Thursday, March 2
Albany, NY
5:00 PM
Quinnipiac University
vs
Niagara University
Senior Daniel Harris shoots in his final game at the TD Bank Center on Feb. 26 - photo by Alex Serbetzian
QU Men's Basketball Faces Niagara Thursday In MAAC Opening Round
2/28/2017 10:08:00 AM | Men's Basketball
2017 MAAC Tournament - Opening Round
#8 Quinnipiac University Bobcats vs.
#9 Niagara Purple Eagles
Date: Thursday, March 2, 2017 (5 p.m.)
Location: Times Union Center | Albany, N.Y.
All-Time Series vs. Niagara QU leads 8-2
Current Streak: QU - 3 straight
This Year's Meetings: (QU 81-78 at Niagara, QU 89-81 at Quinnipiac)
Follow the Bobcats:
MATCHUP WITH NIAGARA
The Bobcats swept the two regular season meetings with Niagara and have won the last three dating back to last year. All-time, the Bobcats hold an 8-2 edge in the series, including a win in the MAAC Quarterfinals in 2014, which was the first MAAC Tournament game the Bobcats played in after moving to the league from the NEC.
JAN. 2 at NIAGARA (QUINNIPIAC 81, NIAGARA 78)
Mikey Dixon hit two go-ahead shots in the final minute, including the eventual winner with 23 seconds left, as Quinnipiac came back from a 76-65 deficit with four minutes left to earn a comeback 81-78 win over Niagara on Monday. Dixon (23 points) and fellow freshman guard Peter Kiss (18 points) combined to score 41, while senior forward Donovan Smith had a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds. Dixon hit a three-pointer to put Quinnipiac ahead 77-76 before Kahlil Dukes answered for Niagara with 35 seconds left. Dixon came back to knock down the game-winner from 12 feet before Chaise Daniels drew a key charge. Reggie Oliver knocked down two foul shots to push the lead to three, and Smith pulled down the defensive rebound to seal it.
FEB. 4 at QUINNIPIAC (QUINNIPIAC 89, NIAGARA 81)
Quinnipiac roared out to a 28-point lead in the first half, and then fended off a second-half Niagara rally to capture an 89-81 home win on Feb. 4. The Bobcats jumped out to early leads of 6-0, 14-2 and 18-3 and then took their largest lead of the night at 44-16 late in the first half. Niagara used a 10-2 run to close to within 48-26 lead at the break and then got as close as six points twice late in the game. The first came with the score 81-75 with 2:30 to go, but Peter Kiss stepped up with a big three-point play to push the lead to nine, and Phil Winston and Chaise Daniels went 4-for-4 at the foul line in the final minute to help seal it. Kiss flirted with a triple-double with 23 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists, setting new career highs in all three categories, while Daniels had 24 points and 10 rebounds. Kahlil Dukes had 20 of his 29 in the second half to lead Niagara. Quinnipiac was +12 on the boards (48-36), one game after suffering a -25 deficit against Siena on Jan. 30, the worst rebounding deficit in Head Coach Tom Moore's 10 seasons.
DIXON, KISS UNANIMOUS ALL-ROOKIE TEAM PICKS
Freshman guards Mikey Dixon and Peter Kiss were unanimous selections to the MAAC All-Rookie team, it was announced on Monday. The freshman duo also saw their names come up on the MAAC weekly awards quite frequently this season, combining to win 10 MAAC Rookie of the Week honors, including the last eight in a row from Jan. 9-Feb. 27. Dixon won three straight from Jan. 9-23, Kiss took three in a row from Jan. 30-Feb. 13, and Dixon won the last two. There were nine weekly awards during full MAAC play this season (Dec. 6 and Jan. 9-Feb. 27), and Dixon and Kiss won the Rookie of the Week all nine times.
DIXON SETS QUINNIPIAC DI FRESHMAN SCORING MARK
Freshman guard Mikey Dixon had 29 points in Quinnipiac's 95-90 win over Canisius on Jan. 20. That established a new program record for most points in a DI game by a freshman, passing the old mark of 27, which he tied in the previous game vs. Iona on Jan. 14. After closing out the regular season with 28 points against Rider on Sunday, he now has the top three single-game scoring outputs for a Bobcat freshman.
Most Points In A Game For A QU Freshman (DI Level)
29 Mikey Dixon 1/20/17 vs. Canisius
28 Mikey Dixon 2/26/17 vs. Rider
27 Mikey Dixon 1/14/17 vs. Iona
27 Kason Mims 1/29/01 vs. LIU
27 Rob Monroe 3/1/02 vs. Wagner
DIXON IN TOP 10 NATIONALLY IN FRESHMAN SCORING
Freshman guard Mikey Dixon had 56 points in a two-game stretch against Iona and Canisius (see above) to move into the top 10 nationally in scoring among freshmen, and is currently in eighth (which matches his high-water mark).
