The men’s basketball team played an exhibition game against the Connecticut All-Stars, a team which featured former Bobcat players Collin Charles, Bill Romano and Jeremy Bishop last Friday, and the Bobcats had a big win with a score of 121-81.
Not in a million years would Bobcat fans ever thought of rooting against Bishop, Romano, and Charles, until they were on the opposite bench.
According to Head Coach Joe DeSantis, the NCAA allows a team to participate in two preseason exhibition games. DeSantis said he chose the Connecticut All-Stars because he coached Troy Bradford, one of the main players on the All-Stars, during his college career.
Although the game was only an exhibition, the Bobcats played with a conviction that has rarely been shown by a Quinnipiac sports team in recent memory.
Coach DeSantis critiqued his players’ performances from the sideline as if it were a playoff match-up against a heated rival. The team showed excellent ball control and was able to dominate the Connecticut All-Stars on the defensive end of the court.
Quinnipiac senior tri-captain Kason Mims, of Astoria, NY, scored a game high 32 points while junior Rob Monroe, of Lanham, MD, contributed 19 points, 13 assists, and 5 steals.
The Quinnipiac faithful were introduced to junior transfer Pierre Faye, of Darkar, Senegal, a 6’9″ and 210 pound forward from Trinity Valley Community College. Faye scored 18 points and pulled down 8 boards in the match.
Hopefully for the basketball team and the fans, Friday night’s exhibition game was a preview of the season to come. So far the outlook is positive.
The offensive outburst is extremely rare for the Bobcats. The Bobcats were held under triple figures in scoring all of last season. With a 121 point effort against the All-Stars, Quinnipiac showed the league that it is a force to be reckoned with.
Bishop led the trio of former Bobcat players with 18 points while adding five rebounds. Romano led the QU alum with 10 rebounds while chipping in a team high 10 rebounds. Charles fouled out after playing only 21 minutes but was able to tally five points, 3 assists, and 3 rebounds.
