Quinnipiac University
Rider
QU Men's Basketball Falls to Rider, 56-53
1/15/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
HAMDEN, Conn. - Courtesy of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, the Quinnipiac men's basketball team hosted its first ESPN3 broadcast on Thursday night but suffered a tough loss to Rider University, 56-53, at the TD Bank Sports Center.
The loss, Quinnipiac's first in its last four games, drops the Bobcats to 8-8 on the season and 2-5 in league play. Rider, now winners in seven of its last eight games, improves to 11-7 overall and 5-2 in the conference.
Zaid Hearst (Bethesda, Md.) led Quinnipiac with 17 points and nine rebounds - playing in all 40 minutes. He went 7-for-20 from the floor and dished out two assists. Ousmane Drame (Boston, Mass.) and Ayron Hutton (Virginia Beach, Va.) joined him in double figures with 15 and 11, respectively. Drame added 11 rebounds to complete his 11th double-double of the season and blocked five shots.
Trailing 49-48 with 2:42 remaining, Drame skied for his fifth offensive rebound, made the put-back and drew a foul to give Quinnipiac the lead, 50-49, with 2:25 left. Drame sank the free-throw and the Bobcats went up by two.
The next series of plays were crucial, and went in favor of the visiting Broncs. Teddy Okereafor connected on a layup, Quinnipiac came up empty, and Matt Lopez made a big layup - putting Rider up 53-51 with 64 seconds left.
Quinnipiac failed to score on its ensuing trip, and was forced to send Okereafor to the free-throw line. He made both to put Rider up 55-51 with 31 seconds left. Hutton made a layup on the other end to cut the deficit in half, but one free-throw was enough to solidify a 56-53 final score in Hamden. Quinnipiac turned over its final possession and the clock expired after Rider's final free-throw attempt.
Shooting woes plagued Quinnipiac with the Bobcats shooting 29.1 percent from the floor on the night. Rider wasn't much better but connected on 36.4 percent of its shots, making four more field goals. Quinnipiac dominated the glass, 46-35, and hauled in 19 offensive rebounds for 20 second chance points.
In perhaps his best game at Quinnipiac, Chaise Daniels (Meriden, Conn.) had eight points and six rebounds in 25 minutes. Justin Harris (Paterson, N.J.) also had a bucket.
The first half featured a slow start for both teams, combining to go 3-of-25 from the floor with four turnovers through the first eight minutes. All square at 9-9, Rider gained some separation with a 10-3 run to open its largest lead of the half, 19-12, with 5:47 remaining.
Momentum shifted heading into the locker room though, when Hutton knocked down back-to-back threes to cut into the deficit at the break. Despite shooting 24.1 percent for the half, Rider led by just two, 24-22, at halftime.
Quinnipiac meets Marist for the second time this week on Sunday, Jan. 18 in Poughkeepsie. Tip-off from the McCann Field House is set for 3 p.m.
Fans interested in purchasing tickets for the 2014-15 campaign can call the QU Ticket Office at 203-582-3905, visit the official website of Quinnipiac athletics, www.QuinnipiacBobcats.com or make a trip to the TD Bank Sports Center Ticket Office.
Quinnipiac's 'Go For 3' package is still available throughout the remainder of the 2014-15 season. The package allows fans to purchase three men's basketball tickets at a special discounted rate. The 'Go For 3' bundle is $30 for adults and $12 for children and senior citizens.
Student-athletes, parents and fans can download the QU Athletics schedules to your laptop and mobile devices for free by clicking in the iCalendar link at the bottom of each sport's homepage or the master schedule page. Please follow Quinnipiac Athletics on Facebook and Twitter (@QUAthletics) for all of the latest news and updates.
