Men's Basketball Opens NEC Play At Home Against The Mount Saturday
Mount St. Mary's University Mountaineers (3-4, 1-0 NEC)
Saturday, December 4, 2010 - 2 p.m.
TD Bank Sports Center - Hamden, Conn.
Bobcats Open NEC Play At Home Saturday Against Mount St.
Mary's
The Quinnipiac University men's basketball team opens
Northeast Conference play Saturday when it welcomes Mount St.
Mary's to the TD Bank Sports Center at 2 p.m. The Bobcats are
coming off a wild 66-64 defeat to Massachusetts on Wednesday, while
the Mountaineers knocked off Sacred Heart, 66-52, Thursday night in
Fairfield. The Mount owns a 12-10 advantage in the all-time series,
including a 61-56 win, Jan. 30, 2010, in Emmitsburg, Md.
Scouting the Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers
The Mount (3-4, 1-0 NEC) is led by Shawn Atupem, whose
12.9 points and 6.0 rebounds per game are both team bests. Lamar
Trice has contributed 12.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and a team-best 3.3
assists and 1.1 steals per game. He's also shot a team-high 33.3
percent from long range. Julian Norfleet also averages in
double-figures at 10.9 points per game. Raven Barber has shot a
team-high 62.2 percent from the floor in averaging 9.6 points to go
along with 5.0 rebounds per game. Danny Thompson has blocked 1.3
shots per game. Josh Castellanos has started the last three games
for The Mount, and has shot a team-best 86.2 percent from the
free-throw line. Three freshmen guards for the Mountaineers -
Norfleet, Castellanos and David Golladay - have been thrust into
serious minutes (combined 88.3 minutes per game) due to senior
lockdown defender Jean Cajou's first-semester withdrawal from
school.
Last
Time Out Against Massachusetts
Justin Rutty had a team-high 21 points and 13 rebounds and
helped the Bobcats all the way back from down 17 points at the
half, before Massachusetts' Anthony Gurley's last-second lay-up was
counted due to a Jamee Jackson goal tend at the buzzer. The
Minutemen escaped with the 66-64 victory. James Johnson added 11
points, six assists and five rebounds, while Jackson had eight
points and eight rebounds. Dominique Langston had six points, seven
rebounds and four steals.
Last
Time Against Mount St. Mary's
Despite an 18-point, 15-rebound performance from Justin
Rutty, The Mount snapped the Bobcats' eight-game winning streak
with a 61-56 victory, Jan. 30, 2010, in Emmitsburg, Md. The
Mountaineers held QU leading scorer James Feldeine to just four
points. Shawn Atupem led The Mount with 16 points, while Jean Cajou
added 11 points and seven rebounds. Deontay Twyman scored 13 for
QU.
Follow the Bobcats
Saturday's game can be heard live on AM 1220 WQUN and
www.quinnipiacbobcats.com. Bob Mortali will have the play-by-play
call, while Bill Mecca and Bob Tipson will provide color
commentary. Live video will be available through the Quinnipiac
official athletics website, www.quinnipiacbobcats.com, for $9.95,
while live stats will also be available free of charge.
Movin' On Up
With 860 rebounds, Justin Rutty ranks fifth all-time at QU
and 10th all-time in the Northeast Conference. Rutty passed Al
Carfora '80 (846) for fifth on the QU list with eight rebounds
against Maine on Nov. 29, while moving past Wagner's Nigel Wyatte
(834), LIU's Freddie Burton (836) and Marist's Alan Tomidy (838) on
the NEC list with 10 rebounds Nov. 23 at Dartmouth.
Rutty Moves Up QU Career Scoring List
With 1,241 career points, Rutty now ranks 17th on the
Quinnipiac career scoring list and fourth on the Quinnipiac
Division I scoring list. With 12 points against Maine, Nov. 29,
Rutty leapfrogged Troy Adams '89 (1,214).
Second-Half Stifling
The Bobcats' defense has been considerably better in the
second halves of games this season, especially the last three.
Against Dartmouth, Maine and UMass, the opposition shot 45.1
percent (37-82) in the first halves, before Tom Moore's halftime
speeches have inspired the Bobcats to hold opponents to 32.1
percent in the latter stanza (26-81). Overall, opponents have shot
44.0 percent (70-159) in the first halves, while being held to 39.0
percent (64-164) in the second halves. The Bobcats have also taken
much greater care of the ball in the second halves. Their 1.75
assist-to-turnover ratio in the second halves is strikingly more
favorable than their 0.68 assist-to-turnover ratio in first halves.
