By Gilbert A. Celaya, QBSN Staff Writer
In a game that could have had a significant impact in the third place standings in the Northeast Conference (NEC), the Quinnipiac Bobcats (15-11, 8-7 NEC) lost to the St. Francis College (N.Y.) Terriers (14-12, 11-4 NEC) by a score of 64-56 Thursday night.
The Bobcats and the Terriers played a highly fast paced game that tested the discipline and will of both teams.
“We didn’t stop fighting today, but unfortunately the ball didn’t bounce our way,” Garvey Young (Washington D.C.) said. “They got a couple of offensive rebounds late that gave them extra possessions, and ultimately we weren’t able to come back like we did against Central [Connecticut State University].”
The game was played at an intense and fierce level that saw both teams collect 19 rebounds each in the first half alone. However, QU seemed to be outhustled by the Terriers most of the night.
“I thought the team that played a little harder, a little tougher on the backboards, and little stronger, a little faster all night won,” stated Quinnipiac head coach Tom Moore.
Most of the first half, Quinnipiac was able to keep up with St. Francis (N.Y.) displaying its scrappy play, clawing for every point.
Both teams finished the game almost evenly matched statistically. The Bobcats edged out the Terriers with 37.3 percent to 36.1 percent field goal percentage. However, the final score was the deciding factor in this game.
With 12 minutes left in the first half, Ousmane Drame (Boston, Mass.) skied for a rebound off a missed jump shot by Young and slammed it home for two points.
Unfortunately, the Bobcats defense did not sustain their reputation of the last few weeks as QU fell behind by eleven points at one time during the second half.
“I thought they punched us the first five minutes of the game and the first five minutes of the second half,” Moore said. “It felt like both halves we were staggering to come back from those two punches.”
Yet the Bobcats continued to fight hard and make an honorable comeback.
With just under six minutes left to go, Dave Johnson (Jackson, N.J.) passed the ball to Drame on the post. Drame worked his way to the hoop, but missed his lay-up attempt. However, Ike Azotam (Boston, Mass.) was on the other end of the basket to pick-up the rebound and laid the ball in for his eighth point of the game.
Then with three-and-a-half minutes left, Young was fouled for a three-point play and also made the point after attempt. Young led all scorers with 16 points on the night.
Late in the game, the Bobcats began to get sloppy, turning over the ball and rarely boxing out for rebounds, especially at the defensive end which gave St. Francis (N.Y.) second chance points.
“We’ve gotten a little bit away from what we’ve been the last three weeks. We’ve been about defense and about rebounding,” said Moore.
With under a minute left in the game, Drame grabbed a defensive rebound off a missed St. Francis shot, which led to a Bobcat fast break by James Johnson (Queens, N.Y.). Johnson was fouled attempting a lay-up, in which James Johnson buried both free throws.
It was too little too late for the Bobcats as they played catch-up the entire second half. With time winding down under a minute left to play, Quinnipiac had to start fouling in order to stop the clock.
Terriers controlled the final minutes of the game that ultimately handed the Bobcats their eleventh loss of the season and seventh in conference play.
“They imposed their will a little more on us than we did on them,” said Moore.
With a win, Quinnipiac could have moved into third place in the NEC. However, they remain in forth place in the standings.
The Bobcats face an uphill battle in their next game as they travel to face the first place team in the NEC, Long Island University, on Saturday Feb. 18. The game is scheduled to start at 4:30 p.m.
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