Bobcats get their hustle on, hold off Mount Saint Mary’s

Bobcats get their hustle on, hold off Mount Saint Mary’s

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

HAMDEN - For the Bobcats against Mount Saint Mary’s, the name of the game was hustling. They dove for loose balls, played tough defense and got their offense going on a few fast-break attempts. Heck, even the majority of the TD Banknorth Sports Center fans nearly jumped out of their seats as Evann Baker missed a one-handed dunk over a defender.

It was one of those nights for Quinnipiac, and against a Mount St. Mary’s team that’s known mostly for their defense, the Bobcats mixed up theirs with some quality offensive output from the usual cast.

DeMario Anderson scored 11 of his 21 points in the second half to help Quinnipiac bounce back from Saturday’s loss to Robert Morris with a 70-59 Northeast Conference victory. The senior captain also made some key defensive plays to fend off a late Mountaineer rally and got support from Karl Anderson and James Feldeine, two of five Bobcats that score in double-figures. Karl had 12 and Feldeine added 11.

“We played weak in the first half because they worked hard on defense,” said Bobcats’ head coach Tom Moore. “We were stronger coming off the screens and off the ball in the second half. The neat thing is that we had enough in the tank to weather the storm down the stretch.”

After a first half that featured four lead changes and seven ties, Feldeine and DeMario got things going for the Bobcats (7-8, 3-1 NEC) to start the final period. Feldeine knocked down a three-pointer, followed by a block by DeMario and another three-pointer that fueled a 14-6 run and opened up a 40-32 lead with under 15 minutes left.

The Mount (7-9, 3-2) kept their defensive pressure going against the Bobcats, and fatigue started to settle in late for the hosts. It sure looked that way as bad passing, sloppy possessions and a few silly fouls left the door open for the Mountaineers as Jeremy Goode scored on an uncontested layup in the lane to cut the lead to 58-51 with 4:18 to go.

But Feldeine and Karl put an end to the Mountaineers comeback as they scored on consecutive buckets to push the lead back up to ten, 67-57, with 1:22 remaining.

Goode led Mount Saint Mary’s with 15 points and Will Holland added 10.

“The came out and were more aggressive in the second half,” said Mountaineers head coach Milan Brown. “We found ourselves having to play uphill for so long. They simply beat us at our own game tonight.”

Mountaineer forward Sam Atupem got the visitors off to a 19-18 lead with a pair of buckets late in the opening half. A three-point play by Karl, then a jumper by Brian Geffen briefly gave Quinnipiac a 26-25 lead before a free-throw by Atupem drew Mount Saint Mary’s even at intermission.

NOTES: The game also marked the return of Casey Cosgrove, who missed Saturday’s game due to a back injury caused by hip-alignment. He went scoreless in 14 minutes of action. Moore said that he’s still fighting the issue, but its nothing serious.

Anderson Shines As Bobcats Score Pivotal Victory

Anderson Shines As Bobcats Score Pivotal Victory
By Zach Smart

HAMDEN — Prior to the 2007-2008 campaign, then newly-appointed head coach Tom Moore spoke privately with then-incoming senior DeMario Anderson. The mentor-and-pupil session covered everything from Anderson’s new leadership role to team aspirations.

Even before the meeting took place, however, Anderson saw the writing on the wall.

The onus is on him to lead this year. The Bobcats will only go as far as Anderson—an ultra-athletic 6-foot-4 swingman—takes them.

Since that meeting, “DA” hasn’t been the same player that emerged as one of the league’s top scorers last season.

By leaps and bounds, he’s better.

Playing a more of an all-around and tougher brand of basketball, Anderson has led by example and surfaced as a serious candidate for Northeast Conference Player of the Year in the young season.

These aspects were on display Thursday night, as the Bobcats fended off a defensive-minded Mount St. Mary’s team en route to a 70-59 victory before 968 at the TD Banknorth Sports Center. The Bobcats improve to 3-1 in the NEC with the victory.

With a steady mix of mid-range jumpers, outside shots, and strong takes to the cup, the Oxon Hill, MD product gave his workaday offensive performance. Anderson would finish with 21 points, a thread over his season scoring average, on 9-for-17 shooting.