As such, the Bobcats have been narrowly outscored, 196-195, in
first halves, while dominating second halves, 238-207.
Owning the Offensive Boards Against UMass
A year after grabbing a program Division I-record 28
offensive rebounds at UMass, Dec. 2, 2009, the Bobcats tied their
second-greatest total on the offensive glass with 24 against UMass,
Dec. 1, 2010. Quinnipiac also took 24 offensive caroms against
Yale, Nov. 16, 2009. Justin Rutty led the way with seven offensive
boards in the latest installment against UMass.
Marginally Good
A year after finishing second in the nation in rebounding
margin at +8.5, the Bobcats enter Saturday's game outrebounding
their opponents by 11.5 boards per game, including a +18 figure
last time out against a much bigger UMass team.
Johnson's Elite Company
James Johnson's consecutive starts streak now stands at 70
games to begin his career, just one behind Jared Grasso's '02
Quinnipiac record of 71 straight games started from the outset of
his Bobcats' career. Johnson became just the eighth freshman in QU
Division I history to start his collegiate debut, and started all
31 of Quinnipiac's games in 2008-09, joining just 19 other freshmen
in the nation to start every game their team played. Each player to
start his first game and complete four years at QU has scored over
1,000 points. Rob Monroe, Bill Romano, Justin Rutty and Grasso
started their first games and rank first, second, fourth and
seventh, on the QU scoring list. The 70-game streak currently ranks
tied for third with C.J. Vick '05 among all QU D-I starts streaks,
and behind only Grasso (71) and Kason Mims' '04 record 88-game
consecutive starts streak (2001-04).
Takeaway 'Tay
Deontay Twyman leads the Bobcats with 10 steals through
six games this season, including three against Hartford.
Three Streak Extended
Deontay Twyman's trifecta with 13 seconds left in
regulation against UMass, Dec. 1, the first of the game for QU,
extended the Bobcats' streak of making at least one three-pointer
in each of the last 290 contests. The streak dates back to Dec. 19,
2000, at Dartmouth (0-11).
Jump
and Run
The Bobcats began their first five games on a run. They
scored the first nine points against Yale, before scoring seven
straight against Hartford. QU scored five straight to open against
Vermont, before scoring the first four and 15 of the first 17 at
Dartmouth. The Bobcats also scored six of the first eight points
against Maine.
Rutty Eyes Exclusive 1,000-1,000 Club
Justin Rutty currently stands at 1,241 points and 860
rebounds in his career. With at least 23 more games left in Rutty's
career, his career 8.9 rebounds per game average would leave him at
1,064 boards, while his three-year average of 10.38 boards per game
would put him at 1,099 rebounds. Just two prior Quinnipiac players
have reached both 1,000 points and rebounds.
Dom
Stealin' and Stuffin'
Dominique Langston established an early career high of
four steals, including the theft and breakaway dunk that completed
the Bobcats' comeback from down 19 against UMass, Dec. 1.
More
Exclusive Company For Rutty
Justin Rutty connected on his 500th career field goal
against Yale, Nov. 13, becoming one of just three Quinnipiac
players at the Division I level to achieve the feat. With 10 made
field goals, Dec. 1 against UMass, Rutty (528) jumped ahead of Rob
Monroe '05 (523), and now trails only at Bill Romano '02 (599).
Not
Up In Here!
Jamee Jackson had three second-half blocks against Maine,
each leading to Bobcats offensive production. After his first block
just less than two minutes in, James Johnson hit a three on the
ensuing possession. Immediately following his block at the 11:53
mark, Dave Johnson nailed one from long range. Finally, following
his rejection at the 5:08 mark, James Johnson hit a jumper on the
next time down on offense.
Defense Offensive...Then Gets Defensive
After a first half against Maine in which the Bobcats
allowed the Black Bears to shoot 52.2 percent (12-23), the Bobcats
buckled down in the second half, holding Maine to 25.9 percent
(7-27) from the floor.
A
Lot To Like With Ike
Ike Azotam went 7-for-7 from the floor for 15 points to go
along with seven rebounds, Nov. 23, at Dartmouth. The 100 percent
performance was the first of five or more attempts for the Bobcats
since Karl Anderson went 5-for-5 at Monmouth on Feb. 21, 2008. For
his effort, Azotam was named the NEC Co-Rookie of the Week on Nov.