National Freshman Scoring Leaders (through 2/27)
1. 23.2 Markelle Fultz, Washington
2. 21.5 Malik Monk, Kentucky
3. 18.7 Dennis Smith, Jr., N.C. State
4. 18.0 Preston Parks, The Citadel
5. 17.3 Shamorie Ponds, Saint John's
6. 16.9 Marcus LoVett, Saint John's
7. 16.9 Christian Keeling, Charleston Southern
8. 16.8 Mikey Dixon, Quinnipiac
9. 16.8 T.J. Leaf, UCLA
10. 16.6 Michael Weathers, Miami (Ohio)
DIXON ON HISTORIC PACE
Mikey Dixon (16.8 ppg) will easily break the Quinnipiac Div. I record for freshman scoring (Rob Monroe holds the old record at 13.0 ppg). He also needs just one point to move into the top 10 in QU's Division I history for total points in a season and 22 to move into the top five (all classes) - see below:
All-Time QU Freshman Scoring Leaders (All Divisions)
1. 16.8 Mikey Dixon, 2016-17 (as of now)
2. 16.7 Frank Berretta, 1979-80
3. 16.5 Troy Adams, 1986-87
4. 16.4 Harold Driver, 1974-75
5. 14.4 Rick Barry, 1991-92
6. 13.5 Lester Ayala, 1987-88
7. 13.3 Peter Kiss, 2016-17 (as of now)
8. 13.0 Rob Monroe, 2001-02 - Current DI record
QU DI Single-Season Points Leaders (All Classes)
1. 607 DeMario Anderson, 2007-08
2. 589 Rob Monroe, 2004-05
3. 549 Zaid Hearst, 2014-15
4. 546 James Feldeine, 2009-10
5. 526 James Feldeine, 2008-09
6. 520 Ike Azotam, 2013-14
7. 518 Bill Romano, 2001-02
8. 515 James Johnson, 2010-11
9. 511 James Johnson, 2011-12
10. 505 Justin Rutty, 2009-10
11. 504 Mikey Dixon, 2016-17 (as of now)
GUARDED OPTIMISM FOR QU FUTURE
There are very few teams in the country with a pair of freshman guards as productive as Mikey Dixon (16.8 ppg) and Peter Kiss (13.3 ppg), who currently rank 1-2 among MAAC freshmen in scoring. Dixon and Kiss also rank No. 6 and No. 18 overall among MAAC scorers in all classes (and No. 4 and No. 13 in league games). Entering the week, only three schools (Kentucky, Saint John's, UCLA) have their top two freshmen averaging more than Quinnipiac's 30.0 ppg, while only seven schools have two freshman guards with 10+ ppg (see below).
Combined Scoring Avg For Top Two Freshmen (thru 2/26)
37.0 Kentucky: Malik Monk (21.5), De'Aaron Fox (15.5)
34.2 Saint John's: Shamorie Ponds (17.3), Marcus LoVett (16.9)
31.6 UCLA: T.J. Leaf (16.8), Lonzo Ball (14.8)
30.1 Quinnipiac: Mikey Dixon (16.8), Peter Kiss (13.3)
29.7 Michigan State: Miles Bridges (16.3), Nick Ward (13.4)
Teams with Two Fr. Guards at 10+ PPG (thru 2/26)
Kentucky: Malik Monk (21.5), De'Aaron Fox (15.5)
Saint John's: Shamorie Ponds (17.3), Marcus LoVett (16.9)
Quinnipiac: Mikey Dixon (16.8), Peter Kiss (13.3)
Auburn: Mustapha Heron (15.1), Jared Harper (11.9)
Mississippi State: Lamar Peters (11.3), Mario Kegler (10.3)
Arizona: Rawle Alkins (11.0), Kobi Simmons (10.3)
UMass: Dejone Jarreau (10.1), Luwane Pipkins (10.0)
POISE BEYOND THEIR YEARS
In addition to their impressive stat totals, Quinnipiac freshmen Mikey Dixon and Peter Kiss have shown early signs of having the clutch gene. In road wins over Niagara and Fairfield, they each were given the ball to create their own shots and knocked down the game-winner. Dixon made a 10-foot stepback with 22.4 seconds left to put the Bobcats ahead by one at Niagara, while Kiss hit a 10-foot floater with 1.9 left to defeat Fairfield 73-71.