But it was his defensive energy and creativity with the ball that helped propel the Bobcats to a much-needed conference win.

“He’s a special player,” said Moore. “I know I take him for granted. He’s a superstar. For a superstar, he’s a very unselfish player.”

Anderson inhaled seven rebounds, handed out three assists, and recorded four steals to go with two eye-popping blocks in 35 minutes.

Mount St. Mary’s employed a tight man-to-man defense that threw the Bobcats out of their groove early in a sloppy, turnover-plagued first half. But the Bobcats (7-8 overall) snapped out of the funk, clawing back from a seven-point deficit as the game hit a 26-26 logjam at the break.

In a game that featured nine ties and four lead changes, the Mount never quit but were outplayed in the second half. Chris Vann who came into the conference averaging 16 points and dropped 28 on the Bobcats last year, was

Mount coach Milan Brown said that in practice, his troops focused on clamping down on Anderson and sealing off the perimeter, where the Bobcats can get El Azizia-hot.

“I was more disappointed in how many layups they made,” said Brown, who admits that his team bears more of a defensive identity than they showed tonight. Them beating us off the dribble hurt us tonight. That’s not what we teach, that’s not how we play.”

Anderson scored 10 points in the first ten minutes, as the Bobcats shot an efficient 12-for-24 from the floor in the first half. As play progressed, however, D.A. began to operate offense—knifing through a pair of defenders and finding Louis Brookins (10 points, nine boards) for an open lay-in as the momentum-pendulum swung in the Bobcats’ direction for much of the second half.

During one crucial juncture, Anderson dove for a loose ball and tried to rip it away from 7-foot, 245-pound center Jason Loughry. The Bobcats won the jump ball, and on the ensuing possession Anderson swatted Markus Mitchell, sprinted to the left side and canned a pull-up three-pointer that bumped Quinnipiac ahead, 40-32—causing an irate Brown to call a 30-second timeout.

After hitting his second trey of the game, Anderson swatted Will Holland’s shot attempt in a wild sequence that led to a Bryan Geffen layup that jacked the lead up to 11.

As impressive as Anderson was, he clearly wasn’t alone.

Fifth-year senior Karl Anderson scored 12 points off the bench and James Feldeine added 11. Evann Baker chipped in with 10. Geffen finished with a game-high seven dimes.

Smurf-size point guard Jeremy Goode led Mount St. Mary’s, whose losing streak extends to three games with the loss, with 15 points and six assists.

A few notes heading into tonight’s meeting against Mount St. Mary’s

A few notes heading into tonight’s meeting against Mount St. Mary’s:

Injury Riddled: The Bobcats suffered a sharp blow when blink-quick point guard Casey Cosgrove (8.2 PPG, 3.5 APG) fell out with a nagging back injury before the Robert Morris game. It was a game-time decision, and it appears Cosgrove will have to wait a while before jumping back into the fold.

Freshman forward/center Ed Zajac has also been nicked up a bit lately and is doubtful for tonight’s game. Zajac is averaging 3.5 points and 5.3 boards.

DA’s World: Senior stalwart DeMario Anderson has established himself as one of the most prolific scorers in NCAA Division-I basketball this season. Anderson is averaging 20.4 points, despite being saddled with foul trouble in multiple games. Against Cornell, Anderson scored 20 points–in the second half. Anderson is averaging 23.8 points through the past five games. He hung 28 points (on 12-for-22 FG) on Robert Morris in last week’s 86-79 overtime loss.

Let’s Get Rutty: Freshman Center Justin Rutty was selected as the Northeast Conference Rookie of the Week following the week of Jan. 7. Rutty, a Newburgh, N.Y. native, averaged 9.7 points and 6.7 boards. Rutty scored the first six points of the RMU game, finishing with ten first-half points. The 6-foot-7 lefty was neutralized in the second half, however, finishing with 12 points and six caroms. Rutty has shown promise this season, shooting over 50 percent from the floor. In order to emerge into one of the Northeast Conference’s elite big men, though, his free throw shooting must improve. Rutty has been a vintage Shaq at the charity stripe this season, shooting just a thread above 37 percent.

