January 27, 2012
Men's Hoop Set For Road Tilt Versus Vermont (Jan. 29 - CBS Sports Network)
GAME NOTES (PDF)
DURHAM, N.H. - The University of New Hampshire men's basketball team looks to complete a season sweep against the University of Vermont when the two programs battle on Sunday, Jan. 29 (12 p.m.) at Patrick Gymnasium. The game will be broadcast live on the CBS Sports Network. Links to live audio and live video, as well as live stats, will be available at www.unhwildcats.com.
THE MATCHUP
The Wildcats and Catamounts meet for the 134th time in their long and storied history, with Vermont leading the all-time series, 84-49. The Catamounts have won 21 of the last 25 matchups, including 11 in a row against the Wildcats in the comfort of Patrick Gymnasium. All four of UNH's wins in the last 24 contests have come at home. In the most recent meeting on Jan. 14,
Patrick Konan (Gainesville, Fla.) notched a game-high 19 points and snared eight rebounds, propelling the Wildcats to a 72-64 victory over the Catamounts at Lundholm Gymnasium. Konan was tabbed the America East Player of the Game for UNH, finishing 7-for-9 from the floor, 3-for-4 from deep and 2-for-5 from the charity stripe in 21 minutes of action. Brendan Bald claimed player of the game honors for Vermont, notching 12 points, two steals and one rebound.
Alvin Abreu (Lynn, Mass.) chipped in with 12 points, four boards and one helper.
Scott Morris (Walkersville, Md.) added 10 points off the bench, shooting 4 of 8 from the field and 2 of 5 from beyond the arc. After trading baskets in the early going, New Hampshire picked up the offensive pace midway through the first stanza when Morris ignited a 17-7 run with a midrange jumper, giving the home team its largest lead of the first half, 25-15, at 8:52. The Catamounts clawed their way back into the action scoring six unanswered, sparking a 9-1 run that cut the deficit down to two, 26-24, with 5:23 remaining in the first half. The two squads would go back-and-forth for the next three minutes until Morris provided the offensive spark once again with a trey, as the 'Cats outscored the Catamounts 5-1 the rest of the way, taking a 37-32 edge into the locker room. The Wildcats opened up the second half firing on all cylinders, draining three unanswered 3-pointers, giving them their largest lead of the contest, 46-32, at 18:07. The trio of treys kicked off what became a 15-6 run that lasted nearly seven minutes and gave UNH a 52-38 edge with 13:19 on the clock. Clancy Rugg answered the call for the visitors, notching three points the old-fashioned-way, sparking a string of eight unanswered points, as the Catamounts outscored the Wildcats 19-5 over the course of the next 8:39 to knot the score at 57-57. A pair of Abreu free throws at 3:51 helped stop the bleeding, as the 'Cats took back the lead and wouldn't relinquish it from that point.
Brian Benson (Rochester, N.Y.) gave UNH some breathing room when he drained a clutch 3-pointer from the top of the key at 1:44, setting off a 10-4 scoring spurt to close out the action to preserve the victory.
SCOUTING VERMONT
Vermont (12-10, 6-2 AE) went a perfect 3-0 in its most recent week of action, notching victories in six of their last seven contests. UVM opened the week with a 79-65 victory at home against Maine behind 16 points from freshman Four McGlynn. Four Cats reached double figures, as Vermont shot 49.1 percent from the floor for the game. Vermont followed that up with a 73-69 victory over Albany at home on Thursday. Senior Matt Glass led UVM with 16 points, including a big 3-pointer that gave Vermont a four-point lead with 31 seconds to go. For the second straight game four Catamounts scored in double-digits while four different UVM players hit a pair of 3-pointers in the contest. Vermont wrapped up the week with a 90-62 win at UMBC, as six Catamounts netted double figures to earn the victory. Vermont set new season highs in points, field goal percentage (56.9) and assists (25) against the Retrievers. McGlynn led UVM with 15 points, while sophomore Brian Voelkel added 10 assists and seven rebounds, as 11 of the 12 Cats that played, scored. The Catamounts scored 51 points in the second half and led by as many as 29.
