QU Men's Basketball Entertains Niagara Saturday Night For 7 PM Contest

Saturday, February 4

Hamden, CT

7:00 PM

Quinnipiac University

Niagara University

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QU Men's Basketball Entertains Niagara Saturday Night For 7 PM Contest

2/3/2017 8:21:00 AM | Men's Basketball

By: QU Sports Information

Quinnipiac University Bobcats (8-14, 5-7 MAAC) vs.
Niagara University Purple Eagles (8-16, 5-8 MAAC)
Date: Saturday, February 4, 2017 (7 p.m.)
Location: TD Bank Sports Center | Hamden, Conn.)
All-Time Series vs. Siena: QU leads 8-2
Current Streak: QU - 2 straight
Earlier Meeting This Year: QU 81-78 (Jan.2 at Niagara)

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DIXON, KISS HONORED SIX TIMES BY MAAC
Freshman guards Mikey Dixon and Peter Kiss have seen their names come up on the MAAC weekly awards quite frequently this season. The two freshmen have combined to win six MAAC Rookie of the Week honors this year, including the last four. Dixon had won three in a row from Jan.9-23 before Kiss broke the streak with his second this past Monday after scoring a career-high 22 points at Monmouth. Kiss was also the first to be honored, when he averaged 16.0 points in three games at the AdvoCare Invitational in Orlando, including 18 against No. 11 Gonzaga and 19 against Seton Hall. Dixon followed suit on Dec. 5 after averaging 16.0 points in a MAAC-opening split with Monmouth and Marist.

Quinnipiac - MAAC Weekly Honors
Jan. 30   Peter Kiss (Rookie of the Week)
Jan. 23   Mikey Dixon (Rookie of the Week)
Jan. 16   Mikey Dixon (Rookie of the Week)
Jan. 9   Mikey Dixon (Rookie of the Week)
Dec. 5   Mikey Dixon (Rookie of the Week)
Nov. 28   Peter Kiss (Rookie of the Week)

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 against Iona. The 27-point record was set by Kason Mims in 2000-01 and matched a year later by Rob Monroe.

Most Points In A Game For A QU Freshman (DI Level)
29 Mikey Dixon   1/20/17 vs. Canisius
27 Mikey Dixon   1/14/17 vs. Iona
27 Kason Mims   1/29/01 vs. LIU
27 Rob Monroe   3/1/02 vs. Wagner
25 Bill Romano   1/21/99 vs. LIU
25 Rob Monroe   2/14/02 vs. Sacred Heart

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, where he currently ranks eighth (through Thursday). Markelle Fultz of Washington (23.1 ppg) and Malik Monk of Kentucky (22.4) are ahead of the pack, but less than a point separates nine players between fourth and 12th place.

National Freshman Scoring Leaders (through 2/2)
1. 23.1 Markelle Fultz, Washington
2. 22.4 Malik Monk, Kentucky
3. 18.7 Dennis Smith, Jr., N.C. State
4. 17.3 Shamorie Ponds, Saint John's
5. 17.2 Michael Weathers, Miami (Ohio)
6. 17.0 T.J. Leaf, UCLA
7. 16.9 Marcus LoVett, Saint John's
8. 16.7 Mikey Dixon, Quinnipiac
9. 16.4 Christian Keeling, Charleston Southern
10. 16.4 Lauri Markkanen, Arizona

DIXON ON HISTORIC PACE
Mikey Dixon is on pace to easily break the Quinnipiac Div. I record for highest scoring average for a freshman at his 16.7 ppg pace (Rob Monroe holds it at 13.0 ppg). He has a good chance to break the all-divisions record of 16.7, set by Frank Berretta at the Division II level in 1979-80, while Peter Kiss (13.2) could also pass Monroe's DI record.

All-Time QU Freshman Scoring Leaders (All Divisions)
1. 16.7 Frank Berretta, 1979-80
2. 16.7 Mikey Dixon, 2016-17 (as of now)
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. 13.2 Peter Kiss, 2016-17 (as of now)
8. 13.0 Rob Monroe, 2001-02 - Current DI record

GUARDED OPTIMISM FOR QU FUTURE
There are very few teams in the country with a pair of freshman guards as productive as Mikey Dixon (16.7 ppg) and Peter Kiss (13.2 ppg), who currently rank 1-2 among MAAC freshmen in scoring, with Stevie Jordan of Rider third at 11.5. Dixon and Kiss also rank No. 8 and No. 19 overall (all classes) among MAAC scoring leaders (and No. 5 and No. 10 in league games). On a national level, there are only five schools that have two freshman guards averaging at least 10 ppg through Thursday's games, and only five schools with at least two freshmen averaging 13 or more ppg regardless of position (see below charts).

