Bobcats win Catamount Cup

Bobcats win Catamount Cup
by Seth Rothman
December 30, 2007

18 seconds into the Championship Game of the 2007 Sheraton/TD Banknorth Catamount Cup, Vermont’s Braydon Irwin rang the puck off the post.

For the host Catamounts, it didn’t get much better than that.

Quinnipiac (10-5-2) used stifling defense and an explosive offensive attack to defeat Vermont (4-7-4) by a final of 4-1 in front of 3,880 at the Gutterson Fieldhouse in Burlington, Vermont on Sunday night.

The Bobcats got the scoring started early when sophomore forward Greg Holt took a blast from the point that deflected off junior forward David Marshall, popped high into the air, and behind UVM goaltender Joe Fallon to give Quinnipiac the advantage 7:25 in. Junior Bryan Leitch also assisted on the power-play tally.

2:07 later, the Bobcats struck again.

Jean-Marc Beaudoin skated into the far side corner and fed a streaking Dan Travis, who sent it into the net for his 4th goal of the season. Brandon Wong was also awarded an assist on the even strength goal, giving him 11 assists on the season.

Despite the lead, the Bobcats weren’t done pressuring the Catamounts in the 1st period. With three minutes remaining in the stanza, Travis came in with Wong on a 2-on-1 break. Travis fed Wong, who rang the rubber off the pipe to keep the lead at only two.

With 16 seconds left in the 1st period, however, Vermont struck back. Peter Lenes sent the puck into the low slot to Braydon Irwin, who took a shot that was stopped by Bobcats junior netminder Bud Fisher. While standing next to the net, Irwin got the puck back and acrobatically sent it through the crease and into the net to cut the Bobcats lead in half at the 1st intermission.

That’s how the score stood for nearly 18 minutes thanks in large part to Catamount Cup MVP Bud Fisher. Throughout the game, Fisher made 19 stops, in addition to his 18 saves in Saturday’s win over Western Michigan to earn the MVP honors.

“It helps when you have good goaltending, and Fisher played great on both nights,” Bobcats coach Rand Pecknold told WQUN’s Chris Kotsopoulos after the game.

With 2:31 left in the second period, Quinnipiac got some much needed insurance. It came off a brutal mistake in the Vermont zone by Catamount forward Brian Roloff. He had the puck to the far side of his own goal, when he inexplicably lost it. Travis was right there on the doorstep for his second tally of the game and 5th of the season.

The backbreaker, though, came on a Vermont power play. It’s been special teams that led the Bobcats offensive attack in the first semester, and the special teams’ success continued tonight.

With 11:09 remaining in the contest, Eric Lampe came in shorthanded and wristed a shot towards Fallon’s glove. It deflected off the glove and into the net for Quinnipiac’s 4th shorthanded goal of the season, and the three goal lead Quinnipiac would not relinquish.

“I thought we played hard both nights. The guys were gritty,” Pecknold said. “We had four really good players out of the lineup, but everyone stepped up and played well.”

The first semester started with four uninspiring games against Atlantic Hockey opponents. Two were wins, two were losses. Now, the second semester has started with 2 highly inspiring wins over the CCHA’s Western Michigan Broncos, and Hockey East’s Vermont Catamounts.

Despite the positive start to the semester, Pecknold knows the team’s biggest games are yet to come.

“It’s a great win, a great weekend, but now we have to get ready for Harvard and Dartmouth,” Pecknold said.

Those two games, conference games, are the ones Pecknold and the Bobcats are most concerned about. Certainly, winning the 2007 Sheraton/TD Banknorth Catamount Cup means a tremendous deal to the team: it’s their first regular season tournament win since 2005’s Quinnipiac Cup. But their conference schedule means more.

It’s that conference schedule that begins again on Friday. If the Bobcats play then like they did tonight, their second half will go much better than the first.

NOTES: In addition to the Tournament MVP honors, Bud Fisher was also named to the all-tournament team… Dan Travis and Jean-Marc Beaudoin were the other Bobcats named to the Catamount Cup all-tournament team… The other players on the all-tournament team were Vermont’s Peter Lenes, Western Michigan’s Nathan Ansell, and Holy Cross’ Everett Sheen… Travis had the only multi-goal game of the tournament, while Beaudoin was the tournament’s leading scorer with 1 goal and 2 assists… The Bobcats are now on a 5 game winning streak, dating back to December 1 vs. RPI… Quinnipiac is back in action on Friday against Harvard and Sunday against Dartmouth. Both games will be televised by NESN.

Bobcats start second half with win

Updated with results of late game 

Bobcats start second half with win
by Seth Rothman
December 29, 2007

Coach Rand Pecknold and his club have had a long time to think about the topsy-turvy first half of the team’s 2007-2008 season.

The Bobcats last played on December 8, exactly three weeks ago. Since then, they’ve had a chance to take finals, spend a week recouperating at home, and get back to Quinnipiac’s campus to prepare for the second half.