BLOCK PARTY
Chaise Daniels and Donovan Smith have each tied the Quinnipiac Division I record with seven blocks in a game this season. Daniels matched the mark on Jan. 30 against Siena, while Smith had seven blocks in Quinnipiac's 81-72 win over Manhattan on Jan. 7. They both have matched the standard set four times by Ousmane Drame '15. Daniels also now has 115 blocks in his career, placing him second in Quinnipiac's DI history, while his 47 blocks this season ranks fourth.
THREE-FOR-ALL
Senior guard Daniel Harris was 5-5 from beyond the arc at Manhattan last season, tying for the second best single-game effort in school history at the DI level, behind only a 6-6 effort from Rashaun Banjo in 2001-02. Peter Kiss has had two games of 4-4 from behind the arc this season (Seton Hall, Manhattan), which ties him for fifth place, while Reggie Oliver joined that tie against Canisius on Jan. 20.
DOUBLING UP
Quinnipiac has 16 double-doubles this season from five different players. Chaise Daniels has six to lead the team, while Donovan Smith and Peter Kiss each have three, and Abdulai Bundu and Mikey Dixon have two. Kiss also had 23 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists vs. Niagara (Feb. 4) to threaten for a triple-double.
Quinnipiac Double-Doubles
Nov. 25: Chaise Daniels vs. Seton Hall (14 pts, 11 rebs)
Nov. 27: Abdulai Bundu vs. Indiana State (15 pts, 12 rebs)
Dec. 1: Chaise Daniels vs. Monmouth (13 pts, 10 rebs)
Dec. 7: Donovan Smith vs. Hartford (15 pts, 10 rebs)
Dec. 18: Abdulai Bundu vs. Maine (12 pts, 10 rebs)
Jan. 2: Donovan Smith vs. Niagara (13 pts, 13 rebs)
Jan. 7: Peter Kiss vs. Manhattan (20 pts, 10 rebs)
Jan. 14; Donovan Smith vs. Iona (15 pts, 11 rebs)
Jan. 14: Chaise Daniels vs. Iona (22 pts, 11 rebs)
Jan. 27: Chaise Daniels vs. Monmouth (15 pts, 12 rebs)
Feb. 4: Chaise Daniels vs. Niagara (24 pts, 10 rebs)
Feb. 4: Peter Kiss vs. Niagara (23 pts, 13 rebs)
Feb. 6: Peter Kiss vs. Fairfield (18 pts, 12 rebs)
Feb. 17: Mikey Dixon vs. Fairfield (24 pts, 11 rebs)
Feb. 19: Mikey Dixon vs. Manhattan (13 pts, 12 rebs)
Feb. 19: Chaise Daniels vs. Manhattan (15 pts, 13 rebs)
LAST GAME RECAP (RIDER 99, QUINNIPIAC 82)
Quinnipiac had a 51-point first half to take a six-point lead into the break, but Rider answered with a 54-point second half to overtake the Bobcats and earn a 99-82 win at TD Bank Sports Center in the regular season finale on Sunday. The key stretch was a 19-3 run in the second half, which helped the Broncs turn an eight-point deficit into an eight-point lead, and they were able to stretch the lead out in the final few minutes. Mikey Dixon had 18 of his 28 points in the first half on 7-9 shooting, while Andrew Robinson had four three-pointers in the opening 20 minutes to help the Bobcats build as much as a nine-point lead. Kahlil Thomas led Rider with 21 points on 7-10 shooting from the floor, while Norville Carey had 20, Jimmie Taylor had 19 and Stevie Jordan had 16 points and 13 assists. Abdulai Bundu had 11, and Chaise Daniels and Phil Winston each had 10 for the Bobcats.
Inside the Box Score vs. Rider
• Mikey Dixon fell one point shy of his own school record for most points in a game by a freshman at the DI level (29 vs. Canisius on Jan. 20).
• Jimmie Taylor was 3-3 from three-point territory in the first half, after shooting 7-8 in the first meeting with the Bobcats this year and 5-6 against Quinnipiac in the opening round of the MAAC Tournament last year, making him 15-17 over a span of two and a half games. He finally went 0-2 in the second half.
• Quinnipiac had five players in double figures, the second time that happened against Rider this season.
• Peter Kiss (flu) was limited to 13 minutes and had four points, his lowest in MAAC games this year.
• Rider's top five scorers all shot 58 percent (7-12) or better, including 7-10 from Jimmie Taylor and Kahlil Thomas.
• The Bobcats lost the opening tip, which has been a strangely bad omen this season. Quinnipiac has to win (0-15) this season when it loses the jump ball (it is 10-5 when it controls the opening tap).
