By Bill Cloutier


bcloutier@nhregister.com

Twitter @BillCloutier

BROOKLYN -- The sheer drama in Wednesday night’s Northeast Conference quarterfinal game between Quinnipiac and Long Island was right out of a motion picture.

In fact, the suspense grew so greatly that actor/director and basketball junkie Spike Lee left his seat and stood on the baseline directly under the Long Island basket for the game’s final minutes.

Unfortunately for the game Bobcats, they won’t be able to make a curtain call. Quinnipiac’s heart-breaking 91-83 loss in Brooklyn marked the second straight season that the Bobcats were eliminated by LIU in NEC tournament.

It won’t happen again. That’s because Quinnipiac is moving to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference next season.

Wednesday’s game turned into a foul-fest and the Bobcats’ free-throw shooting woes reared their ugly heads again. Ousmane Drame, who otherwise was brilliant and is generally one of the best Bobcats at the line, missed six of his eight attempts from the stripe in the second half as Quinnipiac squandered a nine-point lead in the game’s final 10 minutes.

“We were up good but we started fouling and they got back into the game with free throws,” Quinnipiac junior forward Ike Azotam said. “We didn’t execute and we lost our poise. Free throws lost us a couple of games this year and they won us a couple. In the second half it came back to haunt us.

Azotam fouled out of the game with over five minutes remaining. He was one of four Bobcats to foul out.

“It was tough to watch from the bench,” he said. “You never can guess that you’ll lose four starters in a game. I don’t want to say that the (officiating) was one-sided. They played better than us in the second half.

“I kept telling them to keep playing, that we’ve been down before. We started the season 5-11 and 1-3 in the conference. We were in close games all year.”

Moore wraps up his first six seasons at Quinnipiac with a 70-39 mark in NEC play. He is a bit disappointed about the past season but once his Bobcats proved their mettle down the stretch.

“I really wish we had won the Central (Connecticut State) game in particular,” Moore said. “That might have given us a better seed and we wouldn’t have had to start our journey at Long Island. Arguably this is as hard a place to win because of the belief they have. They’re going to be a tough out.

“I think our record should have been better than 15-16. I’m really proud of the hole we dug ourselves out of. We’ve prided ourselves, the last five years, of having strong Februarys with teams that continued to improve. This team carried the torch.

“I’m really excited about the individual improvements from a lot of our young guys. We had a lot of guys stuck with no confidence but we grew a great deal in January and February. They rattled off a great winning streak.”

Azotam, Quinnipiac’s rugged forward who led the team in scoring and rebounding and was named to the NEC second team, will be back as will Drame, who Moore called the best big man in the conference as the season progressed.

“Drame had a great end to his sophomore year and he’s terrifically talented,” Moore said. “The drive to win is coming out for him. I’m very excited about what he can do for us the next two years.”

The Bobcats will lose unflappable guard Dave Johnson who has been a court leader for the past few seasons as well as versatile forward Jamee Jackson, and oft-injured swingman Garvey Young. But guards Evan Conti and Zaid Hearst will return and both proved themselves in Quinnipiac’s biggest games.

“It’s hard to say because we lost in the first round but I was proud of how we played in the last month,” Azotam said. ”I’m looking forward to next year. We bring back most of our team and I’m confident about next year.”

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Ike Azotam scored 14 points and Ousmane Drame added 13 but it was the Bobcats' late defense which Quinnipiac to a crucial 81-74 win over Sacred Heart in an NEC game at the Pitt Center on Thursday night.
Quinnipiac tried everything hoping to silence Gibson. Finally it was junior college transfer Shaq Shannon who held the key to throttling the Pioneer guard who entered the game 11th in the nation in scoring at 20.5 points.

Ike Azotam

Gibson scored 36 points but was shut out for the final 8 minutes, 58 seconds of play as Quinnipiac posted a pivotal 81-74 win in a Northeast Conference game at the Pitt Center. It is the fifth straight win for the surging Bobcats and seventh victory in their last eight games. The recent hot stretch has vaulted Quinnipiac into the top half of the NEC standings with four difficult games remaining on the docket.

Shannon finished with 11 points and Zaid Hearst added 10 for the Bobcats which moved into fourth place in the NEC just a game and a half behind front-running Robert Morris. James Ford came off the bench to score a nine crucial points in just eight minutes.
It was the 64th meeting between the two teams and most likely the last time they’ll meet in conference play as the Bobcats will join the MAAC next year.
“Losing begets losing and winning begets winning and we’re on the good side now,” Quinnipiac coach Tom Moore said.
"We're bigger and we're deeper than they were."
They work really hard. We've had a lot of growth on this team."
Moore said his Bobcats hit the low point of the season in the second half of their last game against Sacred Heart, an 80-74 loss.
"We were awful then. Now we're the higest point we've been all season. They believe that anything is possible."