That preperation ended this afternoon when the Bobcats (9-5-2) defeated Western Michigan (6-11-0) by a final of 2-1 in the first game of the 2007 Sheraton/TD Banknorth Catamount Cup at the Gutterson Fieldhouse in Burlington, Vermont.

It was a dominating effort that saw Quinnipiac out-shoot WMU 24-19. The Bobcats got the scoring started early thanks to Brett Dickinson’s first career goal with 4:52 left in the first period.

In the second, however, Quinnipiac out-played the Broncos, out-chancing them severly and out-shooting them 11-8.

Western Michigan goaltender Riley Gill was equal to the task, stopping every shot Quinnipiac sent his way in the second.

“Riley Gill was really good for Western,” Pecknold told WQUN’s Chris Kotsopoulos after the game. “Early in the game we could have broken it open. We were ready to play. The guys competed, and [we] battled.”

Fortunately for the Bobcats, goaltender Bud Fisher was just as good. Fisher kept the Broncos at bay all afternoon, making 18 saves, many of them with a high degree of difficulty, keeping the Broncos off the scoresheet through 59:36.

In the third period, Quinnipiac got an insurance goal 4:02 into the stanza, and it was thanks to the hard work of Brandon Wong. The sophomore from Victoria, British Columbia stole the puck and sent it to classmate Jean-Marc Beaudoin. He sent it back to Wong on the give-and-go, who one-timed it past Gill for his third tally of the season.

But late in the third period, the Broncos went on the power play with nearly 2:30 left and pulled Gill a minute later, creating a 6v4 situation. With 24 seconds left, Nathan Ansell blasted one from the point that found its way through traffic to halve the Bobcats lead at 2-1.

From there, Quinnipiac hung on thanks to more fantastic work by Fisher to advance to the championship game of the 2007 Sheraton/TD Banknorth Catamount Cup, where they will face Vermont, who defeated Holy Cross 2-1 after a shootout on Saturday night.

“I thought we played well the whole [game], until the last couple minutes,” Pecknold said. “It was a little sloppy at times, but the kids played hard.”

Of concern to Pecknold, however, was the injury bug that once again hit the Bobcats this afternoon. Late in the 1st period, freshman defenseman Jake Bauer was ridden hard into the boards, and had to be helped off the ice by athletic trainer Brian Fairbrother.

Pecknold had no information on the nature of Bauer’s injury after the game, although WQUN’s Bill Schweizer indicated Bauer was suffering from a concussion, and was on the way to the hospital.

That’s in addition to Jamie Bates, who remained out of the lineup following a concussion he suffered against Princeton in November. Bates played against RPI on December 1, but hasn’t played a game since then.

“I was really hoping this would be the weekend I would come back, but the head’s telling me I’m not ready yet,” Bates told Schweizer during the 2nd intermission. “I’m hoping [to come back] next weekend against Harvard and Dartmouth.”

In the meantime, Bates remains out for tomorrow’s game, and the availability of his injured teammate is uncertain.

What is certain is the Bobcats started the second half the way they wanted to. Now, they get a chance to finish the Catamount Cup with a win against the tournament’s host, Vermont, and get a second much needed non-conference win. The game will start at 6:30pm, and can be viewed on CN8.

Kerner Springs Back From Injury

Kerner Springs Back From Injury
By Zach Smart

HAMDEN — Typically, when a player suffers a season-ending injury, the road to recovery and aftermath can generate anxiety.

A myriad of top-flight players–the Miami Heat’s Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway, the Pheonix Suns’ Grant Hill, and Sam Bowie, the injury-prone stiff who was actually selected before a guy named Michael Jordan in the NBA Draft gaffe of a lifetime –to name a few, have seen their careers see-saw or go sledding downhill due to injury.

When Erin Kerner, Quinnipiac’s standout point guard, suffered a season-ending injury with a torn anterior cruciate ligament last year, a program and fan base was collectively foiled.

Kerner’s injury morphed her into a lynchpin on the Quinnipiac bench down the stretch of the 2006-2007 campaign, and it allowed the skeptics to surface.

They said with an injury of this magnitude, Kerner might not be the same player once she’s thrust back into the fold.

Nine games into 2007-2008 campaign, it appears Kerner is not the same player who emerged as the leading Northeast Conference Player of the Year candidate before the injury.

She’s better.

With an arsenal of mid-range jumpers and quick slashes to the cup, Kerner gave an efficient account of herself on Dec.22. The sublime showing helped shoot Quinnipiac’s record to 8-1, as the Bobcats scored a 70-60 victory over neighboring rival Yale before a strongly bi-partisan crowd of 854.

Kerner led all scorers with 25 points. The combo guard shot a whopping 11-for-14 from the floor and handed out three assists in 36 minutes. The Bobcats shot a sizzling 28-for-50 (54 percent) from the field.

