Vermont responded in an absolute must win game with a strong second half to take down NJIT. The Cats fell behind early once again and it looked like it was going to be another first half dud. Instead, Vermont shook off the slow start and went into the locker room tied. They came out hot to start the second half before NJIT responded with a run of their own. Then it was nip and tuck the rest of the way and Vermont made enough plays to pull off the big road win. To get the big road win on a night where neither the threes (4/20) or frees (had to do it 12/21) were falling is a testament to this team not giving up despite the challenges they have been facing. The Cats accomplished this by relentlessly attacking the rim and outscoring NJIT 44-26 in the paint. They were 23-32 (72%) from inside the arc in a strong second half of passing, cutting, and getting to the rim. Vermont had no other choice but to dig deep and find themselves and they did so in gutsy fashion.
Gus Yalden scored 21 points on 10-15 shooting from the field. Every time the offense needed a bucket, he made a great play. Sean Blake bounced back from a very tough game on Thursday with a tremendous performance. Blake stuffed the stat sheet with 15 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists and his attacking mindset drove the offensive engine in the second half. Big time response from Blake. TJ Hurley finished with 13 points and was strong on the defensive end. TJ Long chipped in 7 points and 6 rebounds. His rebounding is huge for the Cats and he made some tough buckets in clutch spots down the stretch. Momo Nkugwa has come alive lately and made so many big plays tonight. Nkugwa finished with 8 points and 5 rebounds, including a big time rebound in an important moment late. He gets a pass for the free throw shooting this time.
Two home games to go for the Cats to find some consistency going into March. They welcome a red hot UMass Lowell team to Patrick on Thursday. Playoff atmosphere arrives early.
