Heaves exact revenge on rival Millrats
Vermont overpowers Manchester, 133-107
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Vermont's Issa Konare takes it hard to the basket against Manchester's Souleymane Wane Monday night in Burlington. Vermont won 133-107. Roger Crowley/CrowleyPhotos.com |
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By Tom Herzig Correspondent - Published: December 18, 2007
BURLINGTON – The Frost Heaves ditched their early season nemesis the Millrats, 133-107, at the Memorial Auditorium Monday.
The Frost Heaves jumped out to an early lead that was extended to 31-19 by Brett Gravitt's buzzer-beating three-pointer to end the first quarter. Boosted by guard BJ Robertson's hot hand in the second quarter, Vermont led 68-50 at the break. Eight Frost Heaves scored in double figures, led by Antonio Burks, who netted 24 including going 5-of-9 from three-point range.
The Millrats began the night as the ABA's top-ranked team. After closing within single digits 93-84 early in the fourth quarter, the visitors got blitzed from long range by Burks (twice) and Issa Konare and then let Erik Nelson and Konare loose underneath to score off passes from guards Dwuan Rice and Dwayne Lee.
Vermont hit 18 shots from three-point range, while holding Manchester to six treys total. Robertson scored 17 points, fifteen of which came in the first half on 5-of-7 shooting.
Manchester relied on the penetration of its two physical backcourt starters Anthony Anderson (game-high 30 points) and Ismael Caro (22 points). Anderson was a force from the outset. The former UMass player showed his ability to absorb contact on the way to the rim and stay in control with a soft release.
Nelson, a steady force in the paint, and Konare, who overcame a rough 1-10 start, each scored 17 points for the home team. Vermont, led by John Bryant's nine boards, held a 45-36 rebounding edge.
"They're a very physical team," Vermont coach Will Voigt said. "A lot of holding and grabbing on the perimeter. In the first two games, we coughed the ball up a lot and tonight we were able to stay strong with it. The last game against us they had twenty offensive rebounds and we held them to ten tonight. Our bigs did a good job of protecting the rim. Their guards were getting in and we helped inside and then went and got the misses. BJ stayed aggressive offensively and did a nice job and Burks, obviously, can get going – he had a nice stretch at a good time for us."
"We knew coming in that this was going to be physical and we prepared ourselves all week for it," Dwayne Lee said. "Nelson was crafty out there. He's been around and it's fun to get him the ball."
"He (Lee) gets me shots. I appreciate all the point guard's two games, we coughed the ball up a lot and tonight we were able to stay strong with it. The last game against us they had 20 offensive rebounds and we held them to ten tonight. Our bigs did a good job of protecting the rim. Their guards were getting in and we helped inside and then went and got the misses. BJ stayed aggressive offensively and did a nice job and Burks, obviously, can get going – he had a nice stretch at a good time for us."
"We knew coming in that this was going to be physical and we prepared ourselves all week for it," Dwayne Lee said. "Nelson was crafty out there. He's been around and it's fun to get him the ball."
"He (Lee) gets me shots. I appreciate all the point guard's work," Nelson said. "Even the two earlier games with them, I feel we should have won, but we really concentrated on what we could do tonight and that worked out."
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