“She hasn’t missed a beat,” said Quinnipiac coach Tricia Sacca-Fabbri. “She is so poised and calm. When the ball is in her hands, I don’t have to worry. She just does everything so well for us.”

Sacca-Fabbri also added that Kerner, a junior, has improved by leaps and bounds.

It’s more than the longtime Bobcats coach could have asked from her stud guard, who was flushed into a leadership role this season.

Kerner spent nearly her entire summer on Quinnipiac’s quaint campus, working with trainers five days a week and refining elements of her game. The gem of a revitalized 2005 recruiting class that laid the foundation for future success, Kerner explained that the hard work helped streamline the recovery process. She admitted, however, that being cocked in Connecticut didn’t make for the most exhilarating summer.

The Erie, Pa. native and gymrat did get a chance to spend a week at home before the burdens of the first semester materialized.

Some vacation.

Kerner and the Bobcats will look forward to a more enlivening vacation on Dec. 28, as they fly out to sunny California for the prestigious San Diego Slam Jam.

Sacca-Fabbri sees the event as a chance for the Hamden school to register its presence on the West Coast.

“It’s an opportunity of a lifetime for this program,” she said.

In her first game back from the injury, Kerner cooked Brown University to the tune of 21 points in 18 minutes of an 85-41 wash-out. She shot 8-for-12 from the floor, letting the entire conference know that she’s re-surfaced into the landscape.

The Bobcats controlled the tempo early and often Saturday, snapping a two-game win streak for Yale (2-6), whose youth was evident in the loss.

It must feel good to avenge an ugly loss, especially when it’s the cross-town rival.

“Absolutely,” Kerner said.  “We went into their gym last year and played terrible. We came out today much more fired up and focused.”

It wasn’t the most memorable of homecomings for Queen Smith, a first-year Yale assistant coach who established herself as a surefire Hall of Fame selection during an outstanding career at Quinnipiac.

The Bulldogs simply had no answer for Kerner, whose fast break lay-in pumped the vaulted the Bobcats to an 18-5 lead they wouldn’t squander early in the first half.

Lights-out shooting from guards Kathleen Neyens (11 points) and Mandy Pennewell (15 points) was paramount to success throughout.

Senior stalwart Monique Lee bulldozed the Bulldogs for 11 points and six boards in 27 minutes. Lee and classmate Nicole Dupperon (game-high nine rebounds) sealed the basket shut down low, forcing Yale to take nearly one-third of their shots from beyond the arc. The Bulldogs shot 7-of-19 from three-point land, balancing their abysmal shooting from the field (where they went an Alaska-cold 14-for-41).

Out of the gates, Quinnipiac capped a 13-2 spurt with a Neyens trey from the left-corner. This bucket ballooned the lead to 18 with a thread under five minutes remaining.

But Yale rapidly broke out of their funk, ripping off a 9-0 run in three minutes.

Pennewell thwarted the run with a three-pointer of her own, making it 30-18 with 1:38 left.

Yale fought valiantly in a second half that the Bobcats opened up on an 11-0 run.

But in the end, it was too little, too late for the youth-laden Ivy League club.

“I’m very pleased to be 8-1 leading into Christmas,” explained Sacca-Fabbri. 

“We had control of the game.”

For Kerner, it’s just another page in the stellar career she’s authored in not even two full seasons.

When all is said and done, will the WNBA scouts—who gave Sacred Heart’s Amanda Pape considerable looks last year—come calling for the blink-quick, 5-foot-8 guard?

It’s not for certain, but something else is: It’s going to take more than an ACL injury to rattle her.

Reunions To Take Place In Backdoor Rivalry Game

Reunions To Take Place In Backdoor Rivalry Game
By Zach Smart

                                                       

     At the edge of the quaint campus of Quinnipiac University sits the bandbox Burt Kahn basketball court—where Queen Smith used to score in clusters, deliver pinpoint passes and lock up the opposing team’s top scorer.

Smith, then known as Queen Edwards (her maiden name), wrapped up a storied four-year stay as a Bobcat in 1996.

Smith stamped her imprint at Quinnipiac, then a burgeoning Division-II school in the Northeast-10. The New Haven native played with a dish-before-swish mentality, establishing herself as the second all-time leader in assists (476) and 12^th in scoring (1,207 points).

Smith was known throughout the eastern seaboard mainly for her defensive prowess, as she garnered three NEC Defensive Player of the Year awards from 1993-95.

Smith, who’s in her first season as an assistant with Yale, will be back near her old stomping grounds today.

The Bulldogs are set to battle at Quinnipiac, which has since moved into the extravagant TD Banknorth Sports Complex, today at 1PM.

It’s a homecoming that Smith admits she’s giddy about.

“I’m real excited about it. I know my girls are excited about it as well. It’s always nice coming back to your alma mater, and it’s really a homecoming on both sides.”

It is.

