QU Men's Basketball Falls At Siena In Regular Season Finale

Sunday, February 28

Times Union Center - Albany, NY

2:00 PM

Quinnipiac University

9-20, 6-14

Siena College

20-11, 13-7

Quinnipiac

Siena

QU Men's Basketball Falls At Siena In Regular Season Finale

2/28/2016 4:05:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

By: QU Sports Information

ALBANY, N.Y. – The Siena men's basketball team jumped out to a 12-0 lead and led wire-to-wire as it earned an 80-65 win over Quinnipiac on Sunday afternoon at the Times Union Center in the regular season finale for both teams.

With the win, Siena improves to 20-11 and 13-7 in the MAAC, securing the third seed in the conference tournament. Quinnipiac concludes the regular season at 9-20 overall and 6-14 in the MAAC, and will be either the ninth seed in the MAAC Tournament, opening against No. 8 Rider on Thursday for the right to meet top-seeded Monmouth in Friday's quarterfinals.

Freshman guard Nico Clareth had 20 points in the first half to stake the Saints to a 45-27 lead at the break, before finishing with a game-high 24 on the day. Freshman forward Abdulai Bundu (Upper Marlboro, Md.) had all of his team-high 14 points in the second half for Quinnipiac, while sophomore forward Chaise Daniels (Meriden, Conn.) and senior guard Giovanni McLean (Bronx, N.Y.) each added 10.

The Bobcats got back into it after falling behind 12-0, pulling within 16-11 with 11:33 left after McLean scored six straight Bobcat points. Sophomore forward Donovan Smith (Chicago, Ill.) had back to back post ups, scoring once with his right hand and once with his left, to keep the Bobcats within 23-16.

A three-pointer from freshman guard Andrew Robinson (Takoma Park, Md.) off a hit-ahead pass from McLean made the score 26-20, but the Saints closed out the half on a 19-5 run, keyed by two three-pointers from Clareth, to take a commanding 45-27 lead into the break.

The Bobcats weren't able to sustain any momentum in the second half, as Javion Ogunyemi scored 14 of his 17 points after halftime. Bundu had nine straight Quinnipiac points during one stretch in the second half, including two three-point plays, but the Bobcats weren't able to get the lead under 15 until the final minute.

Siena held a 47-36 edge in the rebounding department, only the seventh time in the last four years that the Bobcats have lost the battle of the boards. It was also only the third time in Head Coach Tom Moore's nine seasons that Quinnipiac has suffered a double-digit rebounding deficit (two this year, including against Iona on Jan. 2). The Bobcats have been +10 or better on the boards 107 times in that span.

Quinnipiac will open play at the MAAC Tournament back against Rider, which it split with during the regular season. Smith had 15 points and 14 rebounds against the Broncs in a 64-60 win at home on Jan. 4.