29.
What
Can Brown Do For Q?
Lance Brown was granted a waiver by the NCAA, Nov. 23, to
become immediately eligible for play after transferring from
Fordham this past Spring. Brown scored seven points and added four
rebounds in 13 minutes in his Bobcats debut at Dartmouth.
Langston Huge
Dominique Langston has emerged as a solid contributor off
the bench, averaging 13.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per
game over two games against Hartford and Vermont.
Johnson Steals Milestone
With five steals Nov. 20 against Vermont, James Johnson
became the 13th Quinnipiac player all-time and fifth at Division I
to compile 100 career steals. Ironically, the five steals tied
Johnson's career-high, originally set Dec. 21, 2008, against the
same Vermont team on the same Lender Court before a regional
television audience on NESN. Johnson now stands at 104 career
steals.
Bo
Knows Scoring
James Johnson scored a game-high 23 points Nov. 16 against
Hartford. He also grabbed seven rebounds and dished out three
assists.
Sweet 16's
Deontay Twyman tied his career-high with 16 points against
Yale at the Connecticut 6 Classic, Nov. 13. James Johnson matched
Twyman's 16 points on 5-for-10 shooting and 4-for-4 from the
line.
Gabriel's Impressive QU Debut
Mike Gabriel was impressive in his Quinnipiac debut
against Yale, Nov. 13, scoring 10 points in just 13 minutes off the
bench. He was very efficient, making 3-of-4 field-goal attempts and
4-of-6 free throw attempts.
Dom
From Trey
Dominique Langston made both of his three-point attempts
in his collegiate debut against Yale, Nov. 13, to account for his
six points.
Moore of the Same
Head Coach Tom Moore has won the season opener in each of
his four years at QU, the first three coming against Hartford,
while the most recent came this season against Yale. Prior to
Moore's arrival to Hamden, no Quinnipiac team had won its first
game of the season during the school's Division I era. Teams that
have had Moore serving on the coaching staff have won 11
consecutive season openers. The last time one of Moore's teams
didn't win its first game was Nov. 11, 1999, when defending
National Champion and top-ranked UConn was upset by Iowa in the
Coaches vs. Cancer IKON Classic. None of Quinnipiac's other five
coaches all-time won their first three season openers, and only
Burt Kahn won as many as four straight at any point. Kahn won six
straight from 1967-68 through 1972-73.
Bonding Overseas
The Bobcats took a 10-day trip to The Netherlands, Belgium
and France this past August. In four games, Quinnipiac went
3-1.
Everybody's Favorite
The Northeast Conference's coaches selected the Bobcats as
the league's first unanimous favorite since 1997-98 (Long Island).
In addition, The Sporting News, Athlon, Lindy's and the Blue Ribbon
College Basketball Report also picked the Bobcats as the NEC
favorite.
QU
Picked Second In CT6 Poll
Quinnipiac was picked second in the Preseason Connecticut
6 Coaches' Poll. Fairfield claimed the top spot, while Central
Connecticut immediately followed the Bobcats in third. Sacred
Heart, Yale and Hartford rounded out the poll.
Eight Is Enough
Quinnipiac returns eight players from the 2009-10 squad,
and also welcomes eight new players in 2010-11. Five of the eight
new players are currently available for play (Azotam, Brown,
Gabriel, Harrison, Langston), while Tevin Baskin is slated to be
eligible beginning second semester (Dec. 22 at Niagara). Austin
Alecxih and Garvey Young must sit the year out due to NCAA transfer
rules.
Moore Wins
With 23 wins in 2009-10, including 15 NEC victories, the
Bobcats set a new program record. The marks edge the 1999-2000 QU
team (18-10, 12-6 NEC) for the most wins at D-I, and passed the
1972-73 and 1979-80 teams for the all-time program record.
Eighty Up
The Bobcats were 11-0 when scoring at least 80 points last
season.
Bobcats Experience Historic 2009-10 Season
The Quinnipiac University men's basketball team
experienced a historic season of firsts in 2009-10. Jim Phelan NEC
Coach of the Year Tom Moore led the Bobcats to a program-record 23
wins, the first Northeast Conference Regular Season Championship in
team history, and a berth into the National Invitation Tournament,
the first national postseason tournament appearance in program
Division I history. Junior forward Justin Rutty was named the NEC
Player of the Year, becoming the first player in program history
earn the award. Both Rutty and senior wing James Feldeine were
named to the All-NEC First Team Moore's recognition as Coach of the
Year was also a first in program history.