Smith isn’t the only one being reunited with some familiar faces today. There’s another intriguing subplot to this matchup. This one has a student-teacher angle to it.

The elder stateswoman is Yale assistant coach Dianne Nolan, who coached Quinnipiac’s head coach Tricia Sacca-Fabbri, during her 28-year stay as the head coach at Fairfield University. Sacca-Fabbri is currently a member of the Fairfield Hall of Fame. She eclipsed the 1,600-point milestone and grabbed 1,037 boards while authoring a legendary career with the Stags.

The Bobcats have jumped out of the gates box cutter-sharp, winning seven of their first eight games of the 2007-2008 campaign.

Yale, which won last season’s meeting between the two teams, dropped their first four games—two to national powerhouses Stanford and Arizona State–but have bounced back by running off consecutive victories.

Smith said she wouldn’t really be delving into the sentimental aspects of her return to Quinnipiac, though it will be an emotional game for her.

She said she’s more focused on trying to jack the Bulldogs’ win streak to three games as they round out their out-of-conference slate.

To do that, however, the Bulldogs will likely need to neutralize the inside/outside tandem of Monique Lee and Erin Kerner.

“We need to come to play,” explained Smith. “What we’ve really emphasized (preparing for Quinnipiac) is to not deviate from our game plan. We need to come to play and stay with our offensive intensity. I think Kerner’s a really great player, she’s going to be tough (for anyone) to stop this season. If we stick to our game plan, however, I think we’re certainly capable of beating them.”

Smith was offered the vacant assistant coaching slot after working for Yale’s National Youth Sports Program the past ten years.

She developed a solid relationship with Yale head coach Chris Gobrecht and jumped at the opportunity to hop aboard.

“So far so good,” said Smith of how her first Division-I coaching season has gone. We’ve played some very tough teams early on, but now we’re really starting to communicate and getting into where we need to be before conference play.”

Few members of this year’s Bobcats team really know what Smith did for the University.

Kerner does.

“She really left a lasting legacy here at Quinnipiac,” said Kerner, a point guard who leads the Bobcats with 15 points and 3.6 assist per game.

Smith and Kerner met over the summer through a mutual friend—Kerner’s cousin, and got to know each other.

“It would be an honor to do the same thing that (Queen) did here, to leave that same kind of mark. I know she was a special player here.”

DeMario, Cosgrove help Bobcats bounce back

DeMario, Cosgrove help Bobcats bounce back

By Michael T. Lyle, Jr.
WQAQ.com Sports

    Three days removed from a tough loss against in-state rival Connecticut, the Quinnipiac Bobcats knew they needed a spark to get back to their winning ways.
    On Wednesday night against Dartmouth, the Bobcats got plenty of them, thanks mainly to the play of DeMario Anderson and a strong supporting cast of Casey Cosgrove and James Feldeine.
    DeMario scored 27 points, including 19 in the first half, and Cosgrove added 12 as Quinnipiac rebounded from Sunday’s disaster against the Huskies with an 85-63 thumping of
the Big Green at TD Banknorth SportsCenter.
    This was a win that Tom Moore was more than satisfied with, considering all the hoopla he and his team faced—on and off the court—in Hartford against UConn.
    After all was said and done, the Bobcats turned their attention to their opponent from the Ivy League. They didn’t seem phased by the outcome of Sunday’s contest as they came out
firing on all cylinders, racing out to a big lead in the first half and never looked back.
    “What we saw tonight was some residual effects from the UConn game,” said Moore. “I was most pleased with the way we played on offense, particularly in the first half.”
    Indeed, Quinnipiac (5-5) put together a strong opening to this one, as back-to-back buckets from Justin Rutty and DeMario gave the hosts an early 18-7 lead. The Bobcats stretched the lead to fourteen on another
jumper by DeMario with 9:26 left in the period.
    Quinnipiac would keep the momentum going in the second half, as James Feldeine scored six consecutive points, including a breakaway two-hand slam, to turn a 43-25 halftime lead into a 49-33 cushion with under 16 minutes left.
    A jumper by Feldeine, followed later by a DeMario bucket, put the Bobcats in cruise control, 69-45 at the 10:57 mark. Darthmouth’s Alex Barnett tried to help the Big Green stay within striking distance of the Bobcats, as his layup brought the visitors to within 79-53 with 7:01 on the clock.
    But Quinnipiac’s sizzling 65 percent shooting from the field proved to be too much for the undermanned Big Green. Barnett was the only player in double figures for Dartmouth (5-5) as he finished with 17 points.  Feldeine scored 11 points for the Bobcats and Bryan Geffen added 12 more.
    “We were very good on the perimeter,” said Moore. “They passed on bad shots and took the right ones when they had to.”
    Cosgrove agreed.
    “Tonight we shot the ball well,” he said. “We just had to get back to playing our style of basketball.”

