the Cats were able to hang on by virtue of red hot free throw shooting. There were flashes of that Catamount resolve and this was a huge win for Vermont. This is the type of game they have been coming up short in and despite the continued issues with the press, it was great to see them dig deep and pull out the win. Vermont absolutely lived at the free throw line as they took advantage of the Redhawks high pressure, frenetic defense. The Cats finished a whopping 29-32 (90%) from the free throw line. There were some very bad turnovers in the pressure situations down the stretch but overall the Cats only turned the ball over 9 times, which is a significant improvement. The defense continues to impress, particularly on the perimeter. Vermont held the Redhawks to 1-15 shooting from three and that is now the third time this season they have held a team to 1 or fewer made threes. The game was a step in the right direction and gives the Cats some solid footing to build upon. 

Nick Fiorillo continues his inspired play, finishing with a team high 21 points by virtue of a 14-15 performance from the line. He was really aggressive off the dribble and helps space the floor with his shooting ability. He has book-ended his injury absence with an incredible three 20 point games over his last 4 games played. Great to have him back. TJ Hurley also scored 20 points, continuing to attack closeouts and pull up in the mid-range. He is evolving into more and more of a go to scorer. Ileri Ayo-Faleye finished with 9 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 blocks. He attacked the rim more in tonight's game and hopefully continues to expand that part of his game. Shamir Bogues made some clutch free throws and finished with 10 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks. The Bogues and Ayo-Faleye blocks down the stretch were the game saving plays. Jace Roquemore finally got a three to drop and finished with 5 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists. I thought Shy Odom showed some nice flashes and looked quicker and more decisive. He finished with 5 points in 12 minutes. 

A nice win at home before taking the short trip down 89 to try and build off this momentum against Dartmouth. Also what an awesome atmosphere recognizing the incredible NATIONAL CHAMPIONS Vermont Men's soccer team. What a run. What a game Monday night. The greatest sports moment in Vermont history. 

Vermont at Colgate 12/15/24

Colgate 65 Vermont 60

Colgate answered every Catamount run and executed down the stretch, snapping their losing streak with a win against Vermont. In the first half Vermont struggled to get going on offense, falling behind early. Then with a surge at the end of the half the Cats went into halftime down two. The Cats responded to an early second half Colgate run with an explosive 12-0 run of their own to take the lead. The game went back and forth from there with the Raiders executing down the stretch. The turnovers and choppy execution reared their ugly heads once again for Vermont. There has been such a Jekyll and Hyde nature to the Cats this season with stretches of well executed offense and then stretches of balls bouncing off feet and stalled movement. Another 15 turnovers this afternoon and several crucial ones down the stretch. Before the season the perimeter shooting was the big concern, and while they are not lighting it up, it has been passable. The real culprit of the offensive woes is finishing around the rim. Before this afternoon's game the Cats were shooting an abysmal 46% (304 out of 364 teams) from two point range. Again this afternoon they were 46% (12-26) from inside the arc. So many of their games have come down to one or two plays and the difficulties at the rim combined with the turnovers have caused them to be on the wrong side of the close ones. The close game execution is an area where they really miss TJ Long. So many times last season he was the one rescuing them and making the big shots when Vermont needed them. 

Nick Fiorillo returned and picked up where he left off, setting another career high with 23 points on 5-7 shooting from three. He also pulled down 6 rebounds in a strong effort. TJ Hurley finished with 19 points and has become the Cats most reliable scorer. His ability to take defenders to the rim and create space has been a great addition to his arsenal. Shamir Bogues was the other Catamount in double figures with 10 points and he added 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Unfortunately his struggles to finish at the rim are a large contributor to Vermont's two point shooting struggles. Bogues finished 2-12 from the field and is still missing the dynamic speed that made him effective last season. Jace Roquemore's effectiveness in his first few starts has come to a screeching halt as he is shooting 1-16 over his last three games including going 0-13 from three. Ileri Ayo-Faleye finished with 6 points and 6 rebounds before fouling out. 