DEUCES
Junior guard
Chandler Rhoads (Berryville, Va.) led the Wildcats in scoring for the second straight game against Maine (Jan. 25), posting 17 points on his way to earning America East Player of the Game honors. In the game prior against Binghamton (Jan. 22) he notched 19 points, one shy of his career high, on 6-of-9 shooting from the field and 4-of-4 shooting from the charity stripe. Rhoads has led the team in scoring five times and has reached double-digits in 11 contests this season.
FROM LONG RANGE
New Hampshire knocked down a season-best 12 treys against Maine (Jan. 25), posting a .429 shooting clip (12-28) from long range in the contest. The Wildcats posted their previous season high of 10 trifectas twice this season against Vermont (Jan. 14) and Boston University (Jan. 19). UNH leads the league in 3-point field goals made since the start of conference play, sinking 63 field goals from the beyond the arc.
BREAKOUT
Junior forward
Ferg Myrick (Philadelphia, Pa.) registered season highs in minutes (33), points (18), rebounds (8), field goals (6), free throws (5) and blocks (1) against Binghamton (Jan. 22). His rebounding total also tied a career high, as he snared a team-best six offensive boards in the contest. His impressive scoring total was just three points shy of his career high, as he has now scored in double-figures six times this season.
DIME DROPPER
Sophomore guard Jordon Bronner (Sleepy Hollow, N.Y.) notched a career-high seven assists against Binghamton (Jan. 22), marking the sixth time this season he registered five or more assists in a game. Bronner sets the mark after reaching his previous career high of six helpers twice, most recently against Brown (Dec. 7). He ranks 10th in the conference in assists, notching a team-best 57 (3.0 apg).
MAKE IT FOUR
New Hampshire has shot over 40 percent in four of the last five outings; most recently posting a shooting clip of .431 (22-51) against Binghamton (Jan. 22). Over the five-game span the 'Cats shot over 40 percent in four straight games, representing their longest streak of the season. UNH had its best outing versus Stony Brook when the 'Cats shot 47.6 percent (20-42) from the floor, including a .409 clip from beyond the arc.
40/40 CLUB
New Hampshire shot over 40 percent from the floor and beyond the arc in back-to-back games for the first time this season after posting a shooting clip of .476 (20-42) from the field and a .409 (9-22) clip from deep against Stony Brook (Jan. 16). The Wildcats were equally impressive in the game prior against Vermont (Jan. 14), shooting 46 percent (23-50) from the floor and 45.5 percent (10-22) from 3-point land.
MAKING IT COUNT
Alvin Abreu (Lynn, Mass.) knocked down 10 of 12 shots from the free throw line, finishing with 12 points to help propel the Wildcats to a 72-64 victory over Vermont (Jan. 14). Abreu's 10 made free throws marked the highest single-game total posted by any Wildcat this season and also tied a career high for the senior captain. The last time he reached this impressive mark came against Colgate on Dec. 30, 2009.
CONSISTENT CONTRIBUTOR
Senior guard Alvin Abreu (Lynn, Mass.) has scored in double-digits in 10 of the last 12 contests. He has notched double-figures in all but four games this season and has never gone back-to-back outings scoring in single-digits. Abreu leads the Wildcats with an average of 13.2 points per game this season, shooting 39.0 percent (89-228) from the floor, as he is on pace to finish with his best single-season field goal percentage of his career.
PUTTING IN THEIR TIME
Chandler Rhoads (Berryville, Va.; 1st), Alvin Abreu (Lynn, Mass.; 2nd) and Jordon Bronner (Sleepy Hollow, N.Y.) all rank in the top 10 in the America East in minutes played this season. Rhoads leads the trio with an average of 36.6 minutes per game while Abreu and Bronner have logged 33.9 and 32.7 minutes per contest, respectively.
CHARITY DRIVE
Sophomore Jordon Bronner (Sleepy Hollow, N.Y.) has been one of the most efficient shooters from the free throw line since the start of conference play, shooting 82.6 percent (19-23) from the stripe, ranking eighth in the league. The point guard ranks first on the squad with a .694 shooting clip (34-49) from the charity stripe this season. He opened America East play knocking down his first 13 shots from the line, lacing a season-best 8-for-8 against UMBC (Jan. 2) while sinking 5-of-5 versus Hartford (Jan. 5).