Assistant Sports Editor
bcloutier@nhregister.com
The quest is quite different for the Quinnipiac men’s basketball team as it heads down the stretch this season. For the past few years Quinnipiac has waged a battle for the Northeast Conference regular-season title. This year they’re just hoping to earn a spot in the playoffs.

Quinnipiac plays host to Central Connecticut State tonight at 7 p.m. at the TD Bank Sports Center in the first of two crucial contests between the two teams this week. The Bobcats (13-10, 6-6 NEC) are currently in sixth place, while Central (10-12, 7-5) checks in at fifth place, a game ahead of Quinnipiac.
“We’re in a good place right now,” Quinnipiac coach Tom Moore said. “They feel good about themselves and I’m real happy how we’ve looked defensively lately.”
Central is led by NEC preseason Player of the Year Ken Horton who is second in the conference in both scoring (19.8 ppg) and rebounding (9.2 rpg). He scored 29 points in a recent loss at conference-leading Long Island. The Blue Devils have also gotten fantastic scoring from sharp-shooter Robby Ptacek (18.5 ppg) and freshman phenom Kyle Vinales (17.8 ppg) who are third and fourth in the conference in scoring.
“When you play a team with three great scorers it’s like pick your poison,” Moore said. “We usually play Horton straight up and we’ve had success against Ptacek but some of times we’ve played him he’s been injured.”
This will be Quinnipiac’s first look at Vinales, who scored a season-high 39 points against Niagara earlier in the season, but they do get back the services of forward Jamee Jackson who Moore called the best defensive player in the conference.
Quinnipiac has won five straight games in the series. More importantly, the Bobcats have won four of their last five games to climb up the NEC’s standings.
“It’s been good for us,” Moore said. “As a coach you can preach all you want about things but if they don’t see the results it’s not going to matter much. We’ve told them all along to focus on defense in the second half.
“In the past five games no team has shot over 40 percent in the second half and we’ve won four games.”
There are no easy spots the rest of the way. The Bobcats’ final six opponents are a combined 47-25 in conference play. After playing Central the Bobcats finish with Robert Morris, LIU, St. Francis (N.Y.) and St. Francis (Pa.). They’ve lost to all four teams already this season.
But they’re not shaken.
“It’s not like we’ve gotten pounded by anyone,” Moore said. “We played (the top two teams in the NEC) LiU to four points and Wagner by one. “The guys feel there’s not anyone in the league we can’t beat.”
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HAMDEN – Nothing is coming easy for the Quinnipiac men’s basketball team this year. But, after two straight overtime victories maybe the Bobcats have things headed in the right direction.
Quinnipiac spotted Mount St. Mary’s a 15-point halftime lead but roared back early in the second half and pulled out a 69-66 overtime win in a Northeast Conference game at the TD Bank Sports Center Thursday. The Bobcats got 20 points from Ike Azotam and 26 second-chance points on the way to the victory.

Ousmane Drame scored 13 points and grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds and James Johnson added 15 points for the Bobcats (11-9, 4-5 NEC).
“The last three years we’ve closed the season 6-3, 9-1 and 10-1,” Quinnipiac coach Tom Moore said. “This is the time of the year we need more energy from them.”
They also need another big finish. The Bobcats entered play on Thursday in eighth place in the NEC and only the top eight teams qualify for the postseason tournament.
“We can’t afford to lose any because we’re battling for our spot in the (NEC) tournament,” Azotam said. “Each game is equally important.”
The Mountaineers (4-16, 2-7) got a game-high 22 points from Julian Norfleet but the flashy sophomore guard missed a 3-pointer at the overtime buzzer which would have tied the game again.
Second-half defense has been Moore’s biggest concern in NEC play. On Thursday the Bobcats didn’t play any defense in the first half and Mount St. Mary’s took a stunning 43-28 lead at the half shooting 52 percent from the field.
“I was shocked and disappointed with our play in the first half,” Moore said. “But this is the second game in the row that we played much better defense in the second half and it led us to two wins.”
Quinnipiac opened the second half on a 16-2 run to get back in the game as the Mount managed just a dunk by Raven Barber in the first eight minutes after the break.
“I only had 11 minutes at half to give them a spanking, a pep talk and everything,” Moore said. “I had to talk quick and be a parent but I had to get them to understand that we weren’t going to get 15 points in the first minute. I told them to see where we were at the 10-minute mark.”
Said Azotam: “I like the way we came out in the second half. We knew we could come back because we did it against Boston University.”
The Mount tied the game at 61 at the end of regulation when Kelvin Parker rolled in two of his 16 points from close range in the final seconds.
Quinnipiac never trailed in the extra session. Azotam gave the Bobcats a 67-65 lead with 1:10 to play. After Barber hit one of two free throws to close the gap to 67-66, Drame had the biggest basket of the game with a putback of a deflected airball by Zaid Hearst with 20 seconds left.
“We send multiple guys to the glass and that’s just Ousmane having a great feel for the game,” Moore said.
Quinnipiac played without forward Jamee Jackson who missed the game with a strained Achilles tendon. Moore said he was questionable for Saturday’s game against second-place Wagner.
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Quinnipiac at Sacred Heart
♦When: Thursday, 7 p.m.
♦Where: Pitt Center, Fairfield
♦Records: Quinnipiac 9-8 (2-4 Northeast); Sacred Heart 8-11 (2-4)
♦Radio: WQUN-1220