The Cats will be looking to grab onto any positive momentum they can over the next two weeks as they try to close the book on the non-conference portion of their schedule and look to start over during conference play. 

Until then, how about Vermont soccer playing for a national title? Not in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine a Cats team with that opportunity. What an incredible run and I can't wait for the game tomorrow night!

Vermont at Yale 12/7/24

Yale 65 Vermont 50

Yale took over with a decisive second half run and handed Vermont its second Ivy League defeat this week. The first half was a classic Yale/Vermont grinder with both teams playing tough defense and making offenses use the entire shot clock. Vermont came out in the second half and took a 6 point lead before Yale responded with a big run to take control of the game.  The parallels to the 22-23 season continue as this game was a near mirror image of the last time Vermont played at Yale when they let a halftime lead slip away before losing big. Once again the offense struggled to find a rhythm and finding consistent, effective lineups is continuing to be a tough task. This week is really a pivotal moment for the Cats. They have a week to maybe get healthy and find a rhythm before a stretch of winnable games to close out the non-conference. With the adversity and struggles so far this season, any sort of reset or positive momentum before the conference schedule will be huge. 

TJ Hurley led the Cats with 21 points on 5-8 shooting from three. It was nice to see him get some shots to go after struggling mighty against Brown. Shamir Bogues finished with 12 points as the only other Cat in double figures. Bogues is struggling to get that burst to the rim that made him so effective last season. Sean Blake finished with 5 points, 4 assists, and 7 rebounds. Unfortunately the turnovers (and free throw shooting) continue to make it hard for him to make a consistently positive impact. However, his rebounding is impressive. Jace Roquemore and Ileri Ayo-Faleye struggled mightily in this one, combining to go 1-19 from the field, including 1-13 from three. 

The conference portion of the season is still king and there is time to make some headway before January.  

I wish I could keep up with all the comments but I do not have the time. I also hope that we as the fanbase can find a way to support this program even when things are not going as planned. Vermont has had a crazy amount of success and if we are going to be there when they are on top, we have to be ready to lift them up when they are at the bottom. 

And while we wait.....GO SOCCER CATS!!!!! COLLEGE CUP!

Vermont vs Brown 12/3/24

Brown 60 Vermont 53

In a well played game on both sides, Brown came out on top. Looking down the boxscore, it is uncanny how even almost every category finished out. Two good teams, locked in a chess match. The first half was back and forth with neither team pulling away and smooth shot-making on both sides. Brown came roaring out of the gates in the second half and the Bears took at 12 point lead. Vermont used a strong defensive push to cut the deficit to two. It was back and forth from there and then Bears star Kino Lilly Jr took over down the stretch to pull out the victory. Have to tip your cap to Lilly Jr as he hit some very tough shots down the stretch. Both teams played really strong defense and had to work for every point. That was a great college basketball game and an exciting atmosphere. 

Noah Barnett got the Cats off to a hot start and finished with 8 points and 6 rebounds. He is really stepping up and learning on the fly filling in for the injured Cats. Sean Blake led the Cats with 13 points and was electric during the second half comeback. He gives them such a valuable dimension on offense with his creative finishing ability around the rim. Blake and Barnett are seizing their opportunities and are showing improvement every game. Shamir Bogues battled throughout and finished with 11 points and added 3 steals and 2 blocks in a team high 35 minutes. Ileri Ayo-Faleye struggled for much of the game, drawing Becker's ire, but responded with a strong finish, making some big stops on defense and hitting a crucial three. He finished with 9 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Seth Joba made some nice plays and continues to improve his physicality on the boards. Gavin Perryman played all seven of his minutes during the second half comeback and provided energy and hustle that fired up the Cats. TJ Hurley struggled mightily with the Bears physical defense. Brown was committed to making his night difficult and he finished 1-10 from the field. 

The injury bug continues to tamp down Vermont's ceiling, but the improvement from some of the young players is a promising sign if Vermont ever gets to play a game with their full team.  Now the Cats head down to Connecticut for a tough road game against Yale. Should be another hard fought physical game with the Bulldogs out to avenge last seasons miracle finish.