MAKING IT RAIN
Sophomore forward Patrick Konan (Gainesville, Fla.) scored a career-high 20 points against UMBC (Jan. 2), as he was tabbed the America East Player of the Game, finishing the contest with five boards, one assist and one block. He shot 7-of-11 from the field, 2-of-4 from behind the arc and 4-of-4 from the charity stripe. Konan has scored in double figures 10 times this season.
FIVE GUYS
For the first time this season five Wildcats scored in double-figures, as Patrick Konan (Gainesville, Fla.) led the way with a career-high 20 points against UMBC (Jan. 2). The forward shot 7-of-11 from the field, 2-of-4 from behind the arc and 4-of-4 from the charity stripe in the contest. Chandler Rhoads (Berryville, Va.; 15), Alvin Abreu (Lynn, Mass.; 12), Ferg Myrick (Philadelphia, Pa.; 10) and Jordon Bronner (Sleepy Hollow, N.Y.; 10) rounded out UNH's double-digit scorers.
AIR JORDON
Sophomore Jordon Bronner (Sleepy Hollow, N.Y.) propelled the Wildcats to a 71-64 victory over Colgate (Dec. 31), setting career highs in points (24), free throws made (8), field goals (7) and 3-point field goals (2). The point guard was tabbed the America East Player of the Game, finishing the afternoon with three boards and a pair of steals. He shot a solid 7-of-11 from the floor and 2-of-3 from deep while knocking down 8-of-9 shots from the stripe.
TAKING THE HIGH RHOAD
Junior Chandler Rhoads (Berryville, Va.) scored 12 of his team-leading 16 points in the second half of play against Sacred Heart (Dec. 29), achieving the mark on the back of 9-of-12 shooting from the charity stripe, matching a career high in free throws made. The last time he knocked down nine shots at the line came last season against Albany (Feb. 2) when he led UNH to a 62-59 victory at Lundholm Gymnasium after posting 15 points against the Great Danes.
FIELD MARKSMANSHIP
Senior guard Alvin Abreu (Lynn, Mass.) recently moved into fifth place all-time in program history in field goals made (482). He currently leads the Wildcats with 89 field goals this season, shooting 39.0 percent (89-228) from the floor. Abreu notched a career-high 141 field goals during the 2009-10 campaign, finishing the season with a .358 shooting clip (141-394).
IRON MAN
Senior guard Alvin Abreu (Lynn, Mass.) recently moved into sixth place all-time in program history in career minutes played (3,505). This season he ranks second in the league in minutes played (662), averaging 34.8 minutes per game. He logged his most time on the hardwood during the 2009-10 campaign, registering 1000 minutes while averaging 33.3 minutes per contest.
DEEP THREAT
Sophomore forward Patrick Konan (Gainesville, Fla.) ranks second in the America East in 3-point field goal percentage this season with a .446 (33-74) shooting clip from beyond the arc. He has been especially impressive over the course of the last six games, shooting 54.5 percent (12-22) from deep.
NOW BOARDING
New Hampshire ranks fifth in the conference in rebounding, pulling in 34.1 boards per game, as Brian Benson (Rochester, N.Y.) and Patrick Konan (Gainesville, Fla.) both rank among the league leaders in rebounds, collecting 8.7 (1st) and 5.8 (10th) boards per game, respectively.
FOUR OF A KIND
Four Wildcats have scored in double-figures in three games this season, most recently when Alvin Abreu (Lynn, Mass.; 18), Chandler Rhoads (Berryville, Va.; 16), Patrick Konan (Gainesville, Fla.; 11) and Ferg Myrick (Philadelphia, Pa.; 10) achieved the milestone against Brown (Nov. 7). Prior to that outing the last time UNH reached the mark was against Loyola (Nov. 20), as Rhoads (14), Konan (12), Abreu (11) and Myrick (10) finished in double-digits.
KONAN THE BARBARIAN
Sophomore forward Patrick Konan (Gainesville, Fla.) posted 13 points and a career-best 11 rebounds, earning his first career double-double versus Holy Cross (Dec. 3). Konan, who was tabbed the America East Player of the Game for New Hampshire, finished the contest 4-for-10 from the field, including 2-for-5 from deep and 3-for-3 from the charity stripe in the contest.