♦Scouting Sacred Heart: The Pioneers snapped a five-game losing streak to the Bobcats with a 68-55 win at Hamden earlier in the season. In that game, Shane Gibson led the way with 21 points. SHU beat St. Francis (Pa.) last week but lost to Robert Morris, both three-point decisions. The Pioneers got 55 points in the two games from Gibson, who leads the NEC in scoring at 20.3 ppg.
♦Scouting Quinnipiac: The Bobcats are desperate for a win after losing two of their last three games. Their one win in the stretch came against league power Robert Morris, but they have been wildly inconsistent. While Quinnipiac continues to be among the best rebounding teams in the country, it was outrebounded 74-71 by St. Francis (Pa.) last game.

By Bill Cloutier
Assistant Sports Editor
bcloutier@nhregister.com
In a season of turmoil the Quinnipiac men's basketball team got a minor victory on Tuesday afternoon.
Off the basketball court and back in Meriden Superior Court, all five Quinnipiac players involved in a Sept. 18 on-campus assault were granted accelerated rehabilition by Judge Philip Scarpellino.
The five players, who appeared in court on Tuesday will also have to perform community service. If the players complete their orders sufficiently their cases will be dismissed.
Scarpellino sentenced senior guard James Johnson and junior forward Jamee Jackson to two years of the accelerated rehabilitation program. They will also have to serve 200 hours of community service and are responsible for sharing the medical costs of the victims' expenses.
Three other players involved in the case were also granted acclerated rehabilitation.
Junior guard Dave Johnson and sophomore forward Ike Azotam were given one-year programs and will have to complete 50 hours of community service. Freshman Nate Gause was dealt an 18-month accelarated rehabilitation sentence and will have perform 100 hours of community service.
James Johnson and Azotam were originally charged in the case anad taken into custody a day after the assault took place. As the investigation continued Gause, Jackson and Dave Johnson were also identfied and they turned themselves into Hamden police on Dec. 1 and confessed to the crime.

Just when you thought the Bobcats were on the right track they lost to another St. Francis team. After losing to St. Francis (N.Y.) last week, on Saturday it was St. Francis (Pa.).
Those are two teams the Bobcats have dominated in recent years.
Here are the game details from the Quinnipiac web site:

LORETTO, Pa. – Ike Azotam (Boston, Mass.) finished with a game-high 28 points on Saturday afternoon, but the Quinnipiac University men's basketball team fell short on the road to Saint Francis (Pa.), 74-71, at DeGol Arena. With the loss, the Bobcats descend to 9-8 overall and 2-4 in the Northeast Conference. SFU improves to 4-15, 3-3 in the league.
Azotam went 13-of-18 from the floor, grabbed four rebounds and snatched two steals for the Bobcats. Dave Johnson (Jackson, N.J.) poured in 15 points on 4-of-9 shooting to go along with a game-high seven assists and a team-high 6 rebounds. James Johnson (Queens, N.Y.) scratched out eight points and remains three shy of 1,500 for his career. Justin Harris (Paterson, N.J.) finished with six points and five rebounds and Zaid Hearst (Bethesda, Md.) added five.
The first half featured quick start for the visiting Bobcats, followed by a strong finish for the hosting Red Flash. James Johnson granted QU a seven-point edge, 24-17, after a three-point field goal at the 9:10 mark. However, the lead was short-lived as SFU battled back before the halftime whistle sounded. SFU boasted a 21-13 run to close out the opening frame, leaving the Red Flash in front by one at the break.
The first half was very well-played. The two teams combined for just 11 turnovers and scored at a strong clip. The Bobcats finished 13-of-28 (46.4 percent) while the Red Flash went 15-of-30 (50 percent) from the floor. Azotam tossed in 12 points to lead the Bobcats and Kameron Ritter led SFU with 14 points.
Saint Francis came out of the locker room and quickly added to their halftime advantage. The Red Flash extended the margin to seven points with 15 minutes left and managed to maintain the two-possession lead for much of the second half.
QU wouldn’t go away though and battled through the final whistle. Dave Johnson cut the deficit to just one with a free-throw inside of four minutes, but Anthony Ervin had an answer on the other end. Ervin knocked down a trey from the corner, pushing the SFU lead back up to four points.
Quinnipiac clawed its way back to a three-point game and then forced a turnover with four seconds left. Unfortunately, the Bobcats were unable to get the shot off and the clock expired. SFU snapped a six-game skid with the triumph.
For the game, SFU outshot QU, 52.8 percent to 46.6 percent, from the floor, 50 percent to 27.3 percent, from long range and controlled the boards, 30-29. The Bobcats turned nine offensive rebounds into nine second-chance points.
Ritter continued to score the basketball in the second half as well, totaling 24 points for the contest. SFU heads to New Jersey next week for two games against Monmouth and Fairleigh Dickinson.

