Vermont at Northeastern 12/6/23

Vermont 73 Northeastern 71

Vermont's defense locked in late in the second half and the Cats got a big win on the road. Winning on the road is always a challenge but winning on the road down two starters is really tough. That was a great, hard fought win, putting the Cats "next man up" mantra on full display. In the first half both teams were shooting the lights out. Vermont was uncharacteristically loose with ball leading to too many turnovers and easy buckets for the Huskies. The three point shot kept them in the game and they battled back from a double digit deficit to only be down three at the half. The Cats snuck into the lead for a moment early on in the second half, only to go through a cold spell offensively with a few more turnovers. With about 10 minutes to go in the game, Vermont once again found themselves down by 9 points. The defense showed up big and the Cats went on a 16-4 run to take the lead for good. It was a great display of mental toughness without Matt Veretto and Shamir Bogues. Getting down early without two starters, it would have been easy to lose focus. Guys stepped up and showed great poise in winning a game where they were not at their best. The 18 assists are especially telling as it was a real team effort to pull out the win. The game was also a good demonstration of how dangerous Vermont's perimeter weapons can be with the Cats finishing a scorching 15-29 (52%) from three. 

TJ Long once again was the hero. Long scored 13 of his game high 23 points during that crucial final 10 minutes, including back to back threes to put the Cats in the lead. What more can you say about his start to the season? He has been everything the Cats have needed and more. It is also worth noting that this hot streak comes directly after a very tough game at Bradley where he did not make a shot. In the three games since he is averaging 20 points on 14/24 (58%) shooting from three. That demonstrates some real mental toughness. Nick Fiorillo stepped right into the starting lineup and did his best Matt Veretto impression, scoring 14 points on 3/6 shooting from three while dishing out 5 assists. He did a great job running the offense from the top and his early threes really got the Cats going. Aaron Deloney played tough defense and finished with 15 points, 8 assists (career high), 4 rebounds, and 2 steals. He stepped up big time in place of Shamir Bogues and had his best game of the season. TJ Hurley finished with 9 points, hitting timely shots, including a big four point play in the first half. Ileri Ayo-Faleye hit a big three early in the second half and calmly knocked down big free throws to keep the Cats in front late. 

Now on to another big home game against Colgate. The atmosphere should be great and sending good vibes to Bogues and Veretto in hopes they make a speedy recovery. 

TJ LONG RESURRECTS THE CATS!!!!!

Vermont 66 Yale 65

The basketball gods giveth and taketh away.

Then they giveth again.

TJ 

Must be something about that name in Catamount green and gold. 

In the most insane, unbelievable, exciting, unlikely, incredible way possible, Vermont gets the win over Yale. Basketball is the best. What a moment at Patrick. This team has guts. 

The Yale game is always a rock fight with physical play, exciting action, and great coaching adjustments. Vermont jumped out to an early lead before Yale came roaring back. The game was never further apart than 5 points after that in an incredibly hard fought and well played game by both teams. Vermont's defense was really dug in all night making things hard for Yale at the offensive end. Yale swallowed up the Cats at the rim time and time again. In the second half Yale got to the line at will and made their trips count. Vermont continued to make timely buckets as both teams responded to every challenge. Then the late game execution faltered once again, Shamir Bogues went down with an injury, and things looked grim in Patrick. With the Cats down 5 and people headed for the exits, Aaron Deloney dropped in an innocuous and meaningless layup with .6 seconds left. Then the basketball gods went crazy. TJ Hurley drew a foul on the ensuing inbounds play as August Mahoney pushed off trying to get open. Cats ball. Now .6 seconds is really only enough time for a tip in or immediate release but TJ Long got fouled, time stopped at .3 seconds, and he essentially had free play so he double clutched and let it fly. High arcing, off the backboard, aaaaaaaaaaaaand IN. And one. Pandemonium ensues. Call is confirmed and Long goes to the line for the winning free throw. Patrick goes silent. Shot goes up. Buckets. Game. Set. Match. Unbelievable. 

