Men's Basketball Looks To Bounce Back At Mount St. Mary's
1/21/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Mount St. Mary's University Mountaineers (6-14, 4-3 NEC)
Saturday, January 22, 2011 - 7 p.m.
Knott Arena - Emmitsburg, Md.
Bobcats Face The Mount Saturday
The Quinnipiac University men's basketball team looks to
snap its first stretch of consecutive losses this season Saturday
when it travels to Mount St. Mary's. The Bobcats are coming off
losses at Brown and Wagner. Most recently, the Seahawks downed
Quinnipiac, 90-80, Thursday in Staten Island behind 57.9 percent
shooting, including 66.7 percent (10-15) from long range. They also
connected on 36-of-44 free throws. James Johnson led Quinnipiac
with 24 points and stands just three shy of 1,000 for his career.
Meanwhile, Mount St. Mary's defeated Sacred Heart, 61-45, Thursday
for its second straight win. Shawn Atupem erupted for 20 points on
8-for-9 shooting, six rebounds and three steals. Julian Norfleet
(13) and Lamar Trice (11) also scored in double figures. The
Bobcats look to even the all-time series, in which the Mount
currently holds a 12-11 edge.
Rebounding Dominance
The Bobcats lead the nation in offensive rebounds per game
(17.0) and are second in rebounds per game (42.5). They also rank
10th nationally in rebound margin (+8.2). Quinnipiac is one of just
three teams in the nation ranked in the top 10 in all three
categories, joining No. 5 Pittsburgh and No. 21/20 Kansas
State.
Scouting the Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers
The Mount (6-14, 3-3 NEC) is led by Lamar Trice, whose
13.9 points, 3.1 assists and 1.2 steals per game are all team
highs. Shawn Atupem has chipped in 10.4 points and 5.0 rebounds per
game, both second on the team. Julian Norfleet averages 9.2 points
per game, while Raven Barber has shot an NEC-best 65.2 percent from
the floor in averaging 8.0 points per game. Danny Thompson has
grabbed a team-high 6.3 rebounds per game and blocked 1.3 shots per
game. Jean Cajou has returned to the team after withdrawing from
school in the first semester and has averaged 2.5 points and 1.8
rebounds in 10.5 minutes per game off the bench.
Last
Time Out Against Wagner
James Johnson scored 24 points, but it wasn't enough as
Wagner shot the lights out to defeat Quinnipiac, 90-80, Thursday
night at the Spiro Sports Center. Latif Rivers led Wagner with 30
points.
Last
Time Against Mount St. Mary's
James Johnson scored eight points in the final 57 seconds
to propel the Bobcats to a 77-75 victory against Mount St. Mary's,
Dec. 4. Trailing by four in the final minute, Johnson nailed two
three-pointers, stripped the Mount's Julian Norfleet with five
seconds left, and made the game-winning runner just prior to the
final buzzer.
Follow the Bobcats
Saturday's game can be heard live on AM 1220 WQUN. Bill
Schweizer will have the play-by-play call, while Greg Ott will
provide color commentary. Live Video will be available on
www.mountathletics.com, at a cost of $7.99. Live stats will also be
provided free of charge by the Mount St. Mary's athletics
website.
In
Need Of One Moore Road Win
The Bobcats have earned a victory in 10 of the 11 gyms in
the Northeast Conference in four years under Head Coach Tom Moore.
The only place they haven't won is Mount St. Mary's. Quinnipiac is
0-3 at Knott Arena under Moore, falling twice in Emmitsburg in the
2007-08 season, before taking a 61-56 defeat in 2009-10.
Bo's
Countdown To 1,000
James Johnson stands just three points shy of 1,000 for
his career. He'd become the 35th player in Quinnipiac history and
the ninth at Division I to reach the 1,000-point plateau.
Doing More With Less
The Bobcats lead the nation in offensive rebounds per game
(17.00) and are second in rebounds per game (42.5) despite having
the 13th-least height in the nation. According to kenpom.com, the
Bobcats are 333rd of 345 teams in the nation in average height
(75.0 inches).
Bobcats Helping Bobcats
The Bobcats lead the NEC at 15.50 assists per game, good
for 41st in the nation. Their 1.23 assist-to-turnover ratio is 34th
in the nation.
Starting Off Strong
At 12-6, the Bobcats are off to the best 18-game start to
a season in program Division I history. The 1999-2000 and 2009-10
teams also went 12-6 through 18 games.
