Nine in a row!

Vermont 79 Albany 71

Vermont exploded offensively in the second half and secured their ninth straight victory to close out the regular season. The Cats also reached the 20 win mark once again which Coach Becker and staff have achieved every full season of his tenure (COVID season doesn't count). An incredible turnaround and a huge credit to the players and the staff who really put in the hard work this season to overcome adversity. With the two seed locked up the Cats can look forward to hopefully two more games in Patrick and with an upset maybe a third. What a great way to send off this group of seniors who have given so much to the Catamount program. 

The first half was a bit choppy and very physical. Albany stayed in the game thanks to red hot shooting from three, which was good because they only shot 3-19 from inside the arc. Thanks to a late three the Cats went into halftime with a one point lead. Out of halftime both offenses exploded with shots falling all over the gym and both teams trading runs. The Cats were able to execute down the stretch and come away with a win. The Cats finished the game shooting a scorching 58.3 % from the field and made 11 three pointers. They dominated the paint, outscoring the Great Danes 34-24 and also blocked 9 shots. After uncharacteristically giving up several offensive rebounds and second chance points in the first half, the Cats dug in and evened up the rebounding battle. This was a significant win because it marks the first game this season where you can say that Vermont won with their offense. This is the type of game the Cats were losing for much of the year. When an opponent was hot, the Cats struggled to keep up. In tonight's game they responded to every challenge with shotmaking and team offense. This will give the Cats a big confidence boost going into the playoffs knowing they have become a more complete team. Not much more you can ask for than going into the playoffs as the hottest team in the conference. 

TJ Hurley led the way with 24 points on 6-8 shooting from three. That is 17 made threes over his last 4 games at a 51.5 % clip. Scorching. Albany threw their best defender at him from the start and in the first half it limited his opportunities. Right out of the gate, the Cats made a concerted effort to get Hurley the ball and his three to open the half was a sign of things to come. Tough shot after tough shot and each one responded to a big shot made by Albany at the other end. Sam Alamutu also remained red hot with his third double double in the last four games. Alamutu finished with 16 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocks all while playing point guard. Stepping up big in in the absence of Shamir Bogues. It has really all come together for Alamutu down the stretch as his offense has grown leaps and bounds over the last few weeks. Jace Roquemore continued his strong play, also stepping up without Bogues. He finished with 12 points and 5 rebounds and did a nice job being disruptive on the defensive end. Nick Fiorillo played with tremendous energy on his senior night, stuffing the stat sheet and battling hard in the post. Fiorillo finished with 10 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 blocks. His blocks were particularly impressive (Must be getting tips from Ileri). Also, his three at the end of the first half was huge. What a great way to cap off six regular seasons at Patrick. Speaking of Ayo-Faleye, he finished with 10 points 4 rebounds, and 2 blocks of his own. Noah Barnett had 5 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists in 18 minutes. Both of his baskets were at big moments in the second half and swung the momentum in the Cats favor. His hustle continues to pay dividends for Vermont. Sean Blake scored a bucket in his 14 minutes of the bench as every Catamount who played scored. 

Playoff time is here and Vermont is playing their best basketball at the right time. Can't wait to kick things off on Saturday!!