Long came up with big shot after big shot in this one, leading the Cats with 23 points on 6-10 shooting from three. I love the edge that he plays with and he has now etched his name in Catamount lore. Shamir Bogues was great in this one as well, battling through foul trouble and finishing with 14 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks. He had a huge dunk and then went for an absolute poster on Yale's 7 footer that just missed, really showing off his athleticism and speed. Unfortunately the only cold water on this game is he looked like he rolled his ankle pretty bad at the end of the game and had to be helped off the court. Sending positive vibes for a speedy recovery. Aaron Deloney came off the bench for the first time this season and finished with 10 points. You know AD made that decision on his own becasue he would do anything to help his team and teammates. A tremendous leader. It will be interesting to see if going back to his bread and butter role will jump start his season. And lets not forget he delivered the pass to Long for the shot. TJ Hurley got his first career start in his place and was held scoreless but drew the foul that was the catalyst for the insanity. Nick Fiorillo shook off a terrible first half and hit some big buckets in the second half, finishing with 8 points. Sam Alamutu hit two big free throws and continued his strong defensive play. Ileri Ayo-Faleye was really tough and physical underneath dealing with Yale's formidable frontcourt. Matt Veretto struggled with Yale's size and finished 1-9 from the field.

What a huge win and incredible moment for the entirety of the program and the fans. Getting to be a part of moments like that is why basketball is such an incredible sport. This is one to celebrate, savor, and enjoy. 

Vermont vs Dartmouth 11/29/23

Vermont 64 Dartmouth 53

Just win baby.

Vermont clamped down on the defensive end after a sluggish first half and the offense finally broke through with a 15-0 run to push past Dartmouth. The Cats held Dartmouth without a basket for 8 minutes in the second half and held Dusan Neskovic scoreless after he came out red hot with 17 first half points. Coach Becker was hot from the start in this one, getting after guys left and right during the lackluster play in the first half. The halftime speech clearly had an effect as the effort and intensity was up a few notches in the second half. The defense continues to impress with its physicality and strong rim protection. So far this season the Cats have done a really good job at making things hard for opposing teams at the rim. That is crucial in keeping games within reach when the offense is struggling. The offense was choppy and a bit discombobulated in this one, looking like an early season game with guys seemingly not on the same page. They are still searching for consistency in getting to the rim and breaking down defenses off the dribble. The wealth of shotmaking continues to impress and is helping to dig the Cats out of some tough holes. 

It was the TJ show during the big second half run as TJ Long made three consecutive threes before passing the baton to TJ Hurley for a quick five straight points. They both played tough physical defense in the second half as well in a clutch performance all around. They were the only Cats in double figures with Long finishing with 14 points and Hurley finishing with 12 points and 6 rebounds. It was great to see Long bounce back after a tough game and Hurley has looked better and better with each game. Hurley also had the highlight of the night with a huge three and the foul to really seal the game. Sam Alamutu continues to come up with big plays and led the Cats once again with 7 rebounds. He had a huge offensive rebound and bucket during the big run that ignited the crowd. Ileri Ayo-Faleye continues to make game changing plays with two big second half blocks. The first one could have blown a hole in the floor it was spiked down so hard. Nick Fiorillo finished with 5 points and 4 rebounds in 20 minutes. He played tough on both ends of the floor and adds an important dimension to the Cats rotation. Tonight was the first real tough game for Shamir Bogues as he looked out of sorts and finished with 5 turnovers. Aaron Deloney gutted through another tough shooting night but finished with 9 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists in a team high 31 minutes. He still doesn't look comfortable on the offensive end but is working hard to contribute to winning in other ways. 

Now on to a big game Saturday night. Yale has looked very good in the early going this season and really took it to Vermont last season in a 73-44 loss for the Cats. The returners will be looking for a bit of revenge at Patrick in what should be a great game. 