MILESTONE SEASONS FOR MOORE
Head Coach Tom Moore is in a pair of milestone seasons in his coaching career - his 10th as the head coach at Quinnipiac and his 30th in collegiate coaching (as both an assistant and a head coach), including 23 years at the Division I level (13 as a UConn assistant, 10 at Quinnipiac). As a head coach, he has earned 238 wins (162 at Quinnipiac and 76 in five years at Division III Worcester State). As an assistant coach, he was a part of 365 wins (340 at UConn, 25 in two years at DIII).
INCREASED SCORING
Quinnipiac has had a much improved offense so far this season, averaging 76.9 points per game, up over 11 points from a year ago (65.6 ppg). The Bobcats have also reached 70 points 25 times in 30 games this year, after hitting that mark only 10 times in 30 games last year. Quinnipiac also scored 70 or more in 18 of 20 conference games so far this season, falling well short only in both games with Saint Peter's (55, 45).
BOBCATS SIGN TWO IN FALL PERIOD
Quinnipiac earned a pair of commitments in the fall signing period, landing 6-3 shooting guard Ezekiel Charles of Barton Community College and 6-9 forward Milos Supica of Freedom Christian Academy in Fayetteville, N.C. Charles played scholastically at prestigious Lincoln High School in Brooklyn, while Supica is originally from Belgrade, Serbia.
BOBCATS OVERSEAS
Quinnipiac has had a total of 13 players who have played professionally in Europe since Head Coach Tom Moore took over the job in 2007-08, including four from the Class of 2015 (most of any class). Ousmane Drame (Turkey) and Zaid Hearst (Spain) are starters on their teams in 2016-17, while James Feldeine (Greece) helped his team to a 25-1 record in 2015-16. Justin Rutty (Uruguay) is also back playing again after a strong season in France last year, while Evan Conti is playing his second season of professional basketball in Israel this year.
IF QUINNIPIAC ADVANCES
The Niagara-Quinnipiac winner will move on to Friday's quarterfinal round where a tough challenge awaits against top-seeded Monmouth, which is 26-5 and has won its last 16 games in a row.
FIRST MEETING WITH MONMOUTH (DEC. 1 AT QUINNIPIAC)
The preseason MAAC favorite Monmouth men's basketball team used an 11-0 run spanning both halves to take a 20-point lead and went on to earn a 91-72 win over Quinnipiac on Dec. 1 in the MAAC opener for both teams. Quinnipiac was led in scoring by its freshman guards off the bench, as Mikey Dixon had 18 points while Peter Kiss added 15. Junior forward Chaise Daniels had his third career double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, including his second in the last three games. Collin Stewart led Monmouth with 20 points off the bench, shooting 6-6 overall and 5-5 on threes. Quinnipiac was within nine points in the final minute of the first half, but Stewart was able to get the line when he was fouled chasing down an offensive rebound and hit both foul shots. Josh James started off the second half with a layup, and Micah Seaborn and Je'lon Hornbeak each hit three-pointers to stretch the lead up to 54-34.
LAST MEETING (JAN. 28 AT MONMOUTH)
Quinnipiac battled closely for much of the game at league-leading Monmouth, before a 14-2 Hawks run over the final four minutes put the game away in a 95-76 win. The Bobcats were within seven points at the half (49-42) and had the lead down to seven on seven different occasions in the second half, the last coming at 81-74 with five minutes left on a floater from Mikey Dixon. After getting a steal, the Bobcats had a three in the air from Andrew Robinson to try to close it to four, but it popped out, and Monmouth started on their game-closing run. Peter Kiss led the Bobcats with 22 points on 9-18 shooting, setting a new career high, while Chaise Daniels had a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds. Justin Robinson led Monmouth with 22 points, although he was held to 7-22 shooting from the floor, while Micah Seaborn chipped in with 21.
Inside the Box Score vs. Monmouth
• Chaise Daniels' double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds gave him double-doubles in both meetings with Monmouth this year.
• Peter Kiss had 22 points and nine rebounds, just missing a double-double, while passing his previous high of 20 points set against Manhattan.
• Quinnipiac had 24 offensive rebounds, a season high, including seven from Chaise Daniels and five from Donovan Smith.
• Mikey Dixon's 13 points was his lowest total in a MAAC game against a team other than Saint Peter's.
• Quinnipiac was 4-26 from three, its lowest percentage of the season from beyond the arc (15.6) while tying its lowest total in makes.
#8 Quinnipiac University Bobcats vs.
#9 Niagara Purple Eagles
Date: Thursday, March 2, 2017 (5 p.m.)
