In an absolute grinder of a game, Vermont made clutch shots down the stretch and finished a very tough week on the road at 2-1. In the first half, Bryant was barley functional on offense, only making three shots. Unfortunately Vermont struggled to pull away and put Bryant on the line which kept the Bulldogs in the game. In the second half, Vermont looked like they might pull away but their offense then came to a screeching halt and Bryant finally found some room on offense. Like in many games for the Cats this season, it came down to which team was going to execute and make the big shots down the stretch. Vermont made plays in the crucial moments and came out with a win. The defense for Vermont was good and forced Bryant into really tough shots at the end of the shot clock for much of the game. Unfortunately the Cats continue to put other teams on the line too often and it makes it tough to put teams away. Becker spoke this week about the fact that this is the first conference play experience for many of the newcomers and how fierce the battles get regardless of record. This game was a good example of how important it is to put teams away because the emotion and energy can turn on a dime in these hotly contested games. Offensively, the shot making continues to come and go over the past few months. They are still getting good shots, they just aren't not falling. Stills feels like there is some room there. Despite the shooting difficulties, the ball movement was excellent with 13 assists on 19 made baskets and the Cats pulled down 16 offensive boards while winning the battle 40-30 overall. At several big moments, the offensive rebounding was key and broke the Bulldogs spirit. They continue to take good care of the ball with only 6 turnovers. A good "find a way" win in a tough environment at the end of a long week.
TJ Hurley stayed hot with a Herculean effort down the stretch. He finished with 26 points to follow up his career high 30 on Thursday. This feels like that senior bump as he ready's make one last run as a Catamount. Watching the game slow down for him in real time (not that he has ever been in a hurry) at a different level than in the past is so cool. Great decision making and finding the right spots to attack. Incredible heater going 18/35 (51%) from the field, 9/20 (45%) from three, and 11-12 (92%, which oddly enough drops his percentage) from the line over the the two games. All while being hounded by the defense. Star. Gus Yalden was the other Catamount in double figures with 14 points. He struggled to get going in this one and has actually cooled off quite a bit from three (2-12 over the last 3 games). But shooters shoot and he made the big three to give the Cats some breathing room before making a great read on the very next play to get Hurley a wide open look to put the game away. Sean Blake finished with 9 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists in a solid all around effort. Lucas Mari was good again off the bench, finishing with 5 points and 7 rebounds. Ben Michaels didn't score and continues to struggle to find his offense, but pulled down 9 boards and led the charge on the offensive glass with 4. Ben Johnson is averaging 29.5 minutes per game since TJ Long's injury and continues to give solid veteran minutes. I have to give him a shout out for the fact that he has only turned the ball over 4 times all season. Crazy. I like to call that the Everett Duncan award (look up his insane low turnover numbers). Noah Barnett's return gives that Cats a level up both on the boards and the defensive end.
Now a short break before a big showdown in an early battle for first place with UMBC. Patrick better be rocking!!