Bo
Knows (Insert Statistical Category Here)
James Johnson's name is listed among the statistical
leaders in the Northeast Conference in seven of 13 categories kept
by the league. He leads the league in assist-to-turnover ratio
(2.68) and ranks third in scoring (16.3). He's fourth in
three-point field goals made per game (2.28) and steals per game
(1.83), seventh in free-throw percentage (.846) and assists (3.72),
and eighth and minutes per game (33.33).
Lookin' Up At QU
The Bobcats are in the top four in 12 of 19 statistical
categories kept by the NEC, including the top spot in five. They're
first in rebounding offense (42.5), rebounding margin (+8.2),
assists (15.50), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.23) and offensive
rebounds (17.00). QU ranks second in scoring offense (74.2),
rebound defense (34.3) and defensive rebounds (25.50). They rank
third in scoring margin (+3.9) and fourth in field-goal percentage
(.422), blocked shots (3.56) and turnover margin (+1.44).
'Tay-king On A Larger Role
In six games without Justin Rutty, Deontay Twyman has
stepped up to the tune of 15.3 points and 4.3 assists per game,
both team highs. He highlighted the stretch with a career-high 23
points, 18 in the first half, against CCSU, Jan. 15.
Shoot Better And Win
The Bobcats are 9-0 this season when outshooting their
opponent. By contrast, they're 3-6 when being outshot.
New
High For Dom
Dominique Langston scored 15 points at Wagner,
establishing a new season high. He had scored 14 points on two
prior occasions.
Eighty Up
The Bobcats had won 18 straight games when scoring 80
points or more, prior to a 90-80 loss at Wagner, Jan. 20.
Alright On The Road
The Bobcats won their first five road games this season,
becoming the first team in NEC history to win its first five road
contests. The streak was snapped, Jan. 17, as the Bobcats fell at
Brown.
Rutty Eyes Exclusive 1,000-1,000 Club
Justin Rutty stands at 1,357 points and 917 rebounds in
his career. Just two QU players have reached both 1,000 points and
rebounds.
Three Streak Extended
With two threes against Wagner, QU extended its streak of
making at least one three-pointer in each of the last 302 contests.
The last time QU didn't knock down a three was Dec. 19, 2000, at
Dartmouth (0-11).
Movin' On Up
With 917 rebounds, Justin Rutty ranks fifth all-time at QU
and ninth all-time in the NEC. Rutty passed Al Carfora '80 (846)
for fifth on the QU list with eight rebounds against Maine, while
moving past FDU's Greg Foster (916) on the NEC list with 11
rebounds against Wagner on Jan. 3. Marist's Ted Taylor (923) and
FDU's Rahshon Turner (927) are next on Rutty's climb up the NEC
list, while Ed Skwara '69 (933) is next on the QU list.
Rutty Moves Up QU Career Scoring List
With 1,357 career points, Rutty now ranks 13th on the
Quinnipiac career scoring list and third on the Quinnipiac Division
I scoring list. With 26 points at Boston University, Dec. 29, Rutty
moved past former teammate James Feldeine '10 (1,320), as well as
Kason Mims '04 (1,335), on both the all-time and Division I
lists.
Another Impressive QU Rebounding Stat
The Bobcats have grabbed at least 50 rebounds in four
games this season, including a program Division I record 60 against
Lehigh on Dec. 7. Most recently, the Bobcats grabbed 50 boards
against Bryant, Jan. 13. Quinnipiac had three 50-rebound games in
all of 2009-10, and never had three 50-rebound games in 11 prior
years at Division I. Quinnipiac has corralled 50 rebounds in a game
10 times in Tom Moore's four years at QU. In nine prior years at
Division I, QU had just five 50-rebound games, with only two coming
against teams classified at Division I at the time of
competition.
Johnson Dishes Out Number 300
James Johnson dished out his 300th career assist, Dec. 22
at Niagara. He now stands at 326 career assists, good for fourth on
the Quinnipiac Division I list.
Johnson's Elite Company
With the 72nd consecutive start to begin his collegiate
career Dec. 7, James Johnson broke Jared Grasso's '02 Quinnipiac
record for consecutive starts (71) from the outset of his Bobcats'
career at Division I. The streak has now reached 82 games, second
among all QU D-I starts streaks, behind only Kason Mims' '04 record
88-game consecutive starts streak. Johnson became just the eighth
freshman in QU Division I history to start his collegiate debut,
and started all 31 of Quinnipiac's games in 2008-09, joining just
19 other freshmen in the nation to start every game their team
played. Each player to start his first game and complete four years
at QU has scored over 1,000 points. Rob Monroe, Bill Romano, Justin
Rutty and Grasso started their first games and rank first, second,
third and seventh, on the QU scoring list.