Location: Times Union Center | Albany, N.Y.
All-Time Series vs. Niagara QU leads 8-2
Current Streak: QU - 3 straight
This Year's Meetings: (QU 81-78 at Niagara, QU 89-81 at Quinnipiac)
Follow the Bobcats:
- Live Video (ESPN3)
- Live Audio Link (WQUN) (Bill Schweizer, play-by-play; Bill Mecca, Bob Tipson, color)
- Live Stats Link
- Quinnipiac Game Notes
- Follow on Twitter
MATCHUP WITH NIAGARA
The Bobcats swept the two regular season meetings with Niagara and have won the last three dating back to last year. All-time, the Bobcats hold an 8-2 edge in the series, including a win in the MAAC Quarterfinals in 2014, which was the first MAAC Tournament game the Bobcats played in after moving to the league from the NEC.
JAN. 2 at NIAGARA (QUINNIPIAC 81, NIAGARA 78)
Mikey Dixon hit two go-ahead shots in the final minute, including the eventual winner with 23 seconds left, as Quinnipiac came back from a 76-65 deficit with four minutes left to earn a comeback 81-78 win over Niagara on Monday. Dixon (23 points) and fellow freshman guard Peter Kiss (18 points) combined to score 41, while senior forward Donovan Smith had a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds. Dixon hit a three-pointer to put Quinnipiac ahead 77-76 before Kahlil Dukes answered for Niagara with 35 seconds left. Dixon came back to knock down the game-winner from 12 feet before Chaise Daniels drew a key charge. Reggie Oliver knocked down two foul shots to push the lead to three, and Smith pulled down the defensive rebound to seal it.
FEB. 4 at QUINNIPIAC (QUINNIPIAC 89, NIAGARA 81)
Quinnipiac roared out to a 28-point lead in the first half, and then fended off a second-half Niagara rally to capture an 89-81 home win on Feb. 4. The Bobcats jumped out to early leads of 6-0, 14-2 and 18-3 and then took their largest lead of the night at 44-16 late in the first half. Niagara used a 10-2 run to close to within 48-26 lead at the break and then got as close as six points twice late in the game. The first came with the score 81-75 with 2:30 to go, but Peter Kiss stepped up with a big three-point play to push the lead to nine, and Phil Winston and Chaise Daniels went 4-for-4 at the foul line in the final minute to help seal it. Kiss flirted with a triple-double with 23 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists, setting new career highs in all three categories, while Daniels had 24 points and 10 rebounds. Kahlil Dukes had 20 of his 29 in the second half to lead Niagara. Quinnipiac was +12 on the boards (48-36), one game after suffering a -25 deficit against Siena on Jan. 30, the worst rebounding deficit in Head Coach Tom Moore's 10 seasons.
DIXON, KISS UNANIMOUS ALL-ROOKIE TEAM PICKS
Freshman guards Mikey Dixon and Peter Kiss were unanimous selections to the MAAC All-Rookie team, it was announced on Monday. The freshman duo also saw their names come up on the MAAC weekly awards quite frequently this season, combining to win 10 MAAC Rookie of the Week honors, including the last eight in a row from Jan. 9-Feb. 27. Dixon won three straight from Jan. 9-23, Kiss took three in a row from Jan. 30-Feb. 13, and Dixon won the last two. There were nine weekly awards during full MAAC play this season (Dec. 6 and Jan. 9-Feb. 27), and Dixon and Kiss won the Rookie of the Week all nine times.
DIXON SETS QUINNIPIAC DI FRESHMAN SCORING MARK
Freshman guard Mikey Dixon had 29 points in Quinnipiac's 95-90 win over Canisius on Jan. 20. That established a new program record for most points in a DI game by a freshman, passing the old mark of 27, which he tied in the previous game vs. Iona on Jan. 14. After closing out the regular season with 28 points against Rider on Sunday, he now has the top three single-game scoring outputs for a Bobcat freshman.
Most Points In A Game For A QU Freshman (DI Level)
29 Mikey Dixon 1/20/17 vs. Canisius
28 Mikey Dixon 2/26/17 vs. Rider
27 Mikey Dixon 1/14/17 vs. Iona
27 Kason Mims 1/29/01 vs. LIU
27 Rob Monroe 3/1/02 vs. Wagner
DIXON IN TOP 10 NATIONALLY IN FRESHMAN SCORING
Freshman guard Mikey Dixon had 56 points in a two-game stretch against Iona and Canisius (see above) to move into the top 10 nationally in scoring among freshmen, and is currently in eighth (which matches his high-water mark).
