Vermont at Binghamton 1/30/25

Binghamton 75 Vermont 72

Binghamton went on a late run to secure their first victory over the Catamounts in a decade. Just like on Saturday, Vermont got off to a hot 10-0 start before the opposition roared back (beware of the 10-0 start). The first half saw the Cats struggle from two point range once again, finishing 4-16 from inside the arc. They stayed in the game by starting hot from the perimeter, 6-11 from three in the first half. The second half was a complete reversal with the two point shots falling but the perimeter shots ending up in a 2-9 second half effort from three. The defense held Binghamton scoreless for quite a stretch to take the lead but the offensive struggles kept the game close before the Bearcats big run. It is so strange to see the pendulum swing back and forth for the Cats from minute to minute. There are these small moments in each game that really seem to change the momentum and Vermont is consistently coming out on the wrong side. This sets up an absolute must win in a home matchup with a red hot Maine team. 

Shamir Bogues shook off a tough first half with a strong second half, willing the Catamounts into the lead. Bogues finished with 21 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists. He has really come around over the last three weeks, scoring in double figures in 5 straight  games and hopefully gearing up for a strong finish. TJ Hurley finished with 19 points but was held without a basket inside the arc and held scoreless from the field in the second half. This is not the first time this season that Hurley has followed up a hot first half with a difficult second. He is too important to their offense to have such long stretches without a bucket. Ileri Ayo-Faleye scored 11 points but struggled from the perimeter for the second game in a row. Nick Fiorillo did most of his damage from the line and finished with 10 points and 6 rebounds. Sam Alamutu finished with 9 rebounds but continues to struggle to make an consistent impact on the offensive end. Sean Blake has looked much improved as of late and finished with 6 points. 

Vermont is in unfamiliar territory and now faces a short turnaround, which has not been kind to them this season. There is still time to make a run but it has to start with a big game at Patrick on Saturday. 

Vermont vs UMBC 1/25/25

UMBC 80 Vermont 63

Ouch. 

Vermont threw the first punch with a 10-0 run to start the game. UMBC counter-punched with a big run of their own and the Cats couldn't get up off the mat. When the final bell sounded, Vermont suffered their worst home loss during the Becker era. The Retrievers are the best shooting team in the America East by a wide margin and they showed why in the game today. They, like many teams this year, are coming in hyped and ready to exercise the demons from Vermont's stretch of dominating the conference.  Near perfect execution by UMBC this afternoon. Meanwhile, Vermont's body language had quite a bit of "here we go again" as the game was slipping away. Injuries continue to sap any momentum from the Cats season. For a team that has struggled to score and make shots consistently, to lose their most consistent shooter and scorer in TJ Hurley is one too many body blows to take. The Retrievers were able to sit back in a zone defense, unafraid of the perimeter threats. As a result, all of the shots at the rim were contested and the Cats are struggling to make contested twos this season. This is the pivot point for the Vermont season. This experience can either galvanize the Cats to make a final push or bury them under the weight of expectations. 

Ileri Ayo-Faleye led the Cats with 14 points but was inefficient offensively, shooting 4-15 from the field and 1-7 from three. Another blog jinx after praising his three point shooting on Thursday. Sam Alamutu had a nice stretch attacking the basket in the second half and finished with 12 points and 7 rebounds. Shamir Bogues stuffed the stat sheet with 11 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals but struggled to make an impact after a hot start. Nick Fiorillo also struggled through an inefficient afternoon, finishing with 11 points and 7 rebounds on 4-12 shooting. Jace Roquemore was the one bright spot from the perimeter, knocking down 3-6 from distance for 9 points. Sean Blake struggled to finish around the rim but continues to take better care of the ball and finished with 6 points and 5 rebounds. The injuries have really sapped Vermont's depth and neutralized their normally impactful bench. 

Some hard truths and hard work for Vermont this week as they try to bounce back on the road at Binghamton on Thursday. 

Vermont vs NJIT 1/23/25

Vermont 68 NJIT 64

Vermont survived a second half charge from NJIT to pick up a victory at Patrick. Vermont started the game hot on both sides of the ball, knocking down shots from the perimeter and locking NJIT up at the other end. The game was very physical from the start and in the second half it really became a slog. I don't normally talk much about officiating but the second half of this game was called particularly poorly and as a result the action was extremely choppy and it really sucked the energy out of the building. It was another game where the Cats were shorthanded as leading scorer TJ Hurley joined the street clothes crew for tonight. With the offensive struggles Vermont has dealt with this season it was no surprise to see the offense stall in the second half without Hurley. The Cats did however, dish out 14 assists, only committed 6 turnovers, and were able to generate good shots. What really kept the game close was some poor free throw shooting in the second half (another area where they missed Hurley). Vermont finished 16-27 from the line (59%) which didn't do enough to punish NJIT's physical defense. It was great to pull out a win and give themselves a chance to sweep the homestand against UMBC on Saturday. 