More
Exclusive Company For Rutty
Justin Rutty connected on his 500th career field goal
against Yale, Nov. 13, becoming one of just three Quinnipiac
players at the Division I level to achieve the feat. With 10 made
field goals, Dec. 1 against UMass, Rutty (572) jumped ahead of Rob
Monroe '05 (523), and now trails only at Bill Romano '02 (599).
Johnson Steals Milestone
With five steals Nov. 20 against Vermont, James Johnson
became the 13th Quinnipiac player all-time and fifth at Division I
to compile 100 career steals. Ironically, the five steals tied
Johnson's career-high, originally set Dec. 21, 2008, against the
same Vermont team on the same Lender Court before a regional
television audience on NESN. Johnson now stands at 128 career
steals, passing former teammate James Feldeine '10 (124) for ninth
all-time and third at Division I at QU.
Highly-Touted...and Producing
Much-heralded freshman Tevin Baskin had a break-out
performance with 13 points, nine rebounds and two steals against
CCSU on Jan. 15. Five of his nine boards were on the offensive
glass.
Depth The Difference
Quinnipiac's bench outscored Central Connecticut's
reserves, 23-4, Jan. 15.
Chairman of the Boards
Ike Azotam had his first double-double with 10 points and
11 rebounds against Bryant, Jan. 13.
Jamee Jamee Jamee
Jamee Jackson has blocked three shots on four different
occasions this season, including twice in two games against
Fairleigh Dickinson and Bryant, Jan. 8 and 13, respectively.
Dealing A Drought
The Bobcats held Bryant without a field goal until the
6:24 mark of the first half, Jan. 13.
Jackson's Potential Pours Out At Monmouth
Playing without Justin Rutty on the opposite block due to
injury, Jamee Jackson stepped up in a big way with a career-high 20
points on 8-for-12 shooting, Jan. 6 at Monmouth. He also made what
proved to be the game-winning free throw with 14.3 seconds
left.
Dom's Timely Tip-In
Dominique Langston tipped in the game-winner with 3.8
seconds left in regulation as QU defeated Boston University, 82-81,
Dec. 29.
Johnson Feelin' It From Long Range
James Johnson extended a red-hot three-point shooting
streak with a 7-for-11 performance from beyond the arc at Niagara.
The seven three-pointers, most by a Bobcat since Van Crafton '07
knocked down seven, Dec. 7, 2006 at Mount St. Mary's, pushed
Johnson's percentage to 56.7 percent (17-30) over the four-game
stretch.
QU
Can Knock Down the Three, Too
Led by James Johnson's seven trifectas, QU hit 12
three-pointers, Dec. 22 at Niagara, the most by a Quinnipiac team
since the Bobcats knocked down 12 in Tom Moore's debut in Hamden,
Nov. 11, 2007, a double-overtime thriller that QU won against
Hartford, 85-79.
Have
A Day, Tay
Deontay Twyman established new career highs with 19
points, seven rebounds and seven assists, while adding a
highlight-reel block at Niagara, sprinting back on defense to
prevent a fast-break bucket.
Dom's Double-Double
Dominique Langston had produced double-figure points and
rebounds previously in his nine games as a Bobcat, but gave
Quinnipiac both in the same game with 10 points and 12 rebounds for
his first career double-double at Niagara.
Free
'N' Easy
Justin Rutty, a career 48.8 percent free-throw shooter
entering the Dec. 7 game against Lehigh, went 11-for-11 from the
charity stripe against the Mountain Hawks. The streak reached 14
consecutive against URI, before he missed his first free throw at
Niagara on Dec. 22.
Rutty, Langston Earn NEC Recognition
Justin Rutty and Dominique Langston earned NEC Player and
Rookie of the Week, respectively, on Dec. 13, after leading the
Bobcats to a 2-0 week against Lehigh and Rhode Island. Rutty
averaged 20.0 points and 9.0 rebounds, while Langston added 7.5
points, 10.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game.
Quinnipiac Picks Up Signature Victory
The Bobcats picked up perhaps the most impressive win in
program history when they defeated Rhode Island, 73-66, Dec. 11 at
the TD Bank Sports Center. The win is the first in program history
over an Atlantic-10 school.