Bobcats Dump Off Dartmouth

Bobcats Dump Off Dartmouth
By Zach Smart

    Throughout the past year, there has been much hype and hearsay about Quinnipiac emerging into a “junior Ivy League.” Whatever the case may be, DeMario Anderson and the Quinnipiac men’s basketball team certainly exacerbated relations with the Ivy’s Dartmouth College on the hardwood Wednesday night.
    Anderson, he of the mid-range jumpers, quick slashes to the cup, and hangtime, scored 27 points in 27 minutes as the Bobcats blasted the Big Green, 85-63 before 725 at the TD Banknorth Sports Complex.
    The Bobcats shot a scintillating 64 percent from the floor in what was easily their best game of the young season. Sophomore point guard Casey Cosgrove (12 points) turned in a sublime showing, draining all four of his three-pointers and handing out a game-high nine assists. The nine dimes tied a career-high for Cosgrove.
    Off guard James Feldeine, inserted in the starting lineup for the injured Evann Baker (who’s favoring his hip), scored 11 points–all in the second half–including an extravagant two-handed slam on a fast break.
    “I was obviously happy with the way we played offense,” said Bobcats coach Tom Moore. “I was most pleased with how efficient our perimeter guys were.”
    The basket must have looked wider than the Quinnipiac River for the Bobcat guards, who hit 10-of-17 from beyond the arc.
    Combo guard Bryan Geffen was a firecracker off the bench, scoring 12 points and kicking in a season-high eight assists as the Bobcats improved to 5-5 overall.
    The story in the first half, however, was the Bobcats’ relentless defensive pressure. After being blitzed by UConn, Quinnipiac bounced back in a major way on the defensive side.
    “What we showed tonight was some residual effects of the UConn preparation,” explained Moore, adding that the coaching staff placed strong emphasis on defense in the previous two practices.
    “We, in essence, blew four practice days preparing to play a style totally different than we typically play (while preparing for UConn). I liked the fact that we had some hunger, defensively (tonight).”
    It showed in the first half, as Feldeine locked up Dartmouth’s Alex Barnett, who entered the contest shooting 53 percent on the season.
    Barnett, who hung 25 points on Vermont earlier in the season, was neutralized. Feldeine and the Bobcats forced him to take off-balance shots, and the guard/forward hit just two of his first eight shots in the first half.
    “We gave him (Feldeine) Barnett as an assignment, he did a great job,” said Moore. “Obviously we knew who Barnett was (coming into the game).”
    In the first half, Anderson was virtually uncontainable. The standout senior swingman scored 10 points in the first six minutes and ran off a personal 5-0 run that swelled Quinnipiac’s lead to 17 with 8:55 remaining.
    “He was efficient,” said Moore. “When he gets somebody off-balance, he can just cut guys off.”
    That he did, penetrating the teeth of the Big Green defense to the tune of 19 first-half points.
    Quinnipiac came out firing. The Bobcats reeled off a 10-0 run that was capped off by a transition trey by Geffen.
    Dartmouth’s DeVon Mosley thwarted the run with a three of his own.
    In the second half, the Bobcats were ignited by a thunderous dunk from 6-foot-9 center Ed Zajac.
    The momentum pendulum continued to swing the Bobcats’ way after Feldeine scored seven points in the span of a minute.
    Wedged in between Feldeine’s aforementioned dunk was a trey from the right corner and a jumper from the other side of the floor.
    “His identity is as a jump shooter,” said Moore of Feldeine, who had more space to get his shot off after being hounded by an ultra-long UConn team on Sunday.
    Dartmouth couldn’t stop the bleeding from there. Fan-favorite senior Andrew Cashin got free for a layup that made it 58-39 with 13:51 remaining. At that point, Dartmouth had dug itself too deep a hole.
    Karl Anderson, who finished with nine points off the bench, completed a three-point play before a Geffen trifecta bumped the lead up to 29 points.
    The Bobcats came out clicking on all angles, jumping out to a 13-7 lead they wouldn’t squander.
    “This was big,” said Cosgrove. “We had to get this. We had to be on a little bit of a roll heading into Vermont (Saturday). We shot it well, I think we got each other open looks, which was good.”
    Next stop: Burlington.
    The ‘Cats will infuse a hostile environment at UVM, where a marquee matchup that will be televised on NESN awaits. The Catamounts have established a go-to-guy in blossoming forward Marqus Blakely (18.9 PPG) and are led by a high-horsepower point guard in Mike Trimboli, who’s averaging 18 points and 4.3 assists.

A Look At Dartmouth

A Look At Dartmouth

             After being blatantly overwhelmed by the athleticism and high-octane brand of basketball employed by the UConn Huskies, the Quinnipiac Bobcats will look to spring back during a three-game non-conference slate.

             Quinnipiac coach Tom Moore was reminded of the torrent of talent he scored the nation’s hoop hotbeds for on Sunday, as his former team blitzed the Bobcats to the tune of 32 points.

