College basketball is the best. What an incredible game. Part of me wanted to write this post in all caps because I am so full of adrenaline.
TJ Long went full legend mode after halftime scoring 34 of his career high 40 points after the break. On top of that he pulled down a career high 13 rebounds in an all time Catamount performance. Just insane. Lets recap.
The Cats started the game stuck in the mud, struggling to make shots on offense while Brown started the game hot from three. The defense did just enough and the Cats were strong on the boards, keeping the game within reach going into halftime. Coming out of halftime, things were looking bleak. Vermont continued to struggle from the field and Brown kept the lead hovering around double digits. Then with about ten minutes to go in regulation, the TJ Long shot making bonanza began. He scored 17 points over the next 6 minutes, putting Vermont up 12 with 4:30 left. Then Brown came roaring back, flying around on defense and making big time shots. With the game tied, Becker called a questionable time out before the Long missed a corner three and the game went to OT. In the first overtime, the shot-making was off the charts. Each team answered every call and back and forth it went. With the Cats down two, Long let the potential game winner fly, no good, off the rim. Noah Barnett grabbed the rebound and was blocked on his putback attempt. Ball out of bounds to the Cats with .6 seconds left. With the whole gym looking at Long, the coaching staff drew up a great play to get TJ Hurley at the rim with a scoop shot to tie the game and send it to a second overtime. In the second overtime, legs started to shake and for the first two minutes, no buckets either way. Then......who else. Long put the Cats on his back, this time with relentless drives to the rim, finishing every which way to give the Cats the lead. Hurley finished the game off at the free throw line, blood pouring into the gauze in his nose. The TJ's scored every point from two minutes left in the first OT until the end. The last 17 Catamount points. Absolutely incredible performance.
Long was all over the game from the start. Even though his shot wasn't falling in the first half, he affected the game with his rebounding and defense (3 steals), all the while lying in wait until his offensive explosion. He did all of this while playing 45 minutes to lead the Cats. A monster all around performance. TJ Hurley battled through a bloody nose with tough physical defense and finished with 18 points. The game tying shot was a thing of beauty and perfectly executed. Ben Johnson wins the unsung hero award with 9 points in 31 minutes, taking over after Sean Blake fouled out. He spent most of that time guarding Brown's 6'10" forward as the Cats small lineup was giving the Bears fits. Lucas Mari also gets a beyond the box score award for playing 40 minutes, calmly running the offense, and holding his own on the defensive end. Noah Barnett was tremendous as the lone post player for much of the second half, scoring 10 points and pulling down 6 rebounds before fouling out. Before Blake fouled out, he was having a nice floor game with 6 rebounds and 5 assists. David Simon used his length all over the court after Barnett fouled out, disrupting the Bears offense in the second OT. Jackson Skipper hit a huge three from the corner to give the Cats their first lead of the game.
An incredible performance that showcased some serious heart from the Catamounts. Now a week to rest up before heading down to play old rival Northeastern on Saturday. Again, what an electric game!