TRIPLE TROUBLE
Chandler Rhoads (Berryville, Va.; 17), Patrick Konan (Gainesville, Fla.; 16) and Brian Benson (Rochester, N.Y.; 15) all tallied double-digits against Maine (Jan. 25). The last time three 'Cats achieved this feat was against Binghamton (Jan. 22) when Rhoads (19), Ferg Myrick (Philadelphia, Pa.; 18) and Alvin Abreu (Lynn, Mass.; 12) scored in double-figures.
DOUBLE-DIGIT DANDY
Senior guard Alvin Abreu (Lynn, Mass.) registered a season-best 21 points versus Dartmouth (Nov. 30), leading the Wildcats to a 53-50 victory at Lundholm Gymnasium. He was tabbed the America East Player of the Game, finishing the contest 7-for-13 from the floor and 2-for-3 from beyond the arc. He also pulled in three boards, dished out two assists and collected a steal. Prior to that, the last time Abreu scored 20-plus points came against Lesley University (Nov. 13, 2010) when he poured in exactly 20 points in the season-opener at Lundholm Gymnasium.
THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN
UNH claimed its fourth straight victory versus the Big Green earning a 53-50 victory at Lundholm Gymnasium on Nov. 30. Despite Dartmouth's 31-29 advantage in the all-time series, New Hampshire has been victorious in six of the last seven and 10 of the last 13 meetings in the annual rivalry matchup of the Granite State's two Division I basketball programs. The last time Dartmouth defeated New Hampshire was on Jan. 15, 2008 in a 65-60 overtime decision at Lundholm Gymnasium.
FROM DOWNTOWN
Senior guard Alvin Abreu (Lynn, Mass.) notched one trey against Maine (Jan. 25) and currently ranks fifth all-time in career 3-point field goals made with 192. The senior captain recently passed Blagoi Janev, who finished his UNH career with 172 trifectas. Abreu leads the squad with 31 3-pointers this season, posting a .337 clip from deep. He posted his highest single-season 3-pointer total during the 2007-08 campaign with 32 treys, a mark that ranks 10th all-time in program history.
BOARD GAMES
Senior center Brian Benson (Rochester, N.Y.) ranks first in the America East conference in rebounding, pulling in 8.7 boards per game this season. Last year he ranked second among league leaders in rebounds, compiling 8.3 per game. He has turned in four double-digit rebounding efforts this season, posting a season-best 16 boards against Suffolk (Nov. 11).
BLOCK PARTY
Senior center Brian Benson (Rochester, N.Y.) tallied two blocks versus Maine (Jan. 25) and currently ranks second on the program's all-time blocks list with 70. Benson leads UNH with 17 blocks (0.9 bpg) this season, ranking fourth in the America East. He ended last season ranking fifth in the league in shots blocked, notching 1.1 per game.
RHOADS SCHOLAR
Junior guard Chandler Rhoads (Berryville, Va.) matched his career high with 20 points against Boston College (Nov. 14). He rounded out his night shooting 6-of-14 from the floor, including 2-of-6 from 3-point distance, and cashed in on 6-of-10 free throw attempts. He chipped in with five rebounds and an assist in 37 minutes. The last time Rhoads scored 20 points in a game was against Vermont (Jan. 20, 2011), as he finished the contest 5-for-15 from the field, 4-for-7 from deep and 6-for-6 from the charity stripe. He capped off last season collecting America East All-Defensive Team honors after starting in all 30 games. The versatile guard was equally impressive offensively, leading the team in assists (85) and ranking second in points (273).
CLIMBING THE CHARTS
Senior guard Alvin Abreu (Lynn, Mass.) posted nine points against Maine (Jan. 25), recently passing Blagoi Janev (1,340) to rank fourth on the program's all-time scoring list with 1,439 points. He has scored in double-digits in 18 of the last 24 games spanning over the course of the last three seasons, including 15 of 19 contests this season. In addition, he ranks first on the team and 10th in the league in scoring, posting 13.2 points per game.
DOUBLE-DOUBLE TROUBLE
Senior center Brian Benson (Rochester, N.Y.) notched his third career double-double, tallying 17 points and 16 rebounds against Suffolk (Nov. 11). The captain earned a pair of double-doubles last season, with his most recent coming against Hartford (Feb. 27) when he registered 16 points and 15 boards. He finished the 2010-11 campaign pulling in double-digit rebounds in eight games while scoring in double-figures in three outings.