             The Bobcats return to the cozy confines of the TD Banknorth Sports Complex for a 7PM meeting with Ivy League foe Dartmouth College. Albeit Sunday’s humiliating loss generated unfeasible frustration, a win would give the Bobcats their third victory in four games. The team’s morale would receive an immediate boost with a “W”, injecting momentum before the ‘Cats face Mike Trimboli, Marcus Blakely and the Catamounts at the University of Vermont on Dec. 22.

             The Big Green (5-4) hope to jack their win streak up to three games after registering a 70-67 squeaker over UC Davis that was followed by a 88-52 drubbing of Division-III Daniel Webster. Quinnipiac has won five of the nine overall games since establishing the annual out-of-conference contest in the schedule, holding a 5-4 edge against the Big Green.

             Dartmouth, which has won four of its last five, is led by Alex Barnett’s 16 points and seven boards per game. The 6-foot-6 guard forward dropped 20 and 25 in back-to-back wins over Colgate and Vermont, respectively, in late November. He shot a combined 18-for-30 in those two games and is shooting a sizzling 53 percent from the floor. Pegged as streaky in previous years, Barnett has established himself as an efficient go-to-guy this season.

              Quinnipiac (4-5), which placed strong emphasis on defensive energy last practice, will need to keep Barnett from scoring in clusters. The perimeter defense has been woeful, and on Sunday the Bobcats simply couldn’t fend off the relentless Connecticut Tree Service, a formidable frontcourt featuring 7-foot-3 Hasheem Thabeet as the man in the middle.  

            The Bobcats will also need to strap up on DeVon Mosley (14.4 ppg), who has played better off the ball lately. Mosley is shooting 92 percent from the free throw line.

           Coming into the season, the biggest concern was down low. The Big Green were out-rebounded by five boards a game last season and have received meager production from bigs Eldin Fitzgerald and Kurt Graeber.  

           While the Bobcats relied heavily on their perimeter game against the Huskies, Karl Anderson, Louis Brookins, Ed Zajac, or Justin Rutty could be on the verge of a breakout game around the cup. Dartmouth doesn’t seem to have the personnel in this category and could be in peril if Quinnipiac clamps down on top dogs Barnett and Mosley.

           Quinnipiac off guard Evann Baker (11 ppg), who suffered a hip injury against Army and did not play against UConn, will likely be out again.

            -Zach Smart

Huskies Dump Off Quinnipiac In Moore’s Return

                            Huskies Dump Off Quinnipiac In Moore’s Return

                                                 By Zach Smart

        

        Tom Moore was back in his old stomping grounds Sunday. Only this time he couldn’t be seen on the University of Connecticut sidelines, helping draw up Xs and Os and calling out plays for the myriad of young guns that he was so instrumental in bringing to Storrs, Conn.

        Quinnipiac’s head coach, who served 13 seasons under surefire Hall of Famer Jim Calhoun at UConn– where he scored the nation for talent and established himself as one the premier recruiters in college basketball–was treated with a warm, standing ovation from the Husky faithful in the pre-game introductions.

        That was about as comforting as it would get for Moore, in his first homecoming since being named Quinnipiac’s head coach in March. The state’s longest existing blood-feud was renewed, but it didn’t play out like a rivalry game. The physically superior Huskies put together arguably their best performance of the season, drubbing the Bobcats, 82-49 at the Hartford Civic Center Dec. 16.  

        “Last year, they didn’t have that same swagger that they did today,” said Moore, who had explained earlier in the week that it would be hard to simulate the athleticism of their Big East foe.

         “They are incredibly long and they are very big around the rim. I was very impressed at the way they communicated.”

          UConn clicked on all cylinders with their archtype, go-go offense. The Huskies played above the cylinder, punishing the rim with highlight reel dunks.

           Jerome Dyson scored a game-high 23 points in 29 minutes, after coming out flat in the first half. Dyson, a considerable NBA prospect, helped fuel a vicious 12-0 run over the final 4 1/2 minutes of the first half. The spurt culminated in an alley-oop from Dyson to 7-foot-3 center Hasheem Thabeet, whose one-handed banger wowed a crowd of about 3,500 that made it through the blistering cold and snow-blanketed streets.

           Thabeet and UConn’s frontcourt patrolled the paint all afternoon for the Huskies, which improved to 7-2 with the victory.

           The Bobcats couldn’t permeate any cracks in the lane, and UConn employed a half-court trap that helped instigate 15 turnovers.

            “I was trying to get some other lessons (in),” said Moore. “I would like to have the program to the point where we can play programs (like UConn)…It was the first time we were on a big stage, playing a big, physical team…Everyone asked me what I feared most about these guys…Their size around the rim is what that translates to. It translates to them getting out in transition, and that’s how it played out at the end of half.”

