QU Men's Basketball Hosts Monmouth on Thursday Night at 7 PM
2/5/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Quinnipiac University (11-10, 5-7 MAAC) vs.
Monmouth University (12-11, 8-4 MAAC)
Thursday, February 5, 2015 • 7:00 PM
TD Bank Sports Center • Hamden, Conn.
All-Time Series vs. Monmouth (DI): 18-13 (17-13)
Last Meeting: January 9, 2015 • W, 68-64
QU Last Five: 3-2
MU Last Five: 3-2
- Quinnipiac Game Notes as a PDF
- Monmouth Game Notes as a PDF
- Live Stream: QuinnipiacBobcats.com
- Live Audio: AM 1220 WQUN
(PxP: Bill Schweizer • Color: Bill Mecca, Bob Tipson) - Live Stats: QuinnipiacBobcats.com
- Tickets: QuinnipiacBobcats.com
THE OPENING TIP
After a weekend road trip to upstate New York, the Quinnipiac men's basketball team returns to Hamden for a pair of games this week. The two-game stint kicks off on Thursday night when the Bobcats go for the regular season sweep of Monmouth University. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the TD Bank Sports Center.
ALL-TIME AGAINST MONMOUTH
Quinnipiac collected its first MAAC win of the season when these two teams squared off last month. The Bobcats came from behind to defeat the Hawks, 68-64, and extended its longest winning streak against any one team to nine straight games. Since head coach Tom Moore took over in 2007, Quinnipiac is 12-2 against the tristate foe and 6-2 in New Jersey. Quinnipiac has also won seven straight in Hamden, suffering its last home defeat to Monmouth in January of 2006.
QUINNIPIAC UPENDED IN DOUBLE OVERTIME
Evan Conti and Zaid Hearst poured in 26 points apiece last Sunday, but Quinnipiac was stunned in double-overtime at Niagara, 105-100, at the Gallagher Center in upstate New York. Quinnipiac put forth a valiant effort at the end of regulation to force overtime, capped off by a Hearst layup with 1.5 seconds left to tie the score. Quinnipiac and Niagara played even through the next five minutes, but the Purple Eagles managed to pull away in the second frame to claim the home triumph. Conti and Hearst led a group of four Bobcats who finished with double digits offensively. The Bobcats shot 46.6 percent for the game but struggled to contain Niagara's offense, especially from long range. Niagara shot 47.8 percent from the field and knocked down 12 threes at a 54.5 percent clip (12-22). Ousmane Drame battled foul trouble all game long, but still managed 17 points and five rebounds. Justin Harris was the fourth player in double figures with 10 points and eight rebounds in a career high 44 minutes of play.
SCOUTING THE HAWKS
Winners in four of its last six games, Monmouth enters Thursday night's bout in a three-way tie for second place in the league standings. Rider and Manhattan join Monmouth with an 8-4 record, sitting two games behind the conference leader in Iona College. Last weekend, Monmouth dropped an 87-76 decision to Manhattan College at home – a place that the team has struggled this year. Monmouth boasts a 3-3 record in league games at home while holding a league-best 5-1 record on the road. Offensively, the Hawks are led by their point guard Justin Robinson who averages 12.9 points and 3.7 assists per game. Deon Jones is behind him at 11.9 points per game with Andrew Nicholas averaging 8.0 points per outing. In conference play, Robinson averages 16.3 points and 3.8 assists per game. He had 15 points in the first meeting between the two teams.
REBOUNDING DOMINANCE
Quinnipiac leads the nation in total rebounding (44.9) and rebounding margin (12.5), and ranks second in offensive rebounding (16.1). Last year, the Bobcats led the nation in rebounding margin (11.8), offensive rebounds per game (16.7), and rebounds per game (45.4). Quinnipiac is the only team in the nation to finish first in all three categories in one season (2013-14) since QU joined the Division I ranks (1998-99).
REBOUNDING MARGIN
With Tom Moore at the helm, Quinnipiac has out-rebounded its opponent in 210 of his 242 games (.868) – including 83 of its last 85 games without losing the battle on the glass. In 92 of the 240 games, QU has posted a plus-10 or better rebounding margin, including 28 with plus-20 or better and a rebounding-margin high of 31 against Maine on Nov. 25, 2013. The Bobcats hold a remarkable 76-16 (.826) mark when holding a plus-10 edge and a 22-6 (.786) record with plus-20.
CRASHING THE BOARDS
Quinnipiac has three of the league's top 12 rebounders - Ousmane Drame (10.7), Justin Harris (6.4) and Zaid Hearst (6.3) – with Evan Conti (4.6) ranking top 30. Drame leads the MAAC in total rebounding, and defensive rebounding (7.7), and is tied for first with teammate Justin Harris in offensive rebounding (3.0). Drame ranks 12th in the nation in rebounds per game and fifth in defensive rebounds per game.
ANOTHER REBOUNDING STAT…
Quinnipiac posted 53 rebounds against Lehigh (12/18); marking the 28th time that QU corralled 50 rebounds in a game since joining Division I. In nine years prior to Tom Moore's arrival, QU had just five 50-rebound games, with only two coming against teams classified at Division I at the time of competition. The Bobcats have since eclipsed 60 rebounds twice and had a season high of 59 against La Salle (11/18).
