Bobcats return home to face Mount St. Mary's

Bobcats return home to face Mount St. Mary’s

By Kevin Noonan, QBSN Staff Writer

The Quinnipiac men’s basketball team finally returns home Thursday night after a four game road trip to take on the Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers at 7 p.m. in the TD Bank Sports Center.  The Bobcats (10-9, 3-5 NEC) come into the game after going 2-2 on the road trip.  The Mountaineers (4-15, 2-6 NEC) are in the midst of a four game road trip of their own and have dropped the first two games.

Quinnipiac last played on a snowy afternoon in Smithfield, R.I., defeating the Bryant Bulldogs 78-71 in overtime.  The Bobcats were lead by senior guard James Johnson (Queens, N.Y.) with 23 points, three rebounds and three assists.  At halftime, Quinnipiac lead Bryant 34-29. The game continued to be a battle through the second half with the Bobcats slightly on top until Bryant tied the game with 16 seconds remaining.  Raphael Jordan was fouled on a three-point attempt, which he then made two-of-three free throws to tie the game at 63.  Quinnipiac had more energy in the overtime session, outscoring Bryant 15-8 to secure the victory.  Sophomore Ike Azotam (Boston, Mass.) also had a solid game scoring 19 points and grabbing seven rebounds while junior Dave Johnson (Jackson, N.J.) tied his career high once again with 18 points and five rebounds.  Quinnipiac only knocked down two three-pointers compared to Bryant’s seven, but the Bobcats outshot the Bulldogs from the floor 39.4 percent to 36.4 percent.  Quinnipiac once again won the battle of the boards, 51-34.

Mount St. Mary’s last game was 79-60 loss to the St. Francis (N.Y.) Terriers.  The Mountaineers never led in the game, despite shooting 42.9 percent from the floor.  Julian Norfleet lead Mount St. Mary’s in scoring with 14 points while Josh Castellanos notched 10 points and five steals.  Xavier Owens and Chad Holley combined for 21 points off the bench for the Mountaineers, providing a spark that was desperately needed.  Mount St. Mary’s was unable to shut down the Terrier offense.  St. Francis (N.Y.) went off for nine three-pointers and shot 55.3 percent from the field.  The Mountaineers were also outrebounded 33-24.  Mount St. Mary’s could not recover from their awful first half, trailing 35-17.  In the second half, the Mountaineers were only beaten by one point, but ultimately lost by 19 points.

Keys for the Bobcats:

Quinnipiac needs the bench to step up big time.  Although they have won two of their last four games, the bench players have not been productive.  The Bobcats are relying too much on the starters.  Freshmen Evan Conti (Bayside, N.Y.) and Marquis Barnett (Bronx, N.Y.) combined for the only six bench points against Bryant.  If the bench can score 15 points, along with the starters usual contributions, the Bobcats will have no problem beating Mount St. Mary’s.  Quinnipiac also needs to play solid defense.  The Mountaineers are only averaging 57.7 points per game, and if the Bobcats can keep this average, their 71.8 points per game will give them a solid victory. 

Keys for the Mountaineers:

Defense will be the key of the game for Mount St. Mary’s.  Forcing Quinnipiac to take bad shots, along with boxing out to prevent offensive rebounds will go along way.  Quinnipiac is first in the nation in offensive rebounds per game with 17.1.  If the Mountaineers simply box out, they will limit the second chance opportunities.  Mount St. Mary’s can defend the three-pointer well, only allowing three-pointers at a rate of 30.7 percent.  The Mountaineers will have their best chance to win in a low scoring game.  Look out for Norfleet on the offensive end, as he is the go-to outside shooter.  Danny Thompson is the main inside threat for the Mountaineers, averaging nearly nine points and eight rebounds per game. 

Previous Matchup:

Quinnipiac and Mount St. Mary’s last played in the Quarterfinals of the NEC Tournament on March 3 at the TD Bank Sports Center.  The Bobcats won the matchup 78-59 to head on to the Semifinals.  Justin Rutty lead the way for the Bobcats with 22 points and 16 rebounds.  Rutty passed the 1,000 career rebound mark in the game.  James Johnson scored 13 points, and Deontay Twyman and Dave Johnson each chimed in 10 points apiece on the way to victory.  For Mount St. Mary’s, Shawn Aputem scored a team high 20 points while Norfleet scored nine points and added five helpers.  Quinnipiac outshot Mount St. Mary’s 50 percent to 42 percent and held an astounding edge in points in the paint at 48-20.