           When the Huskies sat in a zone, Quinnipiac was quick to take advantage. Sophomore point guard Casey Cosgrove scored a team-high 15 points on five three-pointers, four coming in the first half.

           Quinnipiac took a significant blow in the first half, when senior swingman DeMario Anderson was charged with his second foul.

           Anderson was one player on the equally young Quinnipiac team that Calhoun was familiar with. Playing for Central Connecticut back in 2005, Anderson dropped 23 points on the Huskies while being guarded by current Memphis Grizzlies stalwart Rudy Gay.

          This time around, the Huskies kept Anderson (10 points, eight boards) in check, clamping down on him and forcing Quinnipiac to play outside the key.

          UConn, who carried a 46-24 lead into the half, led by as many as 36 in the first. The second half would feature much of the same.

          The Huskies jacked their lead up to 35 after off guard Doug Wiggins finished on the break. Moments later, Dyson swished a set three from the right corner as the bulge ballooned to 71-37 with 8:20 remaining.

           There was no upset-bid this time, no late-game dramatics (like then-senior Adam Gonzalez’ three that tied the game up with two minutes to play when the two teams met in 2006). Just a dominant UConn team looking to eat up its out-of-conference slate in whale-size bites before Big East action emerges.

“I thought we played as hard as we have (all season),” said Calhoun, who threw lavished praise on A.J. Price (nine assists) and small forward Stanley Robinson (15 points).

“We stayed with it.”

Moore, who was reunited with the UConn beat writers, didn’t touch on any of the sentimental aspects of the game but looked emotionally drained by the end. He admitted he was disappointed, feeling that his team caught the “deer-in-the-headlights look a little bit at the end of the first half and at the beginning of the second half.”

Before Calhoun’s press conference, he chatted briefly with Moore. “We greatly miss him,” said Calhoun. “Quinnipiac’s a beneficiary of him going there. I miss him as (coach), as a recruiter, but I miss him the most as a friend.”

Because of their close friendship and Moore having recruited nearly the entire UConn team, both coaches said they would prefer not to play each other in the future.

In Moore’s Return Home, Huskies Dominate Bobcats

In Moore’s Return Home, Huskies Dominate Bobcats

By Peter D’Alauro

HARTFORD—Home sweet home was a bitter pill to swallow for Quinnipiac Men’s basketball coach Tom Moore. In what was the first match-up of his young head coaching career against his former school and mentor, Jim Calhoun, Moore’s Bobcats were physically dominated by Calhoun’s huskies, as they rolled to an 82-49 victory. Jerome Dyson led Connecticut with 23 points, but it was the physical presence of junior forward Jeff Adrien and center Hasheem Thabeet that kept the Bobcats in check for most of the night. Adrien contributed 12 points and 14 rebounds in the victory. While Thabeet only contributed 7 points on 3-3 shooting, he added four blocks in the contest and gave Quinnipiac fits anytime they entered the paint. “Today was real fun. We’ve been having a lot of fun in practice the last few days and we carried it onto the court,” said Adrien.

It certainly wasn’t fun for Quinnipiac during most of the contest. The most competitive moment of the game for the Bobcats came when sophomore guard Casey Cosgrove nailed a three point field goal with 13:30 remaining in the first half to tie the game at 10-10. He was the lone spark for the Bobcats as he added 15 points, all on three point field goals. However, it seemed as if that tie motivated Connecticut to start having fun out on the court, surely reminding Tom Moore of the college basketball powerhouse he left. UConn jumped off from that point, concluding the first half on a 36-14 run as they led Quinnipiac at the break, 46-24.

“We hadn’t really seen anything like this from any of our opponents in terms of size and athleticism, especially at the rim. That was a little bit hard for our kids to handle,” said a disappointed Moore. The second half was much of the same, as the Bobcats had no answer for the tough UConn big men and their athletic guards, led by junior guard A.J. Price. Price provided floor leadership for the Huskies, adding 6 points and 9 assists in the contest. This was the kind of leadership Jim Calhoun had been looking for from Price since he arrived at UConn. “You could hear A.J. really running the team. I like that. And during huddles he did a good job,” said a pleased Calhoun. Quinnipiac’s leading scorer this season, DeMario Anderson had a tough game, adding only 10 points on 5-16 shooting.

UConn’s lead ballooned to as much as 36 in the second half as it seemed they were at many points toying with the over-matched Bobcats. Although, you certainly couldn’t fault the effort by Quinnipiac. Many Bobcats were diving on the floor for loose balls, even when the outcome had all but been decided.

Perhaps the highlight of the day for Quinnipiac came just before tip-off as Tom Moore received a rousing standing ovation from the 3,500 plus brave fans at the Civic Center who withstood a nor’easter, a token of their appreciation for his 13 years of dedicated service to UConn, where he helped them win two national championships. Jim Calhoun echoed those sentiments after the game, “I miss him as a recruiter, but more as a friend,” added the hall of fame coach.