Teams with Two Fr. Guards at 10+ PPG (thru 2/2)
Quinnipiac: Mikey Dixon (16.7), Peter Kiss (13.2)
Kentucky: Malik Monk (22.4), De'Aron Fox (15.9)
Saint John's: Shamorie Ponds (17.3), Marcus LoVett (16.9)
Arizona: Kobi Simmons (11.7), Rawle Alkins (11.6)
Auburn: Mustapha Heron (15.3), Jared Harper (12.8)

Teams with Two Freshmen at 13+ PPG (thru 2/2)
Quinnipiac: Mikey Dixon (16.7), Peter Kiss (13.2)
Kentucky: Monk (22.4), Fox (15.9), Edrice Adebayo (13.2)
Saint John's: Shamorie Ponds (17.3), Marcus LoVett (16.9)
UCLA: TJ Leaf (17.0), Lonzo Ball (14.9)
Michigan State: Miles Bridges* (16.3), Nick Ward (13.0)

*Bridges has not played in enough games to qualify for NCAA leaders

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 Monday 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, the 2015 MAAC Defensive Player of the Year. Smith had 53 blocks in 2015-16 (1.8 per game, ranking him second in the MAAC), which is third on the single-season blocks mark at Quinnipiac during its Division I era (since 1998-99). Drame has the top two totals (88 as a senior in 2014-15, 64 as a junior in 2013-14). Daniels finished with 39 blocks last season (fifth place), while so far this year, Daniels has 36 blocks and Smith has 30. Daniels also now has 104 blocks in his career, ranking him third in Quinnipiac's DI history.

THREE-FOR-ALL
Three current Quinnipiac guards are in the school's top 10 record books for making all of their three point shots in a DI game (minimum four attempts). 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 this season (Seton Hall, Manhattan), which ties him for fifth place, while Reggie Oliver joined that seven-way tie by shooting 4-4 on threes against Canisius on Jan. 20.

DOUBLING UP
Quinnipiac has had 10 double-doubles this season from four different players. Chaise Daniels has four to lead the team after picking up his fourth against Monmouth on Jan. 27 (including both meeting with the Hawks), while Donovan Smith has three, Abdulai Bundu has two, and Peter Kiss picked up the first of his career against Manhattan on Jan. 7 with 20 points and 10 rebounds.

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)

LAST GAME RECAP (SIENA 84, QUINNIPIAC 75)
Chaise Daniels tied the school record for blocked shots in a game with seven, to go along with 18 points and nine rebounds, but Siena's inside dominance proved to be too much as it captured an 84-75 win over the Bobcats on Monday night. The Saints outrebounded Quinnipiac 52-27, including 22-9 on the offensive end, and finished with 58 points in the paint. The Bobcats were down by just two at the half and tied it early in the second half on a Daniels layup, but Siena then scored the next five points to take the lead for good. The Bobcats were hanging close at 65-61 with 5:30 left, but Siena scored the next eight points on a three-point play from Lavon Long and a two and a three from Javion Ogunyemi. Freshmen Mikey Dixon and Peter Kiss had 19 points apiece for the Bobcats, while Long had 26 points and 16 rebounds and Ogunyemi had 25 points on 12-14 shooting for the Saints.

Inside the Box Score vs. Siena
• The -25 rebounding deficit was by far the worst in Head Coach Tom Moore's 10 seasons, passing the -17 against Gonzaga earlier this year. The Bobcats have outrebounded teams by 10 or more 112 times in the last 10 years, and suffered a -10 or worse deficit only eight (four this season).
• Chaise Daniels' seven blocks passed his previous career high of five, set last year against Sacred Heart and tied the school mark matched earlier this year by Donovan Smith.
• Quinnipiac's 12 bench points were a season low, due largely to an injury to Donovan Smith (7.0 ppg), which reduced him to two minutes. Andrew Robinson had a season-high eight points off the bench.
• Mikey Dixon's 19 points marked the 17th time in the last 18 games that he has scored at least 13 (since being held scoreless by Seton Hall on Nov. 25).
• Quinnipiac lost the jump ball, which has been a bad omen. The Bobcats are 8-4 when winning the tap, and oddly 0-10 when they lose it.

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 236 wins (160 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 76.3 points per game, up over 10 points from a year ago (65.6 ppg). The Bobcats have also reached 70 points 18 times in 22 games this year, after hitting that mark only 10 times in 30 games last year. Quinnipiac has scored 70 or more in 11 of 12 conference games so far this season, falling short only in a 58-54 defeat at Saint Peter's on Jan. 9.

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.

NEXT UP
Quinnipiac makes the short road trip to Bridgeport on Monday night, where it will take on Fairfield for a 7 p.m. contest. The Bobcats will then return home to face Saint Peter's on Thursday night (8 p.m.) on ESPNU.