UVa opponent preview: Vermont
Can anybody break 50? That seems to be the question surrounding any Virginia opponent so far this season as the Cavaliers have faced three teams and have yet to allow more than 42 points in a game. Vermont could be UVa’s toughest challenge to date Tuesday night as the Catamounts enter the matchup with a perfect 4-0 record, but have struggled a bit on the offensive end – not ideal when heading into John Paul Jones Arena. Vermont’s four wins include three by a combined seven points and the other being a 15-point home win over Boston University. Senior forward Anthony Lamb paces Vermont and leads the team in points (18.3), rebounds (10.5) and assists (2.8) so far this season. He is coming off of a junior campaign where he averaged over 21 points per game and will be an interesting matchup at 6-foot-6 against a talented Virginia defense. Lamb hit the game-winning shot in a road upset of St. John’s on Saturday and will be asked to do more of the same to try to shock the seventh-ranked Cavaliers. The Catamounts will need to shoot better from beyond the arc as they will enter Tuesday’s game shooting at just a 20.8% clip on the season. They are shooting just 38.4% as a team from the field and have struggled at times to score the ball. Their defense, much like Virginia, has been their money maker early in the season as they are surrendering 59.3 points per game.
Why Vermont will win: Lamb continues his hot play and puts Vermont on his back as the Catamounts are able to knock down perimeter shots against a Virginia team that likes to clog the lane. Timely stops on the defensive end allows the Catamounts to pull off another huge road upset and a marquee win for the America East Conference.
Why Virginia will win: The defense continues to do its job and the shooting starts to click. The Cavaliers hit a season-high number of made three pointers and they once again hold an opponent to less than 35% shooting from the field.
Score prediction: UVa 65, Vermont 52
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