Despite the kind words, Moore knows better than anyone that it’s a long tough road ahead for his Bobcats to even approach the level of success he achieved at UConn. The Bobcats will look to improve themselves in their next two games, one at home against Dartmouth and then a trip up north to face Vermont. “We have a huge game against Dartmouth on Wednesday,” Moore said. “We have another huge game against Vermont on Saturday, so we’d like to put this behind us and move on.”

BOBCATS NOTEBOOK: Despite loss, there’s plenty of optimism for Quinnipiac, Moore

BOBCATS NOTEBOOK

Despite loss, there’s plenty of optimism for Quinnipiac, Moore

By Michael T. Lyle, Jr.
WQAQ.com Sports

HARTFORD — So it may have not been the outcome Quinnipiac head coach Tom Moore was expecting. However, even after his Bobcats were soundly defeated by Connecticut, 82-49, on Sunday afternoon, Moore certainly has quite a few things to be proud of during his first few months as “the general” of his crew — and most of the 3,500 in attendance at the Hartford Civic Center immediately took notice.

In a state that’s well-known for the success of UConn hoops, the fans remember some of the best days Moore experienced during his 13 seasons as an assistant under his former mentor and Hall-of-Fame coach Jim Calhoun — eight Big East regular-season titles, five Big East Tournament titles, 12 straight NCAA tournament berths, and, oh yeah, two national championships. He was also known for being one of the top recruiters on the program who brought in a bevy of the best young basketball players around the country who would later go on to have successful careers in the NBA.

Indeed, those were the times. But Sunday’s result was a sign that times are much different for Moore, yet many around him believe he still has the ability and skill to take the Quinnipiac men’s basketball program to a new level, despite their early-season struggles.

The finest moment had to have come during pregame introductions. When Moore was introduced, almost everyone in the arena was standing and applauding as loud as they could, showing their appreciation for the former Husky assistant.

A great feeling for a coach of a former and opposing team to have? Perhaps. Would it have been better for Moore to get the win and complete what was a crazy week for the local media providing all sorts of coverage leading up to Sunday’s matinee?

Absolutely.

But Moore knew what his team was getting into. He knew UConn was bigger, stronger and perhaps more athletic than his Bobcats. He also knew his Bobcats’ team had recently come off a tough road trip in which they edged out Army in a nailbiter in West Point, NY, a week earlier.

Casey Cosgrove, who lead Quinnipiac with 15 points, helped the Bobcats hang around with their in-state rivals for the first 15 minutes or so on some nifty shooting from beyond the arc.

That all changed once Husky guard Jeff Adrien keyed a big first-half run with a dunk and a free-throw to open up a 33-19 lead.

Quinnipiac tried as hard as they could to make a game of it, but the Huskies pulled away for good with a 16-4 sprint to start the second half.

Its a loss that may not have been as shocking to those watching from the stands, but Moore felt his team was much better than the way they performed on Sunday.

“I was very disappointed we didn’t compete scoreboard wise and didn’t show better”, said a dejected Moore. “I’d like to have our program to the point to where we can play teams like this.”

Last season, when Joe DeSantis was roaming the Quinnipiac sidelines, the Bobcats came a mere six points away from pulling off an upset of UConn in Storrs — the closest both teams have played in the nine times they’ve met.

But with a revamped UConn squad that’s full of expectations this season, Calhoun admitted that Moore’s team just ran into a Husky squad that’s starting to play better basketball as of late.

Yet, the Hall-of-Fame coach sees great things on the horizon for Moore and his program.

“I know (Moore) is disappointed and I don’t like to see him lose”, said Calhoun. “But I have no doubt in my mind, given his coaching ability, he’s going to do a great job. He’s got tremendous support and I think they’ll grow into a great team.”

Moore agreed, but felt his team started to commit costly turnovers and began to run out of energy down the stretch.

“They didn’t quit,” said Moore. “They’re hard-workers and are fun to work with. It was just that some foul situations and some fatigue caught us toward the end of the first half.”

This game should also serve as good tune-up for Northeast Conference play next month. The Bobcats will wrap up their non-league portion of the campaign with a pair of home games against Ivy League members Dartmouth and Cornell, and then a road trip up to Vermont for a showdown with the Catamounts.

So, as a cold, snowy afternoon/evening in the capital city of Connecticut came to an end, memories were rekindled and laughs were shared. While neither team is certain as to whether or not these two programs

will compete again next season, this much is known.

Regardless of what happened on the hardwood of the Civic Center on Sunday, December 16, 2007, both Moore and Calhoun will continue to have as much praise for each other and for their programs — and they’ll continue to remain great friends.

“I miss him as a recruiter and more as a friend”, said Calhoun. “Quinnipiac is benefiting from him being there. They’re headed in the right direction.”

“All the credit goes to them”, added Moore. “They didn’t have the same swagger that they did today. I wish them nothing but the best for them in the Big East this season.”