Here's Saturday's capsule preview:

Quinnipiac at St. Francis (Pa.)
When: Today, 4 p.m.

Where: DeGol Arena, Loretto, Pa.

Records: Quinnipiac (9-7, 2-3 Northeast), St. Francis (3-13, 2-3)

Radio: WQUN-1220 AM
Scouting Quinnipiac:
The Bobcats just pulled off their biggest win of the season on Thursday winning at Robert Morris 78-76. Now they get a chance to get back to the .500 mark in the conference. Dave Johnson had his best game of the season against the Colonials with 18 points including 8-for-8 from the free throw line, a spot that has hurt Quinnipiac badly this season. James Johnson led the team with 22 points. This is the second of four straight road games for the Quinnipiac in a crucial stretch.
Scouting St. Francis (Pa.):
The Red Flash has lost six straight and never seemed to recover after the loss of star Umar Shannon early in the season. A tough defensive team, St. Francis has struggled to score all season and are led by 6-8 forward Scott Eatherton. Quinnipiac beat the Red Flash last season after opening up the game on a 22-0 run and cruised the rest of the way. The Red Flash are coming off a three-point loss to Sacred Heart which snapped its three-game home winning streak.
Projected Starters

St. Francis
Player, Ht., Year, Pos., Avg
Kameron Ritter, 6-3, So., F, 3.4
Jon Taylor, 6-6, Sr., F, 6.1
Scott Eatherton, 6-8, So., F, 14.0
Stephen Whyatt, 6-1, Fr., G, 7.4,
Anthony Ervin, 6-4, Jr., G, 11.0,

Quinnipiac
Ousmane Drame, 6-9, Fr. , F, 5.6
Zaid Hearst, 6-0, Fr.G, 6.2
James Johnson, 6-0, Sr., G, 18.1
Dave Johnson, 5-10, Jr., G, 7.5
Ike Azotam , 6-7, So., F, 15.3

Off the bench

St. Francis: Ollie Jackson, 6-4, Fr., G, 5.9 ppg, Tony Peters, 6-8, Jr., F, 2.5, Quinnipiac: Garvey Young, 6-5, Jr., F, 5.4, Evan Conti, 6-3, Fr., G, 1.3.
 Bill Cloutier

Talk about crucial wins, the Quinnipiac men's basketball team won at Robert Morris 78-76 on Thursday night.
This was the first of four straight road games for the Bobcats who entered the game 1- in the NEC.
Never count out Tom Moore's ability to get these guys to play hard and believe in themselves and hats off to Dave Johnson for what was his best game of the season.
Here are the game details from the Quinnipiac web site:

MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. – James Johnson (Queens, N.Y.), Dave Johnson (Jackson, N.J.) and Ike Azotam (Boston, Mass.) led a potent attack on Thursday night, as the Quinnipiac University men's basketball team overcame a halftime deficit to defeat Robert Morris, 78-76, at the Charles L. Sewall Center. Trailing by eight points at the break, the Bobcats connected on 66.7 percent of their second-half field goal attempts to complete the comeback bid.
With the win, QU improves to 9-7 on the season and 2-3 in the Northeast Conference. The triumph marks the 10th win all-time against the Colonials, who fall to 12-6, 3-2 in the league.
James Johnson led all scorers with 22 points, as the senior guard went 7-of-12 from the floor, dished out four assists and grabbed three rebounds. Dave Johnson, in his strongest performance to date, added a season-high 18 points on 5-of-8 shooting. He pulled down six boards and handed out five dimes in 33 minutes on the hardwood. Azotam finished with 17 points and six rebounds, even with his minutes limited due to foul trouble in the first half.
QU's offense really started to click early on in the second half. The Bobcats boasted a 16-6 run over the first seven minutes of play and captured a two-point lead, 43-41, after an Azotam layup underneath. From that point on, the Bobcats gradually began to take control of the game. James Johnson's three-point field goal at the 4:52 mark pushed their advantage to eight points, the largest of the game at the time.
The teams exchanged baskets for the next two minutes, when RMU decided to make Quinnipiac beat them from the free-throw line. Led by Dave Johnson, who finished 8-of-8 from the line, the Bobcats made 12-of-16 from the charity stripe down the stretch.
The Colonials chipped away at their deficit via the three-point line and efficient free-throw shooting, but Evan Conti (Bayside, N.Y.) delivered the final dagger with less than 20 seconds showing on the clock. His two free-throws gave QU a six-point advantage, a lead that the visiting Bobcats would not relinquish.
For the game, Quinnipiac outshot RMU, 58.5 percent to 42.6 percent, from the floor and 70 percent to 33.3 percent, from behind the arc. The Bobcats pulled down 28 rebounds, three more than the Colonials, and collected two more steals as well (6-4). Entering the showdown, RMU ranked first in the conference in scoring defense and field goal percentage defense.
Conti played a key role off the bench in the triumph. He scored a career-high seven points to go along with two rebounds and two assists. Zaid Hearst (Bethesda, Md.) added a pair of threes for six points, Ousmane Drame (Boston, Mass.) and Garvey Young (Washington, D.C.) chimed in with three apiece and Alex Jackson (Baltimore, Md.) had two.
In the first half of play, neither team was able to gain a significant advantage until the clock crept inside the five-minute mark. The Colonials then put together an 11-2 run over the final 4:25 of the frame, leaving a 35-27 lead at the break for the home team.
Jones scratched out 22 points for the Colonials despite a 5-of-17 shooting performance. Dave Johnson and James Johnson held the junior guard in check all night.
QU will wrap up its two-game set in Pennsylvania on Saturday, January 14 in Loretto, Pa. The Bobcats are scheduled to face Saint Francis in the backend of a double-header. The Quinnipiac women's team will take on the Red Flash at 1 p.m., follow by the men's game at 4 p.m.