Vermont at Bradley 11/25/23

Bradley 79 Vermont 70

Bradley used their defense to overwhelm the Catamounts in the second half continuing the Braves undefeated start to the season. The defensive rotations from Bradley were impressive as they really pushed Vermont around and challenged every shot. It was a back and forth affair to start with each team making runs after making adjustments during a timeout. The Cats were down big in the second half before some incredible late game shooting made it interesting. This is the game that will give Vermont some things to take back and work on. Bradley really took it to them and it was their first game in a tough road environment. The defense was a step slow in the second half and the Cats put Bradley on the line too often. Vermont is still looking for more consistency in generating shots at the rim and breaking down defenses with dribble drives. The free throw shooting also continues to be a struggle this season and that is always such a backbreaker in a tough games. Playing two very strong undefeated teams back to back is a challenge and provided the Cats an opportunity to see where they needed to improve. On the plus side they didn't give up and in both games showed some grit.

It was great to see Nick Fiorillo back out on the court. I love his passing and think it will be a valuable skill for this group. Matt Veretto went nuts over the last several minutes and made 6 threes for the second consecutive game. He finished with 23 points to lead the Cats. Shamir Bogues again impressed with his all around play. Bogues finished with 10 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals. He has such a outsized effect on the game it is very hard to take him off the court. Unfortunately he is really struggling at the line and hopefully he can improve in that area. It feels like this has been every game thus fat but Sam Alamutu impressed once again. He finished with 8 points and 11 rebounds and continues to be an absolute monster on the boards. TJ Hurley looked great off the bench, finishing with 13 points hitting 3/4 from three. TJ Long had his first tough game in a Catamount uniform going 0-7 from the field. He certainly has some streakiness to his game and it just wasn't his night. Aaron Deloney struggled with the size and physicality of the Bradley team, finishing with 3 points on 1-5 shooting. He is still searching for that spark so far this season. 

The Cats will look to rebound Wednesday night with a home contest against Dartmouth and then Yale at home as well on Saturday. The Patrick Gym faithful will be rocking and ready. 

Vermont vs VSU-Johnson 11/22/23

Vermont 106 VSU-Johnson 57

Vermont took care of business against VSU-Johnson with everyone who played scoring and the Cats knocking down 17 threes. Despite the wide margin it was actually a pretty enjoyable game to watch considering the talent gap. Nazir Gossette came off the bench red hot in the first half for the Badgers and made the game competitive for a stretch. Vermont stayed mostly engaged and it was nice to see some players get some perimeter shots to fall. 

Matt Veretto led Vermont with 23 points on 6-8 shooting from three. It was crucial for him to see a few go through the net after an inconsistent start to the year from the perimeter. Aaron Deloney finished with 15 points and similarly I think it was good for him to get a few to go down. With Ileri Ayo-Faleye sitting out, Sam Alamutu earned a much deserved first career start and continues to impress on the boards. Brenton Mills finished with 14 points and has worked himself into a nice role after a few tough seasons at Bowling Green. This was a good opportunity for Seth Joba to get a some extended minutes and continue to work through mistakes as he adjusts to the college game. 

Now onto to a really fun stretch in the schedule with some great home games and tough opponents. First up is a very tough road game against Bradley. It will be really interesting to see how the Cats respond following their first lost last time out. 

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Myrtle Beach Invitational Championship: Vermont vs Liberty

Liberty 71 Vermont 61

In a back and forth affair Liberty executed down the stretch and handed Vermont their first loss in the championship game of the Myrtle Beach Invitational. It was another exciting game with both teams executing and making adjustments throughout. Vermont jumped out to a big lead early but Liberty composed themselves and battled back. From then on everytime it looked like someone was going to pull away the other team battled back. Then Vermont went through a tough stretch with some sloppy play right at the end of the game and Liberty seized control for the win. With two good defensive teams battling it was interesting to see both the Cats and the Flames take away main scoring options with Liberty shutting down Matt Veretto and Vermont stifling Kyle Rode. Both teams had other players step up and share the load. The game capped off a really impressive tournament for Vermont with lots of positives to take away and good early season chemistry. The struggles at the end of the game looked very much like a team who still isn't quite sure who is the guy at the end of games when the pressures on. It was the first time the Cats looked a little rushed. What a great showing in this early season tournament and it looks like a great jumping off point for these Cats. 