National Freshman Scoring Leaders (through 2/27)
1. 23.2 Markelle Fultz, Washington
2. 21.5 Malik Monk, Kentucky
3. 18.7 Dennis Smith, Jr., N.C. State
4. 18.0 Preston Parks, The Citadel
5. 17.3 Shamorie Ponds, Saint John's
6. 16.9 Marcus LoVett, Saint John's
7. 16.9 Christian Keeling, Charleston Southern
8. 16.8 Mikey Dixon, Quinnipiac
9. 16.8 T.J. Leaf, UCLA
10. 16.6 Michael Weathers, Miami (Ohio)
DIXON ON HISTORIC PACE
Mikey Dixon (16.8 ppg) will easily break the Quinnipiac Div. I record for freshman scoring (Rob Monroe holds the old record at 13.0 ppg). He also needs just one point to move into the top 10 in QU's Division I history for total points in a season and 22 to move into the top five (all classes) - see below:
All-Time QU Freshman Scoring Leaders (All Divisions)
1. 16.8 Mikey Dixon, 2016-17 (as of now)
2. 16.7 Frank Berretta, 1979-80
3. 16.5 Troy Adams, 1986-87
4. 16.4 Harold Driver, 1974-75
5. 14.4 Rick Barry, 1991-92
6. 13.5 Lester Ayala, 1987-88
7. 13.3 Peter Kiss, 2016-17 (as of now)
8. 13.0 Rob Monroe, 2001-02 - Current DI record
QU DI Single-Season Points Leaders (All Classes)
1. 607 DeMario Anderson, 2007-08
2. 589 Rob Monroe, 2004-05
3. 549 Zaid Hearst, 2014-15
4. 546 James Feldeine, 2009-10
5. 526 James Feldeine, 2008-09
6. 520 Ike Azotam, 2013-14
7. 518 Bill Romano, 2001-02
8. 515 James Johnson, 2010-11
9. 511 James Johnson, 2011-12
10. 505 Justin Rutty, 2009-10
11. 504 Mikey Dixon, 2016-17 (as of now)
GUARDED OPTIMISM FOR QU FUTURE
There are very few teams in the country with a pair of freshman guards as productive as Mikey Dixon (16.8 ppg) and Peter Kiss (13.3 ppg), who currently rank 1-2 among MAAC freshmen in scoring. Dixon and Kiss also rank No. 6 and No. 18 overall among MAAC scorers in all classes (and No. 4 and No. 13 in league games). Entering the week, only three schools (Kentucky, Saint John's, UCLA) have their top two freshmen averaging more than Quinnipiac's 30.0 ppg, while only seven schools have two freshman guards with 10+ ppg (see below).
Combined Scoring Avg For Top Two Freshmen (thru 2/26)
37.0 Kentucky: Malik Monk (21.5), De'Aaron Fox (15.5)
34.2 Saint John's: Shamorie Ponds (17.3), Marcus LoVett (16.9)
31.6 UCLA: T.J. Leaf (16.8), Lonzo Ball (14.8)
30.1 Quinnipiac: Mikey Dixon (16.8), Peter Kiss (13.3)
29.7 Michigan State: Miles Bridges (16.3), Nick Ward (13.4)
Teams with Two Fr. Guards at 10+ PPG (thru 2/26)
Kentucky: Malik Monk (21.5), De'Aaron Fox (15.5)
Saint John's: Shamorie Ponds (17.3), Marcus LoVett (16.9)
Quinnipiac: Mikey Dixon (16.8), Peter Kiss (13.3)
Auburn: Mustapha Heron (15.1), Jared Harper (11.9)
Mississippi State: Lamar Peters (11.3), Mario Kegler (10.3)
Arizona: Rawle Alkins (11.0), Kobi Simmons (10.3)
UMass: Dejone Jarreau (10.1), Luwane Pipkins (10.0)
POISE BEYOND THEIR YEARS
In addition to their impressive stat totals, Quinnipiac freshmen Mikey Dixon and Peter Kiss have shown early signs of having the clutch gene. In road wins over Niagara and Fairfield, they each were given the ball to create their own shots and knocked down the game-winner. Dixon made a 10-foot stepback with 22.4 seconds left to put the Bobcats ahead by one at Niagara, while Kiss hit a 10-foot floater with 1.9 left to defeat Fairfield 73-71.
BLOCK PARTY
Chaise Daniels and Donovan Smith have each tied the Quinnipiac Division I record with seven blocks in a game this season. Daniels matched the mark on Jan. 30 against Siena, while Smith had seven blocks in Quinnipiac's 81-72 win over Manhattan on Jan. 7. They both have matched the standard set four times by Ousmane Drame '15. Daniels also now has 115 blocks in his career, placing him second in Quinnipiac's DI history, while his 47 blocks this season ranks fourth.
