In a season full of broken records, the Quinnipiac men’s basketball team put the cherry on top Saturday afternoon, defeating Saint Peter’s 89-74 to take home the Bobcats’ first regular season championship in program history.
In his final regular season game as a college basketball player, graduate student guard Matt Balanc poured in 25 points.
However, it wasn’t just Balanc. Quinnipiac saw eight different players get a bucket, four scoring at least 10 points.
That diverse scoring attack helped the Bobcats open the game fast, jumping out to a 14-7 lead just four minutes into the game.
Quinnipiac kept plugging away, with Balanc knocking down triples on back-to-back possessions midway through the frame to bring the visitors’ lead to double digits.
No matter how well the Peacocks played defense, none of it seemed to matter. The Bobcats scorched the nets, shooting 51% from the field and 55% from three in the first frame, as Quinnipiac took a 48-40 lead into the locker room.
In the second half, Quinnipiac’s shooting didn’t slow down, but the visitors also locked in on the defensive end.
Sophomore forward Corey Washington, who had 24 points in the game, spearheaded a Saint Peter’s run to get the Quinnipiac lead down to just five, forcing a timeout with nine minutes remaining.
The two teams battled, putting together tough buckets and diving for loose balls, but neither team could gain any ground, with the difference still at five as the clock ticked past five minutes to play.
Then, the Bobcats dug in and pushed forward. A tough step-back three by sophomore forward Amarri Tice put the hosts on the ropes, as the Quinnipiac lead grew to 11.
After a Peacock layup, Balanc countered with a bucket of his own, and Tice followed by knocking down two free throws to put the game out of reach.
The Wofford transfer continued to show how invaluable he is for Quinnipiac, finishing the game with 14 points and five rebounds.
With the win, the Bobcats clinched the No. 1 seed in the upcoming MAAC tournament. Quinnipiac will play the winner of Mount St. Mary’s and Canisius on March 13 at 6:30 p.m.
