#1 Bobcats Set for MAAC Semifinals vs. #5 Saint Peter's Friday Night on ESPNews

Friday, March 15

Atlantic City, NJ

6:30 PM

Quinnipiac University

Saint Peter's

Tickets

Savion Lewis vs. Canisius at MAAC Tournament in Atlantic City (3/13/24)

Photo by: Rob Rasmussen / P8Photos.com

#1 Bobcats Set for MAAC Semifinals vs. #5 Saint Peter's Friday Night on ESPNews

3/14/2024 11:43:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Game Time Set for 6:30 PM in Atlantic City

By: QU Athletic Communications

#1 Quinnipiac (24-8, 15-5 MAAC) vs. #5 Saint Peter's (17-13, 12-8 MAAC)
Friday, March 15, 2024 | 6:30 PM
Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall | Atlantic City, NJ
Game Notes: Quinnipiac | Saint Peter's

MAAC CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL
Watch: ESPNews/ESPN+
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In-Game Updates: @QU_MBB

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ – Quinnipiac Men's Basketball is set for the semifinal round of the MAAC Tournament on national television (ESPNews) on Friday night from Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall.

The top-seeded Bobcats will square off with Saint Peter's, with the winner earning a trip to the title contest at the 2024 Hercules Tires MAAC Men's Basketball Championship on the line.

THE TOP-SEEDED BOBCATS

QU's 24 total victories this season mark the most in program history.
The Bobcats finished up the regular season with a 23-8 overall mark, then defeated Canisius in the MAAC Quarterfinals (76-52) to earn a spot in the semifinals.
Quinnipiac went 15-5 in league play to earn the program's first-ever regular season MAAC title.
QU went 13-3 in home games under Head Coach Tom Pecora.
Quinnipiac has reached 20 total wins in a season for the second consecutive year, and the fifth total time in the program's Division I history. It marks the 11th time in team history that the Bobcats have reached the 20-win mark.
The Bobcats' 19-4 start over their first 23 games marked the program's best start to a year since the 1965-66 campaign.
Quinnipiac won 10 consecutive games from Jan. 5 – Feb. 8, the third-longest active streak in all of Division I basketball.
The Bobcats finished the month of January with a 7-0 record, the first perfect month in the university's Division I history.

MAAC QUARTERFINALS: SECOND HALF-SURGE LEADS QU PAST CANISIUS

Quinnipiac Men's Basketball earned a double-digit win to open up postseason action on Wednesday at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall, as the No. 1 Bobcats cruised past Canisius by the final score of 76-52 in the MAAC Quarterfinals.
Paul Otieno led the Bobcats with 19 points and 12 rebounds (9-12 FG). Matt Balanc chipped in with 17 points, while Amarri Tice added 13 points and nine rebounds.
QU outscored Canisius 42-25 during the second half. The Bobcats opened up the second half on a 12-0 run.
QU advances to the semifinal round of the MAAC Tournament for the fourth time since joining the league. The Bobcats also advanced to the league semifinals in 2013-14, 2017-18 & 2021-22.

BALANC CROWNED LEAGUE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Matt Balanc leads the MAAC regular season champions in scoring during the 2023-24 campaign, averaging 18.3 PPG on 43.8% shooting. The graduate student has scored 20+ points 14 different times during the regular season.
Balanc is just the third player in Quinnipiac program history to be named conference player of the year. Justin Rutty was named NEC Player of the Year in 2009-10, and Cameron Young earned MAAC Player of the Year status in 2018-19.
He scored 10+ points in all but one game for QU to help lead the program to its most-ever MAAC wins. Balanc averaged 19.9 points per contest in home games, helping Quinnipiac go 13-3 at M&T Bank Arena.
Balanc ranks second in the MAAC in scoring (18.3 PPG), second in made free throws (119), and fourth in 3-pointers per game (2.62).
He poured in season-high 29 points against Rider on Jan. 5 after sinking five 3-pointers in a QU win. Balanc scored 20+ in seven separate league contests during the regular season.

PECORA NAMED MAAC COACH OF THE YEAR

Head Coach Tom Pecora led the Bobcats to a 24-8 record during his first season at the helm of the program, guiding QU to its first-ever regular season title.
Quinnipiac won 15 of 20 MAAC games under the guidance of Pecora, went 13-3 in home games, and captured the No. 1 seed in the upcoming MAAC Tournament in Atlantic City.
QU's 24 total victories are the most in program history.
Pecora adds to his coach of the year honors over the course of his career. In 2006 and 2009, he was named Coach of the Year by the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association (MBWA) and he also received regional Coach of the Year honors from the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and the Basketball Coaches Association of New York (BCANY).