THREE-FOR-ALL
Senior guard Daniel Harris was 5-5 from beyond the arc at Manhattan last season, tying for the second best single-game effort in school history at the DI level, behind only a 6-6 effort from Rashaun Banjo in 2001-02. Peter Kiss has had two games of 4-4 from behind the arc this season (Seton Hall, Manhattan), which ties him for fifth place, while Reggie Oliver joined that tie against Canisius on Jan. 20.
DOUBLING UP
Quinnipiac has 16 double-doubles this season from five different players. Chaise Daniels has six to lead the team, while Donovan Smith and Peter Kiss each have three, and Abdulai Bundu and Mikey Dixon have two. Kiss also had 23 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists vs. Niagara (Feb. 4) to threaten for a triple-double.
Quinnipiac Double-Doubles
Nov. 25: Chaise Daniels vs. Seton Hall (14 pts, 11 rebs)
Nov. 27: Abdulai Bundu vs. Indiana State (15 pts, 12 rebs)
Dec. 1: Chaise Daniels vs. Monmouth (13 pts, 10 rebs)
Dec. 7: Donovan Smith vs. Hartford (15 pts, 10 rebs)
Dec. 18: Abdulai Bundu vs. Maine (12 pts, 10 rebs)
Jan. 2: Donovan Smith vs. Niagara (13 pts, 13 rebs)
Jan. 7: Peter Kiss vs. Manhattan (20 pts, 10 rebs)
Jan. 14; Donovan Smith vs. Iona (15 pts, 11 rebs)
Jan. 14: Chaise Daniels vs. Iona (22 pts, 11 rebs)
Jan. 27: Chaise Daniels vs. Monmouth (15 pts, 12 rebs)
Feb. 4: Chaise Daniels vs. Niagara (24 pts, 10 rebs)
Feb. 4: Peter Kiss vs. Niagara (23 pts, 13 rebs)
Feb. 6: Peter Kiss vs. Fairfield (18 pts, 12 rebs)
Feb. 17: Mikey Dixon vs. Fairfield (24 pts, 11 rebs)
Feb. 19: Mikey Dixon vs. Manhattan (13 pts, 12 rebs)
Feb. 19: Chaise Daniels vs. Manhattan (15 pts, 13 rebs)
LAST GAME RECAP (RIDER 99, QUINNIPIAC 82)
Quinnipiac had a 51-point first half to take a six-point lead into the break, but Rider answered with a 54-point second half to overtake the Bobcats and earn a 99-82 win at TD Bank Sports Center in the regular season finale on Sunday. The key stretch was a 19-3 run in the second half, which helped the Broncs turn an eight-point deficit into an eight-point lead, and they were able to stretch the lead out in the final few minutes. Mikey Dixon had 18 of his 28 points in the first half on 7-9 shooting, while Andrew Robinson had four three-pointers in the opening 20 minutes to help the Bobcats build as much as a nine-point lead. Kahlil Thomas led Rider with 21 points on 7-10 shooting from the floor, while Norville Carey had 20, Jimmie Taylor had 19 and Stevie Jordan had 16 points and 13 assists. Abdulai Bundu had 11, and Chaise Daniels and Phil Winston each had 10 for the Bobcats.
Inside the Box Score vs. Rider
• Mikey Dixon fell one point shy of his own school record for most points in a game by a freshman at the DI level (29 vs. Canisius on Jan. 20).
• Jimmie Taylor was 3-3 from three-point territory in the first half, after shooting 7-8 in the first meeting with the Bobcats this year and 5-6 against Quinnipiac in the opening round of the MAAC Tournament last year, making him 15-17 over a span of two and a half games. He finally went 0-2 in the second half.
• Quinnipiac had five players in double figures, the second time that happened against Rider this season.
• Peter Kiss (flu) was limited to 13 minutes and had four points, his lowest in MAAC games this year.
• Rider's top five scorers all shot 58 percent (7-12) or better, including 7-10 from Jimmie Taylor and Kahlil Thomas.
• The Bobcats lost the opening tip, which has been a strangely bad omen this season. Quinnipiac has to win (0-15) this season when it loses the jump ball (it is 10-5 when it controls the opening tap).