STACKING UP IN NEW ENGLAND
Head Coach Tom Moore's .574 overall winning percentage is fifth best among active Division I Coaches in New England, only trailing UConn's Kevin Ollie (.700), Harvard's Tommy Amaker (.667), Vermont's John Becker (.640), and Providence's Ed Cooley (.593). (Winning percentage among coaches with at least one season at respective institution)
HOME SUCCESS FOR MOORE
Since head coach Tom Moore took over in 2007, the Bobcats are 73-39 (.652) overall and 49-21 (.700) in conference games in Hamden. Quinnipiac is 25-8 in its last 33 home games at the TD Bank Sports Center. In the last six seasons, Quinnipiac is 60-24 (.714) overall and 38-13 (.745) against conference opponents at the Bank - which serve as the second best winning percentages among MAAC teams during that stretch. Furthermore, Quinnipiac has won 17 of its last 22 games at home against conference opposition (dating back to 2012-13).
QUINNIPIAC IN FEBRUARY
Over course of the past six seasons in February, Quinnipiac is 34-7 (.829) overall and 17-2 (.895) in home games. All of these games have been against conference opposition. Quinnipiac is 14-3 over the last three seasons and was 7-1 last year.
EFFICIENT OFFENSE
Quinnipiac made 50.8 percent of its shots against Maine (12/29), surpassing the mark for the second time this year. The Bobcats made a season-high 54.9 percent of their field goal attempts against Vermont (11/30). Quinnipiac has made at least 50 percent of their shots in 34 games over the last six seasons, posting a 29-5 (.853) mark when accomplishing that feat. Quinnipiac was 17-1 last year when making 43.0 percent of its field goal attempts and is 6-1 this year.
CALM, COOL AND COLLECTED
Quinnipiac leads the MAAC and ranks third in the nation in free-throw shooting percentage (.779). The Bobcats sank 28-of-32 (.875) against Vermont (11/30), the most since making 31 against Canisius (2/20/14) last season. Kasim Chandler (82.4) ranks third in the MAAC in free-throw shooting percentage while Justin Harris (80.4), Ousmane Drame (80.0), and Zaid Hearst (79.6) rank sixth, eighth and ninth, respectively.
FREE-THROWS MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Quinnipiac went 19-for-21 (90.5 %) from the free-throw line at Albany (11/22), the best team percentage since making 92.5 percent (25-27) at Vermont (12/15/13) last year. Over the last six seasons, Quinnipiac is 66-18 (.786) when making more free-throws than its opponent.
LOCK DOWN DEFENSE
Head coach Tom Moore has repeatedly stressed the importance of keeping opposition to below 40 percent from the floor, and with good reason. Over the past six years, Quinnipiac is 63-22 (.741) when keeping its opponent to 40 percent or below from the field. Quinnipiac has held 13 of its 21 opponents to 40 percent or below this season, including a season low of 32.7 percent against Hartford (11/25).
YA BETTER BOX OUT
Quinnipiac hauled in 27 offensive rebounds against Lehigh (12/18) – its most since posting the same figure at Niagara (2/22/14) last season. The Bobcats have eclipsed 20 offensive rebounds four times this year, and have exceeded 20 second chance points three times. Quinnipiac had 18 offensive rebounds at Canisius (1/30) and 15 at Niagara (2/1).
KEEP THE BALL
Quinnipiac has been better with the basketball in its last nine games, lowering its turnovers per game figure (13.7). Quinnipiac is 5-0 this year when posting 11 or fewer turnovers.
BLOCK PARTY
Quinnipiac had 11 blocks against Yale (11/14), marking the most in a single game since joining Division I. The Bobcats have blocked 10 shots twice this year, did it twice last year and once in 2012-13. Quinnipiac leads the MAAC and ranks 16th nationally in blocks per game (5.5).
BENCHMARK
Quinnipiac posted 37 points off the bench at Iona (1/6) – a season high for the Bobcats. That was the biggest figure for the category since getting 38 from their reserves at Bryant in 2012-13. Quinnipiac has posted at least 30 points from its bench four times this year, which included the 31 against Manhattan (1/23).
RAINING THREES
Quinnipiac matched a season best with nine threes (9-25) at Niagara (2/1), a feat they accomplished earlier this year at Albany (11/22) and at Iona (1/6). Quinnipiac made nine threes in a game twice last season, but both came at home. Prior to this season, the last time Quinnipiac hit nine threes on the road was on Feb. 17, 2011 when the Bobcats drained 10 in an 80-60 win at Bryant. Quinnipiac hit eight in the win at Monmouth (1/9) and went 7-for-13 (53.8) against Marist (1/11).
LENDING A HELPING HAND
Quinnipiac matched a season high of 22 assists against Maine (12/29) – which before this year was the most since dishing out 22 against Monmouth on Feb. 7, 2013. Quinnipiac is averaging 13.2 assists per game which ranks fifth among teams in the MAAC. Individually, Kasim Chandler (3.5) ranks fifth in the MAAC in assists per game with Evan Conti (2.6) sitting in 13th.
