JOHNSON, VT – The Vermont State University Johnson Men's Basketball team opened their final game of the season honoring seniors, Nazir Gossette and Maleek View. The two returned the favor, with a commanding presence in the opening half, accounting for 20 of the Badgers' 47 points first half points. The Johnson Badgers and Lyndon Hornets kept things close in the opening minutes, as Johnson led Lyndon 12-11, with David Greer's contributing the first six for the Badgers, before a 5-0 burst widened the gap to six. The burst set the tone for the remainder of the half, as Johnson gradually increased their lead to 17 at the buzzer, thanks to a 13-0 run that brought the score from a 17-18 hole to a 30-18 lead. Once again, Gossette and View showed their leadership by contributing nine of those 13. At the half, View led the Badgers at the half with 12 points, closely followed by Greer's 11 and Gossette's nine, leading the Hornets 47-30.
The Hornets returned to the court looking to chip away at the deficit, leading the Badgers 13-11 through the opening five minutes. Johnson regained their control with a 6-0 push that brought their lead to 64-43. Greer continued to have an all-time game, hitting the 20 point mark with still 11:43 left on the clock. Not to be outdone, Gossette hit the double-double mark with 15:39 still left on the clock, with 11 points and 10 rebounds that would be added to in a significant way through the remainder of the game. Despite the Hornets keeping the second half tight at 51-50 (Badgers led), Johnson would ultimately take the win with a 98-80 final score.
"It was a tremdnous way to end the season, with a full team effort and win, especially in the absense of Raymond Baka not playing due to injury. Nazir Gossette and David Greer played big all night and Nazir was one reboudn away from tying the school record on the men's side. David established himself inside and that allowed our guards to run and get downhill to score," reflected Coach Johnson.
Notes: The Badgers scored a season high 98. Five Badgers scored double digits (View, Greer, Travis Baker, Gossette, Gerald Pitt Jr.). Gossette almost doubled his career high in rebounds, with 20.