MILESTONE SEASONS FOR MOORE
Head Coach Tom Moore is in a pair of milestone seasons in his coaching career - his 10th as the head coach at Quinnipiac and his 30th in collegiate coaching (as both an assistant and a head coach), including 23 years at the Division I level (13 as a UConn assistant, 10 at Quinnipiac). As a head coach, he has earned 238 wins (162 at Quinnipiac and 76 in five years at Division III Worcester State). As an assistant coach, he was a part of 365 wins (340 at UConn, 25 in two years at DIII).
INCREASED SCORING
Quinnipiac has had a much improved offense so far this season, averaging 76.9 points per game, up over 11 points from a year ago (65.6 ppg). The Bobcats have also reached 70 points 25 times in 30 games this year, after hitting that mark only 10 times in 30 games last year. Quinnipiac also scored 70 or more in 18 of 20 conference games so far this season, falling well short only in both games with Saint Peter's (55, 45).
BOBCATS SIGN TWO IN FALL PERIOD
Quinnipiac earned a pair of commitments in the fall signing period, landing 6-3 shooting guard Ezekiel Charles of Barton Community College and 6-9 forward Milos Supica of Freedom Christian Academy in Fayetteville, N.C. Charles played scholastically at prestigious Lincoln High School in Brooklyn, while Supica is originally from Belgrade, Serbia.
BOBCATS OVERSEAS
Quinnipiac has had a total of 13 players who have played professionally in Europe since Head Coach Tom Moore took over the job in 2007-08, including four from the Class of 2015 (most of any class). Ousmane Drame (Turkey) and Zaid Hearst (Spain) are starters on their teams in 2016-17, while James Feldeine (Greece) helped his team to a 25-1 record in 2015-16. Justin Rutty (Uruguay) is also back playing again after a strong season in France last year, while Evan Conti is playing his second season of professional basketball in Israel this year.
IF QUINNIPIAC ADVANCES
The Niagara-Quinnipiac winner will move on to Friday's quarterfinal round where a tough challenge awaits against top-seeded Monmouth, which is 26-5 and has won its last 16 games in a row.
FIRST MEETING WITH MONMOUTH (DEC. 1 AT QUINNIPIAC)
The preseason MAAC favorite Monmouth men's basketball team used an 11-0 run spanning both halves to take a 20-point lead and went on to earn a 91-72 win over Quinnipiac on Dec. 1 in the MAAC opener for both teams. Quinnipiac was led in scoring by its freshman guards off the bench, as Mikey Dixon had 18 points while Peter Kiss added 15. Junior forward Chaise Daniels had his third career double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, including his second in the last three games. Collin Stewart led Monmouth with 20 points off the bench, shooting 6-6 overall and 5-5 on threes. Quinnipiac was within nine points in the final minute of the first half, but Stewart was able to get the line when he was fouled chasing down an offensive rebound and hit both foul shots. Josh James started off the second half with a layup, and Micah Seaborn and Je'lon Hornbeak each hit three-pointers to stretch the lead up to 54-34.
LAST MEETING (JAN. 28 AT MONMOUTH)
Quinnipiac battled closely for much of the game at league-leading Monmouth, before a 14-2 Hawks run over the final four minutes put the game away in a 95-76 win. The Bobcats were within seven points at the half (49-42) and had the lead down to seven on seven different occasions in the second half, the last coming at 81-74 with five minutes left on a floater from Mikey Dixon. After getting a steal, the Bobcats had a three in the air from Andrew Robinson to try to close it to four, but it popped out, and Monmouth started on their game-closing run. Peter Kiss led the Bobcats with 22 points on 9-18 shooting, setting a new career high, while Chaise Daniels had a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds. Justin Robinson led Monmouth with 22 points, although he was held to 7-22 shooting from the floor, while Micah Seaborn chipped in with 21.
Inside the Box Score vs. Monmouth
• Chaise Daniels' double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds gave him double-doubles in both meetings with Monmouth this year.
• Peter Kiss had 22 points and nine rebounds, just missing a double-double, while passing his previous high of 20 points set against Manhattan.
• Quinnipiac had 24 offensive rebounds, a season high, including seven from Chaise Daniels and five from Donovan Smith.
• Mikey Dixon's 13 points was his lowest total in a MAAC game against a team other than Saint Peter's.
• Quinnipiac was 4-26 from three, its lowest percentage of the season from beyond the arc (15.6) while tying its lowest total in makes.
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's BasketballMen's Basketball Highlights vs. Canisius (2/5/26)
Friday, February 06
The Roar (pres. by Better Built Basements) - Episode 6: Jaden Zimmerman
Wednesday, January 21
Men's Basketball Highlights at Pitt (11/23/25)
Monday, November 24
2025 MAAC Basketball Tip-Off Event - ESPN+ Show
Tuesday, September 30