Welcome to the Fold, T-Bask
Highly-touted recruit Tevin Baskin became eligible for
play following the last day of final exams at Quinnipiac, and saw
his first game action Dec. 22 at Niagara.
New
(Le)High Rebounding Mark
The Bobcats established a new program D-I record with 60
rebounds, Dec. 7 against Lehigh. The prior record of 58 rebounds
came twice in recent years - a double-overtime game against
Hartford, Nov. 11, 2007, and a Jan. 2, 2005 overtime contest
against Division II Longwood.
What
Can Brown Do For Q?
Lance Brown was granted a waiver by the NCAA, Nov. 23, to
become immediately eligible for play after transferring from
Fordham this past Spring. Brown had seven points and four rebounds
in his Bobcats debut at Dartmouth, but missed the next four games
due to injury. He returned, Dec. 11 against Rhode Island.
Dom-inating the Boards
Dominique Langston grabbed 14 rebounds against Lehigh,
Dec. 7, the most by a Quinnipiac player so far this season.
Jump
and Run
The Bobcats began five of their first six games on a run.
They scored the first nine points against Yale, before scoring
seven straight against Hartford. QU scored five straight to open
against Vermont, before scoring the first four and 15 of the first
17 at Dartmouth. The Bobcats also scored six of the first eight
points against Maine, and five straight against Mount St.
Mary's.
Block Party
Six different Bobcats accounted for eight blocks against
Lehigh, Dec. 7. The eight-block performance was only the fourth of
its kind for Quinnipiac at Division I, and the first since the
1999-2000 season. The Braves blocked a program Division I record
nine shots against Yale, Dec. 3, 1999, while registering eight
blocks at Fordham and Long Island, Dec. 21 and Jan. 17,
respectively, in the same season.
Will-ing His Way Into The Line-up
After seeing just 11 minutes in four games to begin the
year, William Harrison made the most of his 13 minutes, Dec. 7
against Lehigh. Harrison scored four points, grabbed nine rebounds
and dished out two assists, including a nifty dime ahead of the
pack to Deontay Twyman to create separation in crunch time.
Super Bo
James Johnson scored eight points in the final 57 seconds
to propel the Bobcats to victory against Mount St. Mary's, Dec. 4.
Trailing by four in the final minute, Johnson nailed two
three-pointers, stripped the Mount's Julian Norfleet with five
seconds left, and made the game-winning runner just prior to the
final buzzer.
Dom
Stealin' and Stuffin'
Dominique Langston established an early career high of
four steals, including the theft and breakaway dunk that completed
the Bobcats' comeback from down 19 against UMass, Dec. 1.
Owning the Offensive Boards Against UMass
A year after grabbing a program Division I-record 28
offensive rebounds at UMass, Dec. 2, 2009, the Bobcats tied their
second-greatest total on the offensive glass with 24 against UMass,
Dec. 1, 2010. Quinnipiac also took 24 offensive caroms against
Yale, Nov. 16, 2009. Justin Rutty led the way with seven offensive
boards in the latest installment against UMass.
Defense Offensive...Then Gets Defensive
After a first half against Maine in which the Bobcats
allowed the Black Bears to shoot 52.2 percent (12-23), the Bobcats
buckled down in the second half, holding Maine to 25.9 percent
(7-27) from the floor.
Langston Huge
Dominique Langston emerged as a solid contributor off the
bench, averaging 13.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game
over two games against Hartford and Vermont.
Not
Up In Here!
Jamee Jackson had three second-half blocks against Maine,
each leading to Bobcats offensive production. After his first block
just less than two minutes in, James Johnson hit a three on the
ensuing possession. Immediately following his block at the 11:53
mark, Dave Johnson nailed one from long range. Finally, following
his rejection at the 5:08 mark, James Johnson hit a jumper on the
next time down on offense.
A
Lot To Like With Ike
Ike Azotam went 7-for-7 from the floor for 15 points to go
along with seven rebounds, Nov. 23, at Dartmouth. The 100 percent
performance was the first of five or more attempts for the Bobcats
since Karl Anderson went 5-for-5 at Monmouth on Feb. 21, 2008. For
his effort, Azotam was named the NEC Co-Rookie of the Week on Nov.
29.
Bo
Knows Scoring
James Johnson scored a game-high 23 points Nov. 16 against
Hartford. He also grabbed seven rebounds and dished out three
assists.
Sweet 16's
Deontay Twyman tied his then-career-high with 16 points
against Yale at the Connecticut 6 Classic, Nov. 13. James Johnson
matched Twyman's 16 points on 5-for-10 shooting and 4-for-4 from
the line.
