UVM men's basketball races past St. Louis to reach title game at Myrtle Beach Invitational
Editor's note: Scroll down for updated details on Vermont's games.
The University of Vermont men's basketball team continues its nonconference slate this week at the 2023 Myrtle Beach Invitational in Conway, South Carolina.
After dominant wins over Merrimack and Division III Plattsburgh State to open their America East Conference title defense, the Catamounts will have much tougher assignments over the next several days.
Season-opener coverage: Bogues shines in debut, Vermont men's basketball cruises past Merrimack
For Vermont's game recaps, links to stream and TV/Radio information and the invitational's full schedule, read on below.
[Editor's note: This file will be updated nightly. Vermont's most recent game will appear at the top].
Sunday, Nov. 19
Vermont vs. Liberty: Championship game
Title-game coverage: Vermont men's basketball drops Myrtle Beach Invitational final
Friday, Nov. 17
Vermont 78, St. Louis 68: Catamounts book spot in title game
Vermont (4-0): TJ Long (16 points, 4 rebounds). Matt Veretto (14 points, 3 blocks). Shamir Bogues (14 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals). Aaron Deloney (14 points, 3 assists). Illeri Ayo-Faleye (6 points, 8 rebounds). TJ Hurley (8 points, 4 rebounds).
St. Louis (4-1): Gibson Jimerson (18 points, 4 assists). Terrence Hargrove, Jr. (15 points, 5 rebounds). Tim Dalger (10 points, 6 rebounds).
Game recap: The Catamounts charged out from the opening tipoff and shot 64% from the floor (16 of 25) in the first half. Vermont led 47-32 at the break and built a lead of 17 points in the second stanza. St. Louis, playing without leading scorer Sincere Parker, who broke his foot in Thursday's win, got to within seven points but no closer. Vermont finished 29 of 52 from the field (55.8%), connecting on 11 of 24 3-point attempt, while St. Louis shot 41.8% from the floor. Vermont also gained edges in rebounds (33-29) and points in the paint (28-22).
Turning point: In the second half, Brenton Mills swished back-to-back 3s to give Vermont six straight made field goals, but the Catamounts needed one more surge to hold off a tense final stretch. On that spurt, Long drove for two with a lefty finish and, after a Veretto block, Long drilled a transition 3 to turn a nine-point lead back to double digits at 71-57 with 6:09 to go. The UVM advantage did not dip below 10 points the rest of the way.
John Becker on team's play in tournament: "From the first day of summer, they’ve been all ears, all work, no nonsense, and we’re starting to see some chemistry, some versatility and they are finding ways to win against good teams. ... We had eased our way into the season this year. But we knew coming down here it was a step up in weight class. There was a lot of uncertainty, not having to face a lot of adversity yet with eight new guys and returnees in different roles and no Nick Fiorillo (injured). I was very interested to see how we would play and these guys have passed two tests so far with flying colors. And done it in two different ways. It’s been impressive."
TJ Long on reaching the title game: "It’s a great opportunity. It’s what we came down here for, playing against good competition and have a chance at a championship. And really gives guys a feel for what a championship atmosphere feels like, to get us ready for the ultimate championship in March in the conference tournament."
Thursday, Nov. 16
Vermont 73, College of Charleston 64: Catamounts rally in opener
Vermont (3-0): Matt Veretto (18 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists). TJ Long (15 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals). Shamir Bogues (11 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks). Aaron Deloney (8 points, 4 rebounds). Ileri Ayo-Faleye (9 points, 4 rebounds). TJ Hurley (7 points).
Charleston (1-2): Ben Burnham (13 points, 5 rebounds). Ante Brzovic (12 points, 6 rebounds). Bryce Butler (10 points). Kobe Rodgers (10 points).
Game recap: The Catamounts trailed by as many as 15 points in the first half, but cut the deficit to 36-27 at the break. In the second half, Vermont was down by nine with 8:22 to go before the America East champion roared back when Ayo-Faleye's block off the glass led to Bogues' layup in transition to spark a game-closing, 31-13 run.
Turning point: Vermont took the lead for good when Ayo-Faleye grabbed Veretto's free throw miss, laid it up as he was fouled and then completed the three-point play for a 61-60 advantage with 3:07 to go. On Vermont's next trip, Long rattled in a corner 3-pointer in front of the Catamount bench.
Key stats: Vermont sank 11 of 28 3-pointers (39.3%) and held Charleston to 12% from beyond the line (3 of 25). Charleston had the edge in paint scoring (40-22) but Vermont gained an 18-0 edge on fast-break points.
John Becker on win: "Great team win, really gutsy effort and really proud of this group. That's what you want to see as a coach, especially with a new group: who's going to be the leaders, who's going to make the plays, how the guys are going to hold up, who are the guys you can trust and (Thursday) we learned a lot about our team. It's just incredible to me that we just continue to be a group, a program that can find ways to win. We have a lot of brand-new players who haven't been in these type of situations and we find a way to win."
Matt Veretto on win: "The biggest thing was us facing adversity for the first time this year ... and just sticking together. Being able to pull out a win that coach Becker described as ugly ... it's really good for the camaraderie of the team and the confidence, knowing that if we are down in a game we can come back from it."
Myrtle Beach Invitational bracket, full schedule
Thursday, Nov. 16
Game 1: Vermont 73, Charleston 64
Game 2: St. Louis 79, Wyoming 69
Game 3: Wichita State 86, Coastal Carolina 77
Game 4: Liberty 88, Furman 74
Friday, Nov. 17
Game 5: Vermont 78, St. Louis 68
Game 6: Liberty 83, Wichita State 66
Game 7: Wyoming 67, Charleston 60
Game 8: Furman 89, Coastal Carolina 80
Sunday, Nov. 19
Game 9: Vermont vs. Liberty, championship game, 5:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
Game 10: St. Louis vs. Wichita State, third place game, 8 p.m. (ESPN2)
Game 11: Wyoming vs. Furman, fifth place game, 10:30 a.m. (ESPNU)
Game 12: Charleston vs .Coastal Carolina, seventh place game, 1 p.m. (ESPN+)
Contact Alex Abrami at aabrami@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter: @aabrami5.
This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: UVM men's basketball: Schedule, scores at Myrtle Beach Invitational