PECORA'S FIRST SEASON AT THE HELM

Tom Pecora, a veteran with 15 years of experience as a head coach at the Division I level, is in his first season at the helm of the Quinnipiac program in 2023-24. He assumed the role of Quinnipiac Men's Basketball Head Coach on Thursday, April 13, 2023. Pecora is entering his seventh season with the Bobcats in total.
Pecora served as the head coach at Hofstra for nine years (2001-2010) and at Fordham for five seasons (2010-15). Prior to taking over the head coaching position at Hofstra, Pecora served as the associate head coach under Jay Wright for seven seasons, the last two of which resulted in America East Conference titles and NCAA Tournament berths.
As a head coach at Hofstra, he compiled a 155–126 mark in nine seasons, leading the Pride to four postseason appearances (three NIT and one CBI), more than any team in New York City over that nine-year span. In 16 years at Hofstra with Pecora on the staff (nine years as a head coach, seven as an assistant), the Pride averaged 19 wins a season (246-161).
During his time in Hempstead, Hofstra was the winningest program in the Metropolitan New York area. Over his last six years, Hofstra won 121 games, including four 20-win seasons. In 2006 and 2009, he was named Coach of the Year by the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association (MBWA) and he also received regional Coach of the Year honors from the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and the Basketball Coaches Association of New York (BCANY).
Prior to joining the staff at Hofstra, Pecora also had previous experience in running a program, serving as head basketball coach at the State University of New York at Farmingdale from 1989-92. In three seasons at Farmingdale, the Rams posted a 62-24 record, captured the Region 15 championship in 1992 (when they finished 20-9), advanced to the National Junior College Athletic Association Tournament and were ranked as one of the nation's top 20 junior college programs.
Pecora reached the 200-win mark as a Division I head coach after the Bobcats defeated Coast Guard in the season opener on Nov. 6, 2023. He won 155 games at Hofstra over 9 seasons, then tallied 44 victories at Fordham over five years.

PECORA RECEIVES CONTRACT EXTENSION

Quinnipiac Director of Athletics Greg Amodio has announced a contract extension for Men's Basketball Head Coach Tom Pecora through the end of the 2027-28 season (announced on Monday, Feb. 19).
Pecora, a veteran with 14+ years of experience as a head coach at the Division I level, is currently in his seventh full season at Quinnipiac University. He assumed the role of Quinnipiac Men's Basketball Head Coach on Thursday, April 13, 2023.
Prior to his time at QU, Pecora served as a Division I head coach at Hofstra for nine years (2001-2010) and at Fordham for five seasons (2010-15).

GRAD GUARDS LEAD THE WAY

Graduate guards Matt Balanc and Savion Lewis lead the way for the Bobcats. Balanc ranks second in the MAAC in scoring (18.3 PPG) and Lewis leads the country in total assists (237)
Preseason All-MAAC First Team selection Matt Balanc leads the Bobcats with 18.3 PPG and 4.8 RPG on 43.8% shooting. He's tallied double-digit scoring totals in all but one game this year. He has 14 separate 20+ point efforts in '23-24.
Point guard Savion Lewis ranks third in the entire country in assists per game (7.4 APG). The graduate guard is averaging 8.1 PPG, 7.4 APG and 3.2 RPG in 2023-24. Lewis was named MAAC Player of the Week on Nov. 20 following a strong week vs. UMass, Army and UAlbany.

BALANC SURPASSES 1,600 POINTS

Matt Balanc currently has 1,699 career points, which ranks 8th in the program's history, and 2nd in QU's Division I time. Balanc trails only James Johnson ('12) in career points (1,729)
Balanc has also played in 142 career games (second all-time at QU). He trails only Jacob Rigoni (147 GP) in that category.

LEWIS SETS NEW QU ASSISTS MARK

Savion Lewis has 237 assists already this season, which sets a new Quinnipiac program record.
The previous record of 211 assists was set by Mike Buscetto ('93).

OTIENO BACK FOR THE BOBCATS

Paul Otieno has chipped in with 10.8 PPG & 6.8 RPG, shooting 63.3% from the floor (MAAC-best).
Otieno scored a season-high 24 points on 10-of-12 shooting vs. Rider in Hamden (12/5), then followed up that effort with a 23-point night on 10-of-13 shooting vs. Manhattan (12/7).
He posted 19 points and 12 rebounds for the Bobcats in the quarterfinal win over Marist on Wednesday night.