Dom
From Trey
Dominique Langston made both of his three-point attempts
in his collegiate debut against Yale, Nov. 13, to account for his
six points.
Bonding Overseas
The Bobcats took a 10-day trip to The Netherlands, Belgium
and France this past August. In four games, Quinnipiac went
3-1.
C-T
State of Mind
Quinnipiac was 18-1 in games played in Connecticut,
including a 14-1 home mark in 2009-10. QU established its best
start at home (14-0) in school history.
Moore Wins
With 23 wins in 2009-10, including 15 NEC victories, the
Bobcats set a new program record. The marks edge the 1999-2000 QU
team (18-10, 12-6 NEC) for the most wins at D-I, and passed the
1972-73 and 1979-80 teams for the all-time program record.
Everybody's Favorite
The Northeast Conference's coaches selected the Bobcats as
the league's first unanimous favorite since 1997-98 (Long Island).
In addition, The Sporting News, Athlon, Lindy's and the Blue Ribbon
College Basketball Report also picked the Bobcats as the NEC
favorite.
Moore of the Same
Head Coach Tom Moore has won the season opener in each of
his four years at QU, the first three coming against Hartford,
while the most recent came this season against Yale. Prior to
Moore's arrival to Hamden, no Quinnipiac team had won its first
game of the season during the school's Division I era. Teams that
have had Moore serving on the coaching staff have won 11
consecutive season openers. The last time one of Moore's teams
didn't win its first game was Nov. 11, 1999, when defending
National Champion and top-ranked UConn was upset by Iowa in the
Coaches vs. Cancer IKON Classic. None of Quinnipiac's other five
coaches all-time won their first three season openers, and only
Burt Kahn won as many as four straight at any point. Kahn won six
straight from 1967-68 through 1972-73.
Quinnipiac, Rutty Grab Top Rankings
The Bobcats ranked 14th in the nation in offensive
rebounds per game (14.6) in 2009-10. Individually, Justin Rutty
ranked second nationally at 4.9 offensive boards per game, a year
after finishing second in the nation behind only Pittsburgh's
DeJuan Blair (5.6 oreb/game) with 4.6 offensive caroms per
game.
Keeping Good Company
Quinnipiac was one of just four teams in the NCAA ranked
in the top 10 nationally in both rebound margin and rebounds per
game in 2009-10. The Bobcats ranked second in rebound margin and
10th in rebounds per game. Quinnipiac joined nationally-ranked
Kentucky (4th - rebound margin, 5th - rebounds per game) and Kansas
(9th - rebound margin, 7th - rebounds per game), as well as Radford
(7th - rebound margin, 1st - rebounds per game) in the exclusive
club. Quinnipiac also ranked 14th in offensive rebounds
(14.61).
Twelve In Fourteen
Justin Rutty compiled his Quinnipiac Division I record
24th, 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th, 29th and 30th career double-doubles
in seven consecutive games, Feb. 18-Mar. 10, 2010, and had 12
double-doubles in his last 15 games of the season. Rutty began the
streak with five straight double-doubles, Jan. 24-Feb. 6. After a
two-game stretch when he missed a double-double by two rebounds
against St. Francis (N.Y.) and two points against LIU, Rutty reeled
off seven more consecutive double-doubles.
Rutty's Keeping Good Company
At 15.3 points and 10.9 rebounds per game, Justin Rutty
was one of just 20 players nationally to average a double-double in
2009-10.
Bobcats Experience Historic 2009-10 Season
The Quinnipiac University men's basketball team
experienced a historic season of firsts in 2009-10. Jim Phelan NEC
Coach of the Year Tom Moore led the Bobcats to a program-record 23
wins, the first Northeast Conference Regular Season Championship in
team history, and a berth into the National Invitation Tournament,
the first national postseason tournament appearance in program
Division I history. Junior forward Justin Rutty was named the NEC
Player of the Year, becoming the first player in program history
earn the award. Both Rutty and senior wing James Feldeine were
named to the All-NEC First Team Moore's recognition as Coach of the
Year was also a first in program history.
On
the Rebound
Quinnipiac was outrebounded just three times in 2009-10,
and owned a +8.5 rebounding margin, second-best in the
nation.
On
Deck
The Bobcats return home Thursday to face Robert Morris.
The game will be broadcast live on MSG. Opening tip is scheduled
for 7 p.m.