MEN’S BASKETBALL GAMEDAY
QUINNIPIAC at ROBERT MORRIS

When: Today, 7 p.m.
Where: Charles L. Sewall Center - Moon Township, Pa.
Records: Quinnipiac (8-7, 1-3 Northeast Conference); Robert Morris (12-5, 3-1)
Radio: WQUN-1220

KEEP AN EYE ON

Scouting Quinnipiac:
The Bobcats hit the road for the first of four straight NEC games away from Hamden and their first opponent is the powerful Colonials who have knocked out Quinnipiac in the NEC tournament each of the past two seasons. Quinnipiac has lost back-to-back games including Saturday’s 79-75 setback against NEC power Long Island. Ike Azotam had his ninth double-double of the season in the game and Quinnipiac pulled down a school record 61 rebounds.
Scouting Robert Morris:
The Colonials were ranked second in the NEC preseason coaches’ poll, and have won five of their last seven games. RMU lost at Central Connecticut this past weekend scoring just 53 points but is 4-0 on the season after a loss and leads the series against Quinnipiac 16-9. The Colonials have not allowed an opponent to score 70 points in their last 11 games going 8-3 in the stretch. RMU is without guard Karon Abraham who was suspended for the entire season by the school.
PROBABLE STARTERS

ROBERT MORRIS
Player Ht. Yr. Pos. PPG
Mike McFadden 6-8 So. F 8.1
Lawrence Bridges 6-5 Sr. F 3.9
Russell Johnson 6-6 Jr. F 8.8
Velton Jones 6-0 Jr. G 15.2
Coron Williams 6-2 So. G 11.7
QUINNIPIAC
Ike Azotam 6-7 So. F 15.2
James Johnson 6-0 Sr. G 17.8
Dave Johnson 5-10 Jr. G 6.8
Zaid Hearst 6-4 Fr. G 6.2
Ousmane Drame 6-10 Fr. F 5.8
OFF THE BENCH

Robert Morris — Anthony Myers, 5-11, So. G, 5.9 ppg., Lijah Thompson, 6-7, Jr., F, 7.5; Lucky Jones, 6-5, Fr. F, 7.1; Quinnipiac — Nate Gause, 6-3, Fr., G, 4.9; Garvey Young, 6-5, Jr., G, 5.6.

By Bill Cloutier
Assistant Sports Editor
bcloutier@nhregister.com
HAMDEN — The Quinnipiac men’s basketball team insists it’s not about to panic. But it’s getting late real early for the Bobcats.

Now 1-3 in the conference, the Bobcats (8-7) are about to hit the road for four straight games with its conference hopes squarely on the line.
Quinnipiac dropped its second straight game on Saturday, falling to conference heavyweight Long Island 79-75 in a spirited affair at the TD Bank Sports Center Saturday afternoon. The Bobcats are already three games behind the Blackbirds (10-6, 4-0) in the NEC standings and face an arduous uphill climb.

“There’s no panic,” Quinnipiac’s James Johnson said. “We can’t look too far down the road. This conference comes down to March so we have to keep getting better and take it one game at a time. We still have a lot of confidence. We know we’re good.”

