Men’s basketball: Quick Hitters- Vermont

Adams Carries the Bonnies: Sophomore guard Jaylen Adams got hot early and didn’t cool off, finishing with 29 points and 7-of-10 shooting from beyond the arc. Adams’ 29 were a career high, and he now has over 20 points in three of his last four games. Adams also finished the game with seven assists, a team high, and only committed one turnover. Over his last two games, Adams has missed only ten shots.

Three is the Key: While Adams carried most of Bona’s three-point barrage, Nelson Kaputo and Marcus Posley also finished with two each to help the brown and white finish 11-of-20 from beyond the arc. The Catamounts also had a good day shooting from deep, finishing 7-of-12. Junior Kurt Stiedl led the way with five made threes. Stiedl has the highest three-point shooting percentage in Vermont history.

“Golden State” Bonnies: Looking a little like the undefeated Golden State Warriors of the NBA, Bonaventure was able to pass the ball at will, setting up most of the three-point opportunities. The Bonnies finished with 19 helpers, with six coming off the hands of Posley and another six from Adams. Bonaventure’s guards made some great inside passes to Dion Wright, which helped get him 16 points. Another impressive stat for the Bonnies’ ball-handling is that they committed only 10 turnovers, while having nine steals.

Shutdown Defense: Along with a solid offensive explosion, Bonaventure was also able to limit two of Vermont’s top scorers on the season. 6-foot-9 forward Ethan O’Day, who averages over 12 points on the season, was limited to two tonight on 1-of-7 shooting. Bonaventure also held Vermont’s leading scorer, Trae Bell-Haynes, to 13 points on the night, most of them coming when the game had already been decided. He shot 3-of-9 and committed four turnovers. Bonaventure’s defense also stepped up as a whole in the second half, and after the Catamounts tied the game 45-45, the Bonnies went on a game-changing 26-10 run.

Up Next: The Bonnies get a 10-day rest to enjoy their 6-2 start. A win against South Carolina State on Dec. 19 would tie the best start a Bonaventure squad has had under Mark Schmidt. The Bonnies have scored over 75 points in five of the team’s eight games and have hit the 80 mark in the last two.