HAMDEN – In the final home contest for several Quinnipiac players, the Bobcats played arguably their most complete game of the season Thursday night to claim the MAAC Regular Season Championship for a second consecutive year, and hope to win their first MAAC championship.
“So one net down, one to go, right, and this was the layup line,” head coach Tom Pecora said. “We learned how to do it today, and hopefully we can do it again next Saturday.”
Quinnipiac started the game off hot, jumping out to a 12-4 start early, before going ice-cold from three. The team shot seven three pointers before freshman guard Jaden Zimmerman finally made one, 12 minutes into the half. That would be the only three pointer the team would make during the first half, although not for lack of trying. The team shot a combined 9% from downtown in the first period.
But its woes were eased in the second half, as sophomore guard Khaden Bennett and senior forward Alexis Reyes each sank a pair of threes, before graduate student center Paul Otieno and junior forward Amarri Monroe also joined in on the action. The game saw Otieno’s 12th three-ball of the season, which is 10 more than he’s made in the previous two years combined with the Bobcats.
This increased scoring output, and his relationship with graduate student point guard Savion Lewis, who had 11 assists tonight, led Otieno to tally his 1000th career point for the Bobcats on a poster dunk. With this milestone, he became the 21st Bobcat to cross the 1000 point threshold, joining his frontcourt teammate Monroe.
“I’m so proud of him,” Lewis said. “You know, he’s put great work in for the last three years, been one of the most consistent guys I’ve ever played with. So it’s definitely amazing to see him get that award.”
After the Bobcats claimed their second consecutive regular season title — No. 2 Marist fell to Merrimack Thursday — they look to move on to Atlantic City and finally claim the elusive first MAAC Championship in program history.
Even though the Bobcats won against Mount St. Mary’s, there are still mistakes that the team needs to clean up before they chase the MAAC title. Right after tip-off the team recorded a shot-clock violation, before allowing an 8-2 run near the end of the first half, allowing the Mountaineers to go into the break down by one.
And coming out during the second half, the Bobcats looked sluggish. When they faced the Mountaineers earlier this season, they went into halftime also up just one, before dominating the second half 55-22, ending the game with a 34 point victory.
But that was not the case today.
Despite Quinnipiac showing more consistency through the halves, the game was just a two-point contest, until it started an 8-2 run of its own in the last three minutes, to seal the victory.
But the Bobcats showed they can play through adversity, and Pecora echoed that remark.
“It was a team effort,” Pecora said. “And they’re a gritty, tough team, as physical teams there are in the league and chippy at times. But we handled it, we kept our composure, and we were able to do what we needed to do to win.”
Quinnipiac’s next game will be at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey for the MAAC Quarterfinals on March 12 against the winner of the eight and nine seed game. Tip off is set for 6 p.m.