Quinnipiac set its all-time Division I mark for rebounds in a game with 61, but the Bobcats shot just 39 percent and went 2-for-10 from 3-point range, never establishing an offensive rhythm. Ike Azotam led the Bobcats with 17 points and a team-high 11 rebounds and James Johnson added 15 points.
“I’m disappointed with our offense,” Quinnipiac coach Tom Moore said. “We settled for a lot of bad shots, especially in the first half. Today we did one thing well, offensive rebounds (27). But we didn’t create good shots and made a lot of bad decisions with our shot selection. And we missed a lot of foul shots again.”
There was nothing wrong with the Blackbirds’ offense. LIU’s All-NEC duo of Jamal Olasawere and Julian Boyd combined for 42 points and 20 rebounds and lived up to all the preseason hype they’ve received.
“Olasawere was an animal,” LIU coach Jim Ferry said. “And our point guard, Jason Brickman (10 assists), controlled the game.”
Ferry said Quinnipiac still has the talent to make a run, but noted the Bobcats missed junior forward Jamee Jackson, who is out with torn ligaments in his foot. In his stead, Ousmane Drame, a freshman who has played very well at times, had just two points and was little match for LIU’s inside powers.
Said Moore: “Ousmane wasn’t up to the task defensively. Rebounding he was, but Olasawere’s got 80 games of college under his belt and Ousmane has just 13. He wasn’t ready for the speed and aggressiveness with which Olasawere comes at you.
“They’re a terrific team. They can score the ball and they have the best point guard in the league.”
Said Johnson: “Jamee Jackson would have helped, of course, but you can see we were just a couple of baskets away from beating a real good team.”
After Quinnipiac lost 73-72 to St. Francis (N.Y.) on Thursday, Ferry knew the Bobcats would come out with a roar on Saturday. Despite the fact that his team was out-rebounded 61-38, Ferry was happy with his team’s poise.
“All we talked about for two days was the level of intensity of which this game was going to be played at,” Ferry said. “It was going to be playoff intensity because they never get out-rebounded and they got out-rebounded last game.
“They really bullied us. To end the game with 61 rebounds, I’ve never seen that. But we stayed poised and stayed focused. We have a grind-it-out mentality and in the second half we got it going.”
Quinnipiac got an atypical 20 points off its bench, including nine points and eight rebounds from Justin Harris in the first half. The Bobcats pulled down a stunning 42 first-half rebounds. Still, the Bobcats were only tied with the high-flying Blackbirds, who went 27-6 last season to win the NEC title and lost to North Carolina in the NCAA tournament.
Olasawere, a mixture of power and finesse, took over in the early stages of the second half. He scored a game-high 25 points in 25 minutes and never let his early foul trouble hinder his play. He scored nine points in LIU’s 13-8 run to start the second half and give the Blackbirds a 50-45 lead.
LIU never trailed again and eventually built a 13-point lead. Quinnipiac battled back but couldn’t unleash its outside game and never got closer than four points the rest of the way.
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Men’s basketball gameday
Long Island at Quinnipiac

When: Today, 2 p.m.
Where: TD Bank Sports Center, Hamden
Records: Long Island (9-6, 3-0 Northeast): Quinnipiac (8-6, 1-2)
Radio: WQUN-1220 AM
Scouting Long Island: The Blackbirds were the overwhelming preseason choice to defend their Northeast Conference title. LIU won at Sacred Heart on Thursday getting 29 points from Jamal Olasawere. LIU has won four straight and seven of its last nine games. Olaswaere is an NEC All-Conference selections along with power forward Julian Boyd, who leads the team in scoring and rebounding with 16.1 points and 9.57 rebounds per game. They lead the NEC in scoring (77.7 points per game) and field goal percentage (46 percent).
Scouting Quinnipiac: The Bobcats have little time to regroup after a heart-breaking loss at St. Francis (N.Y.) on Thursday. Quinnipiac led most of the way but St. Francis guard Stefan Pernuicic converted a three-point play in the final seconds to end the Bobcats’ eight-game winning streak over the Terriers. Quinnipiac is suddenly staring at a sub-.500 mark in the league with the powerful Blackbirds coming into their gym followed by four straight road games. Expect a big effort from coach Tom Moore’s team which was out-rebounded for only the second time this season by the Terriers. James Johnson scored 28 in Thursday’s loss.
Projected Starters
Long Island
Player, Ht., Year, Pos., Avg,
Jamal Olasawere , 6-7, Jr., F, 15.2,
Julian Boyd, 6-7, Jr., F, 16.1,
Jason Brickman, 5-10, So., G, 7.7,
Michael Culpo, 6-1, Sr.G, 10.0,
C.J. Garner, 5-10, Jr., G, 11.3,
Quinnipiac
Ousmane Drame, 6-9, Fr., F, 6.1
Ike Azotam, 6-7, So., F, 15.1
Dave Johnson, 5-10, Jr., G, 6.9
James Johnson, 6-0, Sr., G, 18.0
Zaid Hearst, 6-4, Fr.., G, 5.9
Off the bench
Long Island: Brandon Thompson, 6-1, Jr., G, 4.1 ppg., Kenny Onyechi, 6-7, Jr., F, 4.8, Garvey Young, 6-5, Jr., F, 5.2, Nate Gause, 6-3, Fr., G, 4.9.
Bill Cloutier

