After a tough two-game road trip this past weekend, UVM men’s basketball hosted the University of New Hampshire Wildcats Thursday night, looking to get back to their dominant conference play.

In the first ninety seconds of the game, nine different players took the court, as head coach John Becker looked for the best product on the floor.

Despite the frequent substitutions and shaky offensive start, the defense was in great rhythm. Junior forward Illeri Ayo-Faleye led the defensive attack, as he shut down star UNH forward Clarence Daniels and forced four turnovers in the game’s opening ten minutes.

Graduate guard Aaron Deloney was the bright spot on a UVM offense that struggled to score. Although the Cats shot just 10/32 as a team in the first half, Deloney contributed eight points on a perfect 3/3 shooting clip. Three of those points came from a step-back three pointer as time expired putting the Cats ahead 29-27 going into the break.

The start of the second half provided a great change of pace, with both squads converting on multiple early baskets. After the first few possessions, the Wildcats began to slow down while the Catamounts stayed red-hot.

Deloney continued his great play, as the graduate converted an impressive and-one shot. This basket gave Deloney his 1,000th point, becoming just the 45th player in UVM history to reach the historic mark.

The offense continued to execute, and the defense continued their impressive night. The dominant 70-54 win gave head coach John Becker his 300th career win, becoming the third coach in Vermont history to do so.

UVM looks to continue their solid play as they play host to the University of Maine on Saturday.