Vermont used a strong second half on both sides of the ball to grind out a big road win in their first ever meeting with Pepperdine. The first half was a tough watch. Both teams struggling to make shots and lots of turnovers and sloppy play. The Cats survived and were able to enter halftime down just two. Then as the second half began, it felt like each team was waiting for a breakout, with neither team scoring for the first two and a half minutes. It took a whole 4 minutes for Vermont to score but after the first shot fell, the floodgates were open. The Cats made a three on three straight possessions and then continued the onslaught with three more to finish with six second half triples. The Cats defense held strong down the stretch and they came away with a hard fought road win. Cats fans were treated to the old rock fight, defensive grinder that they know and love from the Becker era. Like a warm blanket. The ball movement and passing in the second half was what really turned the game around and Vermont finished with 17 assists on 24 made field goals. Vermont showed a lot of guts bouncing back from the tough first half. This was a really important win to give the Cats a boost of confidence going into the upcoming three game homestand.
This game was all about the David Simon breakout. What a performance from an unexpected source. He must have felt the vibes in his return to the west coast. After playing an effective 21 minutes on Wednesday, Simon exploded for 18 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, a block, a steal, and two threes in 23 minutes. You name it, he did it. His length allowed the Cats to change their screen coverage in the second half and was a big reason why they were able get more stops. TJ Hurley matched Simon with 18 points of his own, including 4/8 from three. Hurley also chipped in 4 rebounds and 4 assists in a strong all around game. Sean Blake rounded out the Canadian attack with 8 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists. That's 44 points, 16 rebounds, and 11 assists combined from across the border. Pretty nice, eh? Blake struggled mightily in the first half but was dynamic down the stretch. The turnovers are a concern but ultimately the Cats really miss Lucas Mari's playmaking and point guard play to take the pressure off Blake. TJ Long made it three whole halves without scoring before breaking the ice for the Cats in the second half and finishing with 9 points on 3/8 shooting from three. He is in a bit of a slump and I bet is looking forward to the friendly confines of Patrick. Gus Yalden struggled with the double teams from Pepperdine and his struggles in screen action opened the door for the Simon breakout. He finished with 7 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists and was part of a perfectly executed offense/defense switch by Becker, converting a big three point play in crunch time. Ben Johnson now sits 3 points away from 1,000 for his career.
The Cats get a well deserved week off before a three game homestand as they prepare for Merrimack next Sunday.