Mount St. Mary’s (7-8, 3-1 NEC) heads into the TD Banknorth Sports Complex tonight looking to avenge a loss from last season. Quinnipiac handed the Mount a 70-62 loss in a game which saw then-senior Victor Akinyanju (who is currently playing professionally in Portugal) erupt for 20 points and 21 rebounds last February.

The Mount has dropped three of their last four, most recently suffering a 81-67 wash-out to NBA prospect Blake Griffin and Oklahoma.

The Bobcats must clamp down on sharpshooter Chris Vann (16.1 ppg). Vann scored 28 against the ‘Cats in the first meeting between the teams last season, a Mount St. Mary’s victory. The Mount is led by smurf-size point guard Jeremy Goode (14 PPG, 6.4 APG), one of the NEC’s best passers.

-Zach Smart

Colonials knock off Bobcats

Colonials knock off Bobcats
By Michael T. Lyle, Jr.
WQAQ.com Sports
January 5, 2007

HAMDEN — A new year has begun, yet the Bobcats still have some old problems from the past they’ll need to do away with if they plan to compete for the Northeast Conference title.

Those same problems resulted in another setback for Quinnipiac on Saturday against Robert Morris.  In front of a national TV audience on ESPNU, the Bobcats started off slow, fell behind, then played “catch-up” and eventually caught up with the Colonials.

But throw in a few costly turnovers on some key possessions in the final minutes and some clutch shooting by Robert Morris’ guards A.J. Jackson and Tony Lee, the result was a 86-79 defeat in front of 1,164 at the TD Banknorth Sports Center.

“We got out-toughed and lost to a tough-minded, offensive team,” said a dejected Quinnipiac head coach Tom Moore.  “We didn’t do enough defensively, particularly in the first half.  They were the more confident team today.”

DeMario Anderson led all scores with 28 points on 5-of-6 shooting, but it was Jackson and Lee who helped the Colonials fight off a Bobcat rally as they combined to score nine points to turn a 64-58 lead into an 80-70 advantage in the final six minutes of the contest.  Jackson paced Robert Morris with 21 points and Lee added 17.  

“We’ve been waiting for him to have a breakout year,” said Robert Morris head coach Mike Rice of Jackson.  “Tonight was refreshing because of our constant effort to get him the ball more.”

Both teams made most of the first 20 minutes interesting, as they traded buckets until Jeremy Chappell’s jumper gave Robert Morris (10-5, 2-1 NEC) a 19-15 lead with under 10:30 to play.  A Jackson three-pointer, followed by a turnaround jumper by Bateko Francisco opened up a 27-17 advantage.

James Feldeine then helped key an 8-0 run for Quinnipiac (6-8, 2-1) as he knocked down a three-pointer, then converted on a bucket to cut the deficit to 36-32 at the 5:34 mark. Back-to-back baskets by DeMario tied it at 37-all with two minutes remaining. The half ended with a bank shot three-pointer by Francisco, putting the Colonials up 42-39.

The intensity continued in the second half, as buckets by Chappell and Jimmy Langhurst extended the lead to 58-47 early in the period.  DeMario and Brian Geffen would rally the hosts as a three-pointer by Geffen, followed by a three-point play by DeMario brought the Bobcats to within 69-68 at the 5:19 mark before Jackson and Lee later sealed the win for Robert Morris.

Rutty finished with 12 points, including 10 in the first half, while Feldeine chipped in 12.  Langhurst contributed 15 points for the Colonials.

Shooting wasn’t much of a problem for both teams as the Bobcats and Colonials each shot only a shade over 50 percent for the contest. Quinnipiac, however, was hurt by 14 turnovers and shot a dismal 5-of-14 from beyond the arc.

“If we can grow from this and become better, it’ll be fine in this league,” said Moore. ”The potential is there, but this was a big game for us because we had a few guys who had never been in a game like this.”

NOTES: The Bobcats played this one without senior guard Casey Cosgrove, who sat out because of a back injury.  Moore said that it wasn’t anything serious, and that Cosgrove should be back in time for Thursday’s contest against Mount Saint Mary’s.

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.”