The Quinnipiac men's basketball team dropped a heart-breaker on the road Thursday.
The loss drops the Bobcats to 1-2 in the NEC with power LIU coming into town Saturday.
Here are the game details from the Quinni web site:

BROOKLYN HEIGHTS, N.Y. – Senior guard James Johnson (Queens, N.Y.) posted a game-high 28 points on Thursday evening, but the Quinnipiac University men's basketball team surrendered a tough loss to Northeast Conference foe St. Francis (N.Y.), 73-72, at the Pope Physical Education Center. Stefan Perunicic’s free-throw capped off a three-point play to put the Terriers in front by one with 5.1 seconds left. The Bobcats couldn’t convert in the waning seconds, granting SFC a big win on its home court.
With the loss, the Bobcats fall to 8-6 overall and 1-2 in the league. St. Francis improves to 5-9, 2-1 in the NEC, and will travel to Sacred Heart on Saturday.
Johnson finished with eight rebounds, four assists and two steals to go along with his season-high point total. Three other Bobcats compiled double-digits; Ike Azotam (Boston, Mass.) with 12, Ousmane Drame (Boston, Mass.) with 11 and Dave Johnson (Jackson, N.J.) with 10. Garvey Young (Washington, D.C.) added five and Nate Gause (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) and Zaid Hearst (Bethesda, Md.) each tallied three.
The game was very competitive and never saw a lead of more than eight points; an advantage the Bobcats controlled with 3:12 left in the contest. The Terriers answered with an 8-2 run, which cut their deficit to just two points with 56 seconds showing on the clock.
QU came up empty on its ensuing possession, leaving SFC with the ball and 30 seconds to go. After a series of timeouts, Perunicic collected a pass on a backdoor cut, finished the layup and was fouled with 5.1 seconds remaining in the game. Perunicic sank his attempt from the stripe to put the Terriers up, 73-72. Johnson’s 30-footer came up short as the Bobcats’ three-game winning streak came to a close.
For the game, Quinnipiac outshot St. Francis, 44.8 percent to 41.1 percent, from the floor and outscored the Terriers off-the-bench, 16-8. The Terriers finished 72 percent (15-25) of their free-throws to just 60 percent (21-29) of the Bobcats, and controlled the boards, 39-38. It’s just the second game of the season that QU has been outrebounded.
Led by James Johnson, the Bobcats presented an efficient offense for much of the first half. Johnson poured in 17 points as QU boasted an eight point lead, 30-22, with seven minutes remaining in the stanza. However, the hosting Terriers put together a 12-2 run to close out the opening frame, leaving a 34-34 score at the break.
The Bobcats held the Terriers to just 29.4 percent shooting in the first half but surrendered 12 points from the charity stripe. Azotam also chimed in with double-figures with 10 points to go along with four rebounds.
QU returns to action on Saturday, January 7 with its first home game of the New Year. The Bobcats welcome Long Island University, the 2011-12 Preseason Coaches’ Poll favorite, to the TD Bank Sports Center for a 2 p.m. tip-off.

Men’s basketball gameday
QUINNIPIAC AT ST. FRANCIS (N.Y.)

When: Today, 7 p.m.
Where: Pope Physical Education Center - Brooklyn Heights, N.Y.
Records: Quinnipiac (8-5, 1-1 Northeast Conference); St. Francis (4-9, 1-1)
Radio: WQUN-1220
KEEP AN EYE ON

Scouting Quinnipiac:
The Bobcats begin the major portion of the NEC slate tonight at St. Francis (N.Y.) a team they’ve dominated in the past few years winning eight straight. Quinnipiac has won six of its last seven games and despite the loss of power forward Jamee Jackson it has played well. Ike Azotam continues to be an offensive and rebounding force and freshman Ousmane Drame has filled in for Jackson well. Ousmane Drame racked up 10 points and 14 rebounds in Quinnipiac’s last game, a win over Boston University.
Scouting St. Francis:
The Terriers have lived and died at the 3-point line this season. After opening the season with nine straight road games, they are 1-3 in their last four games. They’re second in the NEC in 3-pointers made and attempted and boast a solid backcourt in the England’s Ben Mockford and Serbia’s Stefan Perunicic. St. Francis opened the season at Seton Hall losing by just four points. Seton Hall beat UConn by a dozen on Tuesday.
PROBABLE STARTERS
ST. FRANCIS
Player Ht. Yr. Pos. PPG
Stefan Perunicic 6-6 Sr. G 12.1
Ben Mockford 6-2 So. G 12.5
Justin Newton 6-0 Sr. G 1.5
Akeem Johnson 6-6 Jr. F 9.4
Jalen Cannon 6-6 Fr. F 6.8
QUINNIPIAC

James Johnson 6-0 Sr. G 17.2
Zaid Hearst 6-4 Fr. G 6.2
Ike Azotam 6-7 So. F 15.3
Ousmane Drame 6-10 Fr. F 5.7
Dave Johnson 5-10 Jr. G 6.7