C-T
State of Mind
Quinnipiac was 18-1 in games played in Connecticut,
including a 14-1 mark at home in 2009-10. In starting 14-0 at home,
the Bobcats established the best start at home in program
history.
Keeping Good Company
Quinnipiac was one of just four teams in the NCAA ranked
in the top 10 nationally in both rebound margin and rebounds per
game in 2009-10. The Bobcats ranked second in rebound margin and
10th in rebounds per game. Quinnipiac joined nationally-ranked
Kentucky (4th - rebound margin, 5th - rebounds per game) and Kansas
(9th - rebound margin, 7th - rebounds per game), as well as Radford
(7th - rebound margin, 1st - rebounds per game) in the exclusive
club. Quinnipiac also ranked 14th in offensive rebounds
(14.61).
Twelve In Fourteen
Justin Rutty compiled his Quinnipiac Division I record
24th, 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th, 29th and 30th career double-doubles
in seven consecutive games, Feb. 18-Mar. 10, 2010, and had 12
double-doubles in his last 15 games of the season. Rutty began the
streak with five straight double-doubles, Jan. 24-Feb. 6. After a
two-game stretch when he missed a double-double by two rebounds
against St. Francis (N.Y.) and two points against LIU, Rutty reeled
off seven more consecutive double-doubles.
If
It's Free, It's For Me
The Bobcats enjoyed marked improvement from the free-throw
line in the latter portion of the 2009-10 season. After seeing its
season free-throw percentage dip to 65.1 percent through 15 games,
QU shot 76.7 percent (358-467) over the last 18 games to raise its
free-throw percentage to 72.1 percent.
Rutty Grabs Quinnipiac DI Rebound Record
With 11 rebounds against Wagner on Jan. 9, Justin Rutty
took over the Quinnipiac Division I Rebound lead from Bill Romano
'02 (580).
Rutty's Keeping Good Company
At 15.3 points and 10.9 rebounds per game, Justin Rutty
was one of just 20 players nationally to average a double-double in
2009-10.
Rutty Finds Free-Throw Stroke
Justin Rutty, a career 50.0 percent free-throw shooter,
shot 79.4 percent (54-68) from the charity stripe in the last 14
games of the 2009-10 season. Included in the mark were two separate
strings of at least 11 consecutive successful attempts. Rutty went
6-for-6 at Sacred Heart, the first 100 percent game of more than
three attempts in his career. He followed with a 4-for-4 effort
against SHU, and an 8-for-8 performance at Saint Francis (Pa.).
Bobcats, Rutty On NCAA Rebound Charts
Led by Justin Rutty's 10.9 rebounds per game (8th-NCAA),
the Bobcats ranked 10th in the nation in rebounds per game (40.4
rpg.).
If
At First You Don't Succeed...
41.2 percent of the Bobcats' rebounds in 2009-10 came on
the offensive end, fourth-most in the NCAA.
On
the Rebound
Quinnipiac was outrebounded just three times in 2009-10,
and owned a +8.5 rebounding margin, second-best in the
nation.
Quinnipiac, Rutty Grab Top Rankings
The Bobcats ranked 14th in the nation in offensive
rebounds per game (14.6) in 2009-10. Individually, Justin Rutty
ranked second nationally at 4.9 offensive boards per game, a year
after finishing second in the nation behind only Pittsburgh's
DeJuan Blair (5.6 oreb/game) with 4.6 offensive caroms per
game.
Sitting on Top of the NEC
Quinnipiac ranked in the top three in the NEC in 12 of 19
statistical categories in 2009-10. The Bobcats were first in
scoring offense (73.2), scoring margin (+6.7), field-goal
percentage (.448), assist-to-turnover ratio (0.98), rebounding
offense (40.4), rebounding defense (31.9), rebound margin (+8.5),
offensive rebounding (14.61) and defensive rebounding (25.79). QU
ranked second in assists (13.42) and free-throw percentage (.721)
and third in field-goal percentage defense (.415).
On
Deck
The Bobcats play the fourth of five straight home games
Tuesday, when they return to non-conference play against defending
Patriot League Champion Lehigh. Opening tip from the TD Bank Sports
Center is scheduled for 7 p.m.