AU forward Jason Thomas just missed a new career scoring high on Saturday, merely tying his previous mark of 23 points. And with two foul shots, two seconds left and a two-point lead over Vermont, he also failed to clinch the game, missing one shot, leaving the Catamounts with a chance to tie.
But the senior did just about everything else for the Men's Basketball team, even intercepting Vermont's last-second Hail Mary inbounds pass, in an impressive 67-64 win at Bender Arena over the Catamonts, a team that has been drawing national attention.
"This is as good a win as I can remember at AU," said head coach Jeff Jones. "It shows what the potential is for this team. For me personally, it was certainly as satisfying as when we beat Florida State in Tallahassee (in 2001)."
The Eagles (3-2) have now won three straight, all at home, while Vermont (2-2) has lost only one other time, against national powerhouse Kansas.
Vermont, which entered Saturday's on the fringe of the Associated Press Top 25 rankings, brought everything the Eagles and 1,567 raucous fans expected to see. Catamont forward Taylor Coppenrath, an All-American candidate, scored 22 tough points, usually while being double-teamed, while standout guard T.J. Sorrentine notched a game-high 27 points on 9-of-19 shooting.
Meanwhile, AU got another productive outing from sophomore guard and leading scorer Andre Ingram, who scored 19 points, and a gritty collective rebounding effort from its frontcourt, though the Eagles still trailed the taller Catamounts in that category, 38-37.
Thomas, however, was the difference maker; he led AU not only in points, but also in rebounds (11), assists (5) and steals (2).
"My mind was just wide open today. I was seeing the whole floor very clearly," Thomas said. "I think that's why I was able to rebound so well."
Thomas was also part of a frenetic defensive effort that, while failing to stop Vermont's two big guns, shut down its supporting cast. Two Vermont starters were held scoreless, and the bench only contributed nine points. Even with the extra attention to Coppenrath and Sorrentine, most Vermont shots that appeared open were quickly closed down by the Eagles' guards.
"We wanted to force them to do something different than they were used to, to play at a different pace," Jones said. "Jason and Andre were involved in some rotations where if the ball swung, guys had looks, but just for a split second."
Despite out-executing the Catamounts throughout, and leading almost from wire to wire, the Eagles barely held on - a testament to a Vermont team that still in defeat looked deserving of its ranking.
The game consisted of a repeated pattern - AU opening a lead, only for Vermont to close it. On five separate occasions, the Eagles built leads of seven or more, but never exceeded nine.
After AU led, 30-25, at the half, the Catamounts claimed a 33-32 lead with 17:04 to play, when Coppenrath rebounded his own missed free throw and found Sorrentine, who buried a three from the corner. Ingram and Thomas responded, combining for a nine-point spurt, anchored by an Ingram three off a baseline feed from sophomore point guard Linas Lekavicius, whom Jones said had his best game of the young season.
With 1:12 remaining, the Eagles built a 59-51 lead, but poor foul shooting down the stretch and deadly shooting by Vermont kept the Eagles from relaxing. AU hit only seven of its last 12 foul shots, allowing Coppenrath to bring his team within two points with a desperate three-pointer with three seconds left on the clock. But Thomas wrapped up the ball and the game on Vermont's next inbound, and seconds later was mobbed by a couple dozen students who scurried onto the floor.
"I think it was a great game," said Vermont coach Tom Brennan. "I was really proud of the way our guys came back, but I was really impressed with American. ... Every time they needed to make one, they made one."
Said Thomas, "It's a great win for the AU program, and the university as a whole. Unfortunately, we have a game Wednesday, so we only can take a little time to celebrate, and then we'll get ready for the next game."
The Eagles will travel to Towson Wednesday for a 7 p.m. tip-off, and will then return home for a 1 p.m. clash with Ohio, which beat AU's Patriot League foes Navy, 90-55, in Annapolis, Md., Saturday night..