50/50 CHANCE
The Wildcats shot an impressive 53.2 percent (33-62) from the field and 50 percent (9-18) from deep against Suffolk (Nov. 11). New Hampshire was especially impressive in the first half of the contest, registering 51 points on 64.7 percent (22-34) shooting from the field and 66.7 percent (6-9) shooting from 3-point range. The last time UNH shot above 50 percent in both categories was last season against UMBC (Jan. 23) when the 'Cats earned an 80-60 victory over the Retrievers. New Hampshire finished the contest with a shooting clip of .510 from the field and .519 from beyond the arc.
TREY-MENDOUS STREAK FOR 'CATS
Heading into Sunday's contest UNH has recorded at least one 3-pointer in 602 consecutive games, a streak that spans 21 years. The last time the 'Cats did not tally a trey was in a 59-47 loss to Dartmouth College on Jan. 8, 1991, when they were 0-for-3 from behind the arc. The NCAA record is currently 824 games by UNLV, a streak that started Nov. 26, 1986 and is still active.
NEW 'CATS IN TOWN
UNH recently announced that two student-athletes have committed to attend UNH and play for the Wildcat basketball program next fall. Frank Okeke, a 6-foot-6-inch, 220-pound forward from DeSoto, Texas, joins the Wildcats after posting 9.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game as a junior at DeSoto High School. His production in the frontcourt was key to DeSoto's success in 2010-11, as the Eagles were ranked No. 19 in the county while posting a 34-4 record. Additionally, DeSoto was tabbed 5A Regional II District Champions and McDonald's Invitational Gold Division Champions last season. Okeke, who also played for the highly touted Deron Williams Elite AAU program, was also part of the DeSoto squad that was named a Texas 5A Regional Finalist in 2011. Chris Orozco, a 6-foot-3-inch, 175-pound combo guard from Tenafly, N.J., joins the UNH basketball program after spending the last three years with Tenafly High School. The two-time All-Bergen selection is closing in on becoming just the 11th Bergen boy to reach the 2000-career-point mark after leading the Tigers to 58 wins over the course of the last three seasons. Last year he was tabbed a Second-Team All-Group 3 and First-Team All-Bergen County for The Star-Ledger honoree, registering 21.7 points, 10.1 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game. He capped off his junior campaign leading the Tigers to a 20-4 record while winning the Big North Patriot Division title.
THE POLL IS IN
New Hampshire (39 points) was picked fifth in the America East Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Wildcats were tabbed to finish behind Boston U. (62), Stony Brook (56), Vermont (51) and Albany (42). The Terriers, who have topped the poll each of the last five years, garnered six first-place votes, while Stony Brook claimed the remaining three votes. Maine (32) was tabbed sixth, while Hartford (18), UMBC (18) and Binghamton (11) round out the rest of the poll.
HERRION CLIMBING WINS LIST
By defeating Holy Cross, 55-52, Nov. 20, 2010 head coach Bill Herrion recorded his 61st victory at UNH and moved into fourth on the school's all-time wins list, passing Bill Olsen, who won 60 games in six seasons from 1960-66. Herrion now trails only Gerry Friel (188), William Cowell (119), and Henry Swasey (108) in the record books. Herrion has compiled 77 wins in stint as bench boss for the Wildcats.
DEMPSEY ON COLLEGE CHALKTALK
Associate Head Coach Ken Dempsey will be blogging at various points of the season on College Chalktalk. To follow along with Dempsey's entries, visit http://collegechalktalk.com/coachesDiary/new_hampshire/2011-12/index.
UNH HOOPS ON WILDCATS.TV
UNH and Pack Network have once again partnered to provide online video streaming of UNH athletics for the upcoming 2011-12 season with UNHwildcats.Tv. Wildcat fans are encouraged to buy the "Wildcat All-Access Pass" which is an annual subscription for $99.95 that provides all the live coverage of UNH home athletic events. Fans can also purchase home events on a per game basis of $9.95.