SCORING THE BASKETBALL
Zaid Hearst is averaging 20.3 points per game and shooting at a 46.3 percent clip. He ranks fourth in the MAAC and 13th nationally in scoring, serving as one of 16 players averaging at least 20.0 points per game. Hearst has reached double figures in 73 of his 116 career games and 20 of 21 this year.
HEARST APPROACHING 1,500
Zaid Hearst (1,488) climbed higher among Quinnipiac's scoring leaders and is approaching 1,500 career points. Last Friday at Canisius (1/30), he surpassed Bill Romano (1,450) for 15th place on the all-time list. In the Division I era, Hearst ranks fifth, staring down Justin Rutty (1,521) for the fourth position. He also trails Rutty for 14th place on the all-time list.
30 POINT PERFORMANCE
Zaid Hearst scored 30 points for the second time in his career against Yale (11/14). This time, he had a career-high 34 points going 12-for-20 from the field and 4-for-9 from long range. It was the most points scored by a Quinnipiac player since Hearst scored 33 against Canisius (1/30/14) last season. Hearst has two career 30-point games and 21 career 20-point games. Hearst has at least 20 points in eight of the team's last 12 games and seven of the last 10.
BEAST MODE
Zaid Hearst is averaging 37.7 minutes per game which leads the MAAC and ranks ninth nationally for the category. Hearst also played his 116th career game at Quinnipiac, and could challenge the most games ever played within the program (James Johnson, 127).
1,000-1,000
Now three rebounds shy of 1,000 for his career, Ousmane Drame (997) moved into fifth all-time and third in the Division I era in career rebounds at Quinnipiac. He is the fifth Quinnipiac player all-time and the third since joining Division I to record 1,000 points and 900 rebounds in a career. He is also the first to record 1,000 points, 900 rebounds and 100 blocks. Ike Azotam finished one block shy of that accomplishment.
DRAME RIPS 19
Ousmane Drame hauled in 19 rebounds against Manhattan (1/23) which serves as the most by a MAAC player this year. Drame joins 16 other players in the NCAA to pull in 19 boards in one game this year. It was two off his career high (21) – serving as the fourth most by a Quinnipiac Division I player.
TOP 10 IN SCORING
Ousmane Drame (1,222) moved into top 10 in scoring at Quinnipiac (DI), and ranks 21st all-time. Drame scored his 1,000th career point against Vermont (11/30) to become Quinnipiac's 38th player to reach the milestone. He was also just the 11th player to do it since Quinnipiac joined the Division I ranks. He has 1,222 career points and 997 career rebounds, which is on pace for 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. Drame will likely become the third Bobcat to record 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in the last five years.
DOUBLE-DOUBLE MACHINE
Ousmane Drame collected his 39th career double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds at Canisius (1/30). He is chasing Ike Azotam's '14 record of 44 career double-doubles. Drame is averaging 14.6 points and 10.7 rebounds per game – the only MAAC player averaging a double-double. He is tied for the national lead and leads the league in double-doubles (15).
DRAME GOES FOR 30
Ousmane Drame posted a career-high 33 points to go along with 13 rebounds and three blocked shots against Vermont (11/30). Drame ranks eighth in the MAAC in scoring (14.6) and has double-digits in 16 of the 21 games this year. Drame has 10 career 20 point games and one career 30 point game.
ALL-TIME BLOCKS LEADER
With his three blocks against Vermont (11/30), Ousmane Drame (188) surpassed Glenn Phillip '92 (146) for the most blocks in program history. Earlier this year, he matched his QU Division I program record of seven blocks against Yale (11/14), which he had also done twice before. He leads the MAAC and ranks 14th nationally in blocked shots per game (2.8).
HOT HAND FOR CONTI
Evan Conti totaled a career-high 26 points to go along with a season high eight rebounds and two assists at Niagara (2/1). It was his second career 20 point game, hitting a career high five threes in the game. This year, he is third on the team in scoring, averaging 8.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. He picked up his 200th career assist against Manhattan (1/23).
CONTI IN DOUBLE FIGURES
With his double digit performance at Niagara (2/1), Evan Conti reached 10 points for the eighth time this year. The Bobcats are 6-2 when he accomplishes the feat. Conti has 29 career games with at least 10 points, Quinnipiac 18-11 when it happens.
TIMING IS EVERYTHING
Not the tallest or most athletic player on Quinnipiac's roster, Justin Harris finds himself among the league leaders in blocked shots. He set a new career high with four of them against Maine (12/29), averaging 1.1 per game which ranks him ninth among players in the MAAC.
HARRIS CORRALLS FIRST DOUBLE-DOUBLE
Justin Harris compiled his first career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds against Lehigh (12/18). This season, Harris netted a career-high 12 points against Yale (11/14) and then snagged a career best 12 rebounds against La Salle (11/18). He is averaging 6.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game, ranking among the league leaders in rebounding.
ON DECK
Quinnipiac is back in action over the weekend when the Bobcats play host to Niagara. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 8 at the TD Bank Sports Center.