Shamir Bogues led Vermont with 16 points and 9 rebounds. Bogues wowed once again with his energy and intensity. There was a sequence at the beginning of the second half that included a block, missed layup, recovery all the way back for a steal, and then pushing the ball ahead for a layup. Just absolute end to end energy. He struggled a little but with finishing at the rim and forced a few shots down the stretch but those are the growing pains early in the season on a new team. Aaron Deloney scored 13 points and also had a few tough possessions down the stretch. He finished 1-6 from three and has still not quite gotten himself in rhythm on the offensive end. TJ Hurley came off the bench and scored 11 points. He had some timely buckets but struggled a bit defensively against the quick Liberty guards. TJ Long scored 10 points on 3/6 shooting from three. Liberty did a nice job taking away his drives to the rim. Sam Alamutu continued his strong start to the season, hitting a few clutch threes and finishing with 8 points. He is playing with great confidence right now and looks to be making a leap in his third year with the Cats. Both Ileri Ayo-Faleye and Matt Veretto struggled, going a combined 1-10 from the field finishing with more combined fouls (6) than points (3). Once again Liberty did a great job executing their game plan to neutralize Veretto. 

Vermont competed hard in all three games and came away looking like a team that is ahead of schedule. The Cats learned a lot about themselves and will come back with a wealth of information about their strengths and weakness that they can apply to their game prep for the rest of the season. One more non DI game and then a fun stretch against some very strong mid major teams. 

Myrtle Beach Invitational: Vermont vs Saint Louis

Vermont 78 Saint Louis 68

Vermont dominated an undermanned Saint Louis squad to punch their ticket to the championship game of the Myrtle Beach Invitational Tournament on Sunday at 5:30pm. The Billikens were without their leading scorer Sincere Parker due to a broken foot and the Cats pounced early and gained the advantage. This time the offense flowed early on and kept Vermont in rhythm. Saint Louis was hot from three to start but Vermont's stout interior defense made things tough at the rim. In the second half the Cats survived each Saint Louis run and kept the lead at double digits for most of the half. One of the early takeaway is that Vermont has legitimate shot blocking at multiple positions for the first time in a long time. They are making life difficult for opposing teams at the rim and are using their size and strength to wear down opponents. Today's game was also a good demonstration of the multiple shooting weapons and how that creates so much space on the floor. Opposing defenses have to mark so many different players on the perimeter that Vermont can get good perimeter shots up regularly. It was great for this team to experience both ends of the spectrum through the first two games, clawing back from a deficit and maintaining a lead. Those experiences are invaluable for a team that is in the process of building continuity. Now onto the championship game which is all the Cats could ask for in a tournament like this, a chance at a title. 

It was a very balanced Vermont attack but TJ Long led the Cats with 16 points. He has really shown some offensive versatility over the past two days with some nice finishes at the rim to complement the deadly perimeter shooting. He iced the game today with a mini five point run late. Matt Veretto is also showcasing a new dimension with some nifty back to the basket hooks and spins to complement his outside shooting, finishing with 14 points. Veretto also blocked 3 shots and walled up at the rim well. Aaron Deloney shook off his early season shooting struggles and set the tone today with some early threes. AD finished with 12 points on 4-6 shooting from three. Shamir Bogues was a game changer once again finishing with 14 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals. His ability to break down the defense and get to the rim was crucial for Vermont to avoid long dry spells when the perimeter shot wasn't falling. It is also great to see how his energy helps the Cats push the pace and get out in the open floor. Ileri Ayo-Faleye continues to impress on the boards pulling down 8 rebounds (3 offensive) to go along with 6 points. Brenton Mills hit two key threes in the second half, finishing with 6 points in 21 minutes. Mills has clearly worked hard on learning the defense and is providing a nice spark off the bench. TJ Hurley finished with 8 points and 4 rebounds, providing physical defense and timely buckets. Sam Alamutu again provided valuable minutes as well. Vermont has some really nice versatility and lineup combinations because of their size and shooting at the guard positions. 

On to the winner of the Wichita State/Liberty game for the title on Sunday. It should be a fun atmosphere as the Vermont crowd has been great over the last two days. This team is so fun to watch and I can't believe I have to go a whole day without watching a game!