Ileri Ayo-Faleye was tremendous in tonight's game, stepping into a more prominent offensive role with Hurley out. Ayo-Faleye poured in a career high 27 points to go along with 9 rebounds. He was 4-5 from three tonight and is shooting 12-26 (46%) from distance in conference play. The increased aggressiveness on offense has really been paying dividends over the past few weeks. Shamir Bogues continued his hot streak with his first career double double. Bogues finished with 14 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, and zero turnovers (he only has 2 turnovers in conference play), Once again it seemed like he was everywhere all at once. He is so exciting to watch when he is locked in. Sean Blake was good off the bench, finishing with 7 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and zero turnovers.  He is playing with more control and got to the rim at will tonight. 

Can't wait for Saturday's game!

Vermont vs Binghamton 1/16/25

Vermont 72 Binghamton 64

Vermont never trailed in a wire to wire victory over Binghamton in their conference home opener. It was a strong all around performance and one that saw the Cats respond to every Bearcat challenge. The offense was strong, avoiding the cold streaks and scoring droughts that have plagued the Cats this season. After struggling with turnovers against Bryant, Vermont took care of the ball and only committed 6 turnovers. It was a weird game defensively where Binghamton shot a high percentage from the field but Vermont limited their opportunities at the line and forced 15 Bearcat turnovers. Early on the full court pressure that the Cats have been using lately really bothered Binghamton and set the tone for the game. Vermont finished with 11 steals as a team and did a great job jumping passing lanes, digging down on drives, and doubling in the post. A great way to kick off the homestand. 

TJ Hurley bounced back after the scoreless outing against Bryant in a big way, dropping a career high 26 points with a big second half. He really took over the game in the when the Cats needed big buckets. The continued expansion of his game at all three levels is making him more and more dangerous with the ball in his hands. Shamir Bogues is looking more and more like his healthy self and was an absolute all court wrecker in tonight's game. Bogues finished with 16 points, 5 rebounds and SEVEN steals. He was all over the court on defense and it felt like he deflected the ball on every possession. Great to see him playing well. Nick Fiorillo continues to play at a high level, finishing with 15 points and 6 rebounds. His early threes really opened up the Cats offense. Ileri Ayo-Faleye continues to be more aggressive on the offensive end and finished with 11 points and 4 rebounds. Another weird thing about this game is the four Cats mentioned above are the only four players who made a shot from the field in this one. 

Now the Cats have a week off to get ready for NJIT and continue to build on this early momentum in the conference schedule. 

Vermont at Bryant 1/11/25

Bryant 73 Vermont 53

Vermont took one on the chin at Bryant for their first conference loss. The Cats started out strong jumping out to an early ten point lead thanks to strong defense. Then the wheels came off as Bryant got red hot from three. The Cats came out flat in the second half and turned the ball over like crazy, allowing Bryant to run them out of the gym. It was a very strange game where you kind of have to tip your cap to Connor Withers, who went on a quite a heater to put Bryant on top. The turnovers came back in a big way and were the driving force in the loss. Felt like a bit of a letdown spot after the big win over UMass Lowell. Considering the short bench and tough road trip a 2-1 start is about where you would expect to be. Gives the Cats some motivation for the rematch at Patrick in February. 

Ileri Ayo-Faleye continued his strong play with 15 points, including 4-7 from three. His improved offensive aggressiveness and three point shooting is trending in a nice direction. Shamir Bogues finally got some shots to fall, finishing with 17 points and 6 rebounds. If he can return to form down the stretch it will completely change the Vermont offense. The Cats really missed Jace Roquemore in this game as Sam Alamutu and Sean Blake combined for 10 of the Cats 17 turnovers. Alamutu pulled down 11 rebounds but struggled with the added play-making responsibility. Nick Fiorillo struggled to get anything going against the big, physical Bryant defense. The shocker of the game was TJ Hurley being held scoreless on only three shots. He struggled with the size of the Bryant defenders and the added defensive attention. Shocking after looking so good against Lowell. 

Now the Cats get a three game homestand to bounce back and hopefully get healthier with a week off coming up after Binghamton on Thursday. Can't wait to be back at Patrick!!