WILDCAT BASKETBALL ON THE AIR
In the summer of 1999, the University of New Hampshire Athletic Department formed the "UNH Sports Network" — the largest network ever to broadcast UNH sporting events. Wildcats Sports Properties has added WGIN-AM 930 (Rochester) and WQSO-FM 96.7 (Portsmouth) as flagship stations on the Wildcat Sports Network, joining WGIR-AM 610 (Manchester), which was added in 2008. All three stations are part of the Clear Channel family. These three aforementioned stations – along with WUVR-AM 1490 (Lebanon), WNTK-FM 99.7 (New London) and WCNL-AM 1010 (Newport) – will carry all UNH football and men's hockey broadcasts, a select number of men's and women's basketball and women's hockey broadcasts, as well as "Wildcat Sports Today", a three-minute daily update concerning UNH athletics. The games can also be heard on the internet at www.UNHWildcats.com, through a service from Stretch Internet. Stretch has also partnered with UNH to develop a podcast page for UNH fans to listen to archived broadcasts. Veteran play-by-play man Jim Jeannotte will return for his 31st year broadcasting UNH men's basketball. Jeannotte will be joined by color analyst Mike Murphy, who enters his 12th season calling Wildcat men's hoop.
WILDCAT BASKETBALL STREAMING LIVE
UNHWildcats.com, via Stretch Internet Broadcast, will carry 14 UNH men's basketball home games, as well as one road contest this season. If you cannot attend Wildcat basketball, you can still tune into the game from anywhere you can gain access to the internet. Fans can get to the UNH men's basketball broadcast site by going to the men's basketball schedule page at www.UNHWildcats.com.
LAST TIME OUT
Patrick Konan (Gainesville, Fla.) scored 16 points and connected on four of the University of New Hampshire's season-high 12 three-point field goals, but the Wildcats fell to the University of Maine, 80-69, in America East men's basketball action at Lundholm Gymnasium on Wednesday night.
Maine snapped a five-game skid to improve to 9-10, 3-5 in America East, while UNH dropped to 7-12, 2-6 AE with the loss.
Chandler Rhoads (Berryville, Va.) poured in a team-best 17 points to go along with three assists, two rebounds and two steals, earning America East Player of the Game honors for UNH. He shot 6-for-15 from the floor, 2-for-6 from three and 3-for-4 from the free throw line.
Konan rounded out his night with six boards, three steals, one assist and one block. Brian Benson (Rochester, N.Y.) chipped in with 15 points, seven rebounds, two blocks and one steal.
Gerald McLemore was named player of the game for Maine, finishing with a game-high 25 points while adding four boards, one assist and one steal to his line. Alasdair Fraser registered 22 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and two blocks. Justin Edwards added 14 points, 10 rebounds and three helpers.
The tightly-contested first half featured six ties and 10 lead changes before Maine's Raheem Singleton hit back-to-back field goals, one with less than a second remaining on the shot clock and the other with a second remaining on the game clock to lift the Black Bears to a 37-34 halftime advantage.
Maine kept the 'Cats at bay at the start of the second frame, dropping in a trio of layups, with Edwards notching a basket sandwiched between a pair of Fraser field goals. The six unanswered points gave the Black Bears their largest lead to that point, 43-34, with 17:47 remaining in regulation.
The Wildcats struck back rattling off seven unanswered points on their way to posting a 9-2 run that cut the deficit to just two points, scoring three of their four field goals inside the paint on the run. Four different 'Cats chipped in with points during the stretch, as
Chris Matagrano (Sayreville, N.J.) capped it off with a midrange jumper to set the score at 45-43 with 15:32 on the clock.
Edwards knocked down a trey on the ensuing possession, but Ferg Myrick (Philadelphia, Pa.) banged in a three of his own on the next trip up the floor to keep the deficit at two. However, Edwards pushed the lead back to five after earning three points the old-fashioned-way, putting Maine ahead 51-46 at 14:30.
New Hampshire battled back by outscoring Maine 10-6 over the course of the next 2:09, as Konan cut the deficit to one on a 3-pointer, 57-56, with 12:21 remaining in regulation. The Black Bears quickly responded, as Xavier Pollard and McLemore dropped in layups to push the lead back to five.
Jordon Bronner (Sleepy Hollow, N.Y.) stopped the bleeding sinking a trey from the top of the key and Rhoads canned a jumper moments later, knotting the score at 61-61 with 9:13 remaining.
That would be as close as UNH would come to taking back the lead the rest of the way, as the Black Bears strung together an 8-3 run on their way to outscoring the Wildcats 17-10 the rest of the way to hold onto the victory.