TICE'S IMMEDIATE IMPACT

Transfer Amarri Tice has added 13.3 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 1.8 SPG and 1.0 BPG during his first season at QU. Tice has five double-doubles this year. He won the MAAC Player of the Week award on 1/15 after a 20-point, 15-rebound performance at Marist.
He is the only player in the MAAC that currently ranks inside the top 5 in both steals and blocks.

TICE CLOSING IN ON STEALS MARK

Amarri Tice is just two steals away from setting a new Division I record. He's 15 steals away from a new QU program record.

Division I Steals
1. Nate Pondexter, 1999–00 60
2. Kason Mims, 2001–02 59
3 Amarri Tice, 2023-24 59

All-Time Steals
1. Boyd Johnson, 1988–89 73
2. Keith Snape, 1975–76 72
T3. Troy Adams, 1986–87 70
T3. Troy Adams, 1987–88 70
5. Frank Berretta, 1982–83 62
6. John Mirabello, 1985–86 61
7. Nate Pondexter, 1999–00 60
8. Kason Mims, 2001–02 59
9 Amarri Tice, 2023-24 59

OFFENSIVE OUTPUT

Quinnipiac currently has the top scoring offense in the MAAC (78.4 PPG).
The Bobcats also own the league's best average scoring margin (+6.0).

DEFENSE = KEY TO SUCCESS

Quinnipiac is 16-0 this season when holding opponents to less than 70 points.

THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME

Quinnipiac finished with a 13-3 record at home this year. The Bobcats shot 47.1% from the floor at M&T Bank Arena and held opponents to just a 41.1% mark.

ELITE FROM THE CHARITY STRIPE

The Bobcats enter the matchup ranking 10th in all of Division I basketball in free throw percentage (78.6%).

MEET THE BOBCATS

Preseason All-MAAC Selection Matt Balanc returns for his graduate season to help lead the way for the Bobcats.. Balanc averaged 12.0 PPG & 4.6 RPG in 2022-23.
Point guard Savion Lewis will also return for his graduate season at QU. Lewis has played in 58 collegiate games over his career heading into his senior season, averaging 6.3 PPG, 3.1 RPG & 3.1 APG to stuff the stat sheet.
Big man Paula Otieno is back for the Bobcats after posting 7.2 PPG & 6.8 RPG during his first season in Hamden. Otieno started in all 32 QU games, and registered four double-doubles last year.
QU also returns Alexis Reyes, JJ Riggins, Nicholas Margetson and Quinn Guth to this year's squad.
The Bobcats have seven newcomers in 2023-24. Transfer additions include Richie Springs (previously at UConn), Doug Young (previously at Midland College), Arion Lewis (previously at Delaware State) and Amarri Tice (previously at Wofford State).
Khaden Bennett, Rihards Vavers and Daemar Kelly are QU's three first-year student-athletes.

QU NAMES THREE CAPTAINS

Matt Balanc, Savion Lewis, and Paul Otieno will serve as QU's three captains for the 2023-24 season, as announced by Head Coach Tom Pecora during the preseason.

PRESEASON ALL-MAAC HONORS

Quinnipiac has been tabbed No. 5 in the MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, as announced by the league office as part of the inaugural MAAC Basketball Tipoff held at Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, NJ. on Tuesday, Oct. 17.
Matt Balanc has been selected to the Preseason All-MAAC First Team, while Paul Otieno earns Second Team honors.
The Bobcats were tabbed No. 5 in the preseason poll. Rider has been selected as the preseason league favorite.

BOBCATS REACH 20 WINS in 2022-23

The Bobcats are coming off a 20-win season in 2022-23, marking the fourth time in the school's Division I history that it reached 20 total victories. It marks the 10th time in program history that QU has reached the 20-win mark.
QU won a pair of games against NCAA Tournament teams, went 9-4 in Hamden, and earned the No. 3 seed in the MAAC Tournament a year ago.
The Bobcats won each of their first seven games of the 2022-23 campaign – marking the best start to a new year for the program since 1969-70.
QU began the season with a road win at A10-foe Rhode Island.
The Bobcats wrapped up a 2-1 trip to Canada for The Northern Classic (Nov. 25-27, 2022). Quinnipiac downed both Stephen F. Austin and Montana State for impressive wins at Place Bell Arena in Quebec, before falling 72-70 vs. Hofstra on the final day of the tournament.
Quinnipiac began the month of January with six straight wins, downing Manhattan (1/1), Rider (1/6), Iona (1/8), Saint Peter's (1/13), Mount St. Mary's (1/15) and Canisius (1/22) during that span.

To stay up to date with all Quinnipiac men's basketball news, follow the program on Twitter/Instagram @QU_MBB or visit www.gobobcats.com/mbb.