STATEMENT MADE

Vermont 67 UMass Lowell 63

Vermont went on the road and made a big statement, ending the River Hawks 7 game win streak. Beating Lowell in their home gym is something only the Cats have done over the last few years. A monster win that announces to the league that despite the inconsistent performance thus far, the Cats are still the team to beat. As the Cats have all season they were faced with a shortened bench (Jace Roquemore, Shy Odom, TJ Long all in street clothes) and then battled foul trouble throughout. The trademark Catamount defense showed up in a big way, holding the River Hawks 21 points (!) below their season average. The most surprising turn of events was the Cats complete dominance on the boards. Vermont grabbed 17 offensive rebounds and finished with a 44-30 advantage on the boards. The Cats were all over the 50/50 balls and played with an incredible sense of urgency. It felt like they relished being the underdogs for once and played with a chip on their shoulder. The three point shooting was a struggle but each one that the Cats made was at a crucial juncture. Throughout the game, the Cats used their physicality and toughness on both ends of the floor. Gutsy performance. 

TJ Hurley led the Cats with 23 points and made two huge threes down the stretch. He was tough as nails, using his physicality to create space driving to the rim. The big shots down the stretch felt like Hurley fully realizing his role as the Cats offensive leader. Ileri Ayo-Faleye was everywhere finishing with 17 points and 11 rebounds while helping to shut down the River Hawks in the post. He had some wild misses from three but his offensive aggressiveness is something that is crucial for Vermont. Nick Fiorillo struggled shooting but finished with 10 points and 7 rebounds. He played tough, physical defense down low and really walled off the paint. With the injury to Roquemore, Sam Alamutu has been thrust into the secondary point guard role and due to foul trouble, he was the primary point guard in this evenings game. He played a strong game, finishing with 8 points and 6 rebounds. He had two crucial buckets in the second half and his ability to guard multiple positions was crucial in slowing down the high flying Lowell offense. Shamir Bogues was hampered by foul trouble but finished with 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks. Due to the foul trouble and the short bench, Noah Barnett, Sean Blake, and Seth Joba were forced into bigger roles and each contributed in their minutes. Barnett finished with 2 points and 5 rebounds, Blake made good decisions with the ball, and Joba hit a nice three. 

The signature Vermont defense is firing on all cylinders over the last few games. What a huge momentum boost for the Cats as they head into another tough road test against Bryant on Saturday. Conference play is the best. 

Vermont wins their America East opener

Vermont 60 New Hampshire 40

Vermont used a dominant second half to open conference play in the win column. It is hard to believe but it was actually Vermont's first road win since their opener at UAB exactly two months ago. It all starts with the Catamounts trademark, best in the conference defense, which was incredible this afternoon. The coaching staff made several adjustments going to a kind of diamond 1-3-1 zone and bringing intermittent full court pressure. It was very effective with the Cats forcing 17 turnovers and finishing with 10 steals. That gave the Cats a 21-7 advantage in points of turnovers. Vermont is looking for ways to get easier shots at the rim and getting more live ball turnovers is one great way to do so. The first half was a slog that saw Vermont continue to struggle mightily from two point range, finishing the half 3-17 from inside the arc. In the second half the offense opened up and clicked on all cylinders. The were able to generate shots at the rim, hitting 12-20 from two point range in the second half. The Cats took good care of the ball, finishing with only 8 turnovers. A really big second half performance in a really big spot. Road wins are hard to come by, especially in conference play, and with the big road swing to start the conference schedule it was important to kick it off right. 

TJ Hurley led the Cats with 17 points and also chipped in 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals. He has really settled in as the Cats best offensive weapon and continues to score at all three levels. Nick Fiorillo is in the best stretch of his Catamount career and is sparking Vermont with energy and perimeter shooting. He finished with 14 points, 5 rebounds, and great defensive energy. Ileri Ayo-Faleye was aggressive going to the rim and finished with 12 points and 4 assists. He had some nice finishes and made some great passes as well. Sam Alamutu got the start with Jace Roquemore injured and finished with 4 points and 5 rebounds. Shamir Bogues continues to struggle with finishing around the rim (3-11 from the field) but was a spark defensively, finishing with 9 points and 4 steals. There was not a lot of production off the bench as Becker really shortened up the rotation in the second half. 

A nice statement by the Cats to take care of business in the opener before the big showdowns next week with UMass Lowell and Bryant. Great measuring stick matchups to open the season and should make for exciting game action.