VERMONT
Record: 21-12 (11-5 AE)
Last Game: W, 63-56, v. New Hampshire 3/7
Last 10: 8-2 (won 8 straight)
Last 2 Seasons: This year – SBU 72-61 there; Vermont 76-62 here. Last year – Vermont 71-57 there; Vermont 57-48 here; SBU 79-77 there in AE semifinals
Notables
6-2 so G Trae Bell-Haynes 11.7 ppg, 3.4 apg, 1.2 spg, .481 FG%, .789 FT%, .423 3 pt FG%
6-9 sr F Ethan O'Day 11.7 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 2.1 bpg, .549 FG%
6-3 rfr G Ernie Duncan 11.2 ppg, .839 FT%, .436 3 pt FG%
6-6 jr F Kurt Steidl 11.1 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 1.0 spg, .810 FT%, .374 3 pt FG%
6-2 so G Cam Ward 9.7 ppg, .810 FT%, .372 3 pt FG%
6-1 jr G Dre Wills 8.7 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.2 spg, .584 FG%
Nervous about this one. A lot of shooters, good guards who can penetrate and dish, and they're on much more of a roll than us, having won eight straight. They raaaained threes on us the last game (10 for 19), with Duncan nailing all four of his en route to a career-high 23. The last four games – four players who have led them in scoring, and they've had six different leaders all year (the aforementioned six). They have shot almost 49 percent from the field, and nearly 39 percent from three.
Bottom line, we have to play a real strong game on both ends to prevail here. UVM has a surplus of confidence now and they destroyed any kind of aura in this building a week ago. We can't brick threes (5 for 15 last game) and can't brick free throws (7 for 19), and we have to win the battle on the boards. Second-chance points will be enormous.
Hartford really lagged off of Walker and thankfully he had the sense to not fire away after the first few minutes. I expect similar treatment from UVM. If Walker's defender drops back and defends Warney, that accomplishes two things for the defense – eliminates the entry pass to our best player, and encourages our least effective shooter to shoot it. The entry has to come from Puriefoy or Woodhouse. I like Walker if he can get amidst the defense and then dish.