OFF THE BENCH
St. Francis — Travis Nichols, 6-4, Jr., F, 9.7 ppg.; Brent Jones, 5-10, So., G, 4.7; Matt Milk, 6-8, So., F, 1.0. Quinnipiac — Nate Gause, 6-3, Fr., G, 5.0; Garvey Young, 6-5, Jr., G, 5.3.
— Bill Cloutier

By Bill Cloutier
Assistant Sports Editor
bcloutier@nhregister.com
Averaging 25 points and 14 rebounds over the past three games Quinnipiac’s Ike Azotam has suddenly become a marked man. Azotam was double-teamed and harassed by a physical Boston University team all game long and managed a season-low four points and six rebounds.
But, even without getting production from their burgeoning star, the Bobcats still overcame a 13-point halftime deficit to defeat the Terriers 59-53 in a non-conference game at the TD Bank Sports Center Saturday afternoon. With the win, Quinnipiac has won six of its last seven games as it concludes the non-conference portion of its schedule
“I was really proud of our guys’ resolve in the second half and our ability to shake off a bad offensive night from basically every player and commit totally to defending and going to the offensive boards,” Quinnipiac coach Tom Moore said.
“That was as physical a team, boxing out and pushing us out of where we wanted to be, as any team we played all year. (B.U. coach Joe Jones) really got them to understand that Quinnipiac is a good rebounding team because we had 16 offensive rebounds and we’ve never had to work harder to get them than we did today.”
Freshman Ousmane Drame, starting because of a foot injury to Jamee Jackson, continues to progress at break-neck pace. Drame picked up the slack for Azotam to finished with 10 points, a game-high 14 rebounds and six blocks including two on one possession late in the game as the Terriers tried to erase its own six-point deficit.
Terrier guard Darryl Partin, who led all scorers with 19 points, went to the free throw line with 41 seconds to play with his team trailing 54-50. Partin missed a shot trying to complete a three-point play but got his own rebound but twice Drame blocked his shots to put the Bobcats in control.
“I really got on (Azotam) at halftime,” Moore said. “I challenged him quite a bit because I think he was caught by surprise by two factors, how big a target he’s going to have on him. You could tell how much of a focus B.U. put on stopping him and their commitment to boxing him out.
“Fortunately Ousmane picked up the slack. The 14 rebounds and six blocks in a game like this is really impressive.”
James Johnson led Quinnipiac with 16 points and freshman Zaid Hearst added 13 including a pair of critical 3-pointers as the Bobcats quickly cut into the Terriers’ 32-19 lead to start the second half. Quinnipiac went on an 11-2 run to start the second stanza and the game was up for grabs the rest of the way.
But Quinnipiac (8-5) never relaxed its defensive effort limiting B.U. to just eight points for the first 12 minutes after the break and the Bobcats took their first lead of the game, 43-42, with 5:59 to play on a pair of free throws by James Johnson. They never trailed again.
”Even when we went up by six I never felt we were in the control,” Moore said. “But I don’t think there’s been many halves that B.U. has shot 26 percent from the floor. Our will … was really good for our team’s confidence. The best thing is to get a win against a really good team while having to show a lot of resiliency.”
In the first half Quinnipiac got a taste of what would happen if the Bobcats couldn’t make a living on the offensive boards. Boston University, which has lost six straight games and was playing without starting point guard D.J. Irving due to a concussion controlled the boards, the tempo and the play on the way to a 32-19 halftime lead.
The Bobcats entered the game second in the nation in rebounding and first on the offensive boards averaging 17.6 a game but they had just five offensive rebounds in the first half and it only led to two points when guard Dave Johnson putback a miss by James Johnson.
But that hardly meant a momentum change was imminent as on the next trip down the court Dave Johnson fouled B.U. guard Matt Griffin (11 points) on a drive to the hoop. Johnson then pushed Griffin down and was called for personal and technical fouls giving him four fouls with four minutes left to play in the first half.
Quinnipiac has out-rebounded every team this season except for Lehigh and they lost to the Mountain Hawks 86-75 and after losing the battle on the backboards by one in the first half they finished with a 43-38 rebounding edge and Drame was the difference figuring in just about every Bobcat possession in the final minutes.
Said Drame: “Coach looked at us, especially the bigs (at halftime) and told us we had to pick it up. They were able to find me and I was able to go to the glass. This is very important for me especially for me as a freshman.
“The fact that Jamee Jackson isn’t there it’s hard. It’s hard at practice and it’s hard in the games but now I’m ready to show what I can do to get more playing time.”
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Men’s basketball gameday
BOSTON UNIVERSITY AT QUINNIPIAC
When: Saturday, noon.
Where: TD Bank Sports Center, Hamden
Records: Boston University (4-8); Quinnipiac (7-5)
Radio