Duncan dominant over Stony Brook again as Vermont regains America East lead

Ernie Duncan led Vermont with 25 points as Catamounts routed Stony Brook to retake first place in America East Conference standings. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)

STONY BROOK, NY -- As a freshman in the 2016 America East Conference championship game, Ernie Duncan scored 11 points against Stony Brook. Overshadowed by the heroic performance of Jameel Warney as the Seawolves reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time at the Division I level that afternoon, Duncan still offered a glimpse of what was to come over the course of his time in a Vermont uniform.

And if Saturday evening were the beginning of a triumphant coda to his career, the senior could not have scripted its opening verse any better.

Duncan led all scorers with 25 points, needing only 14 shots to reach that threshold as the Catamounts -- hungry for a victory after a surprising loss to UMBC Wednesday -- put the clamps on Stony Brook to regain the top spot in the America East standings with a commanding 73-52 demolition at Island Federal Credit Union Arena.

"I think the atmosphere just kind of gets to me every time I come here," he said of his proficiency on Long Island as Vermont (16-5, 6-1 America East) won its 22nd-straight regular season road game in league play while handing Stony Brook its first defeat of the conference slate. "It's a feeling I get when I step in the gym. I feel like it's a place I love to play at."

"He just had that look in his eye like he wasn't going to be denied," head coach John Becker concurred as Duncan's proficient night was supplemented by 20 points and seven rebounds from his younger brother, Everett. "He led us the whole way."

Playing without the services of leading scorer Anthony Lamb, who missed his second consecutive game while recovering from a concussion, the Catamounts played with an added motivation as their junior forward did not travel with the team. After forging a brief lead in the opening minutes, Vermont navigated the waters with trepidation as Stony Brook (17-4, 5-1 America East) began to seize control midway through the first half with a 15-2 run that put the Seawolves ahead by eight points with just over eight minutes remaining before halftime. But the prosperity on the part of the hosts was short lived, as the Catamounts became more assertive over the next 13 minutes, turning the game on its head with a 34-7 run that bridged the end of the opening stanza with the first four minutes after the intermission, forcing seven Stony Brook turnovers in that stretch and conceding only three field goals of the 17 that the Seawolves attempted.

"I just challenged the guys to be tougher," Becker said as Vermont held its opponent under 60 points for the fifth time in seven conference games this season. "We just weren't playing tough enough. They didn't get many, but they got some offensive rebounds early and we weren't scoring, we just weren't tough enough with the ball."

"That was the thing: Could we score enough tonight? We couldn't score enough against UMBC. After that (media) timeout, we started to play better offense, which always helps your defense. We had to be tough enough to play through their physicality and their athleticism, and once we kind of did that, things opened up for us."

For Stony Brook, the sight of leading scorer Akwasi Yeboah and rim protector Jeff Otchere hampered by foul trouble throughout the night -- the two eventually fouled out late in the second half -- ultimately proved to be its downfall as its head coach assessed the damage.

"I thought that turned the tide," Jeff Boals lamented. "They went up ten at halftime and we talked about coming out with a sense of urgency in the second half, and we didn't do that. The foul trouble kind of swung it, and then to start the second half, we made some mental mistakes. You can't do that against a good team."

Now looking down upon the rest of the America East from its perch atop the standings, Vermont looks to extend its road winning streak Saturday, when the Catamounts visit UMass Lowell, doing so with newfound confidence and an education in how to win without the most integral piece of the puzzle.

"We were very composed, where we weren't against UMBC the other night," Becker surmised. "We've done a good job after losses -- I don't think we've lost a game after having a loss -- we've bounced back really well. We got the film of the UMBC game, and figured out a little bit better how to play without Anthony. I thought the guys really responded to the things we didn't do in the UMBC game, so yeah, it was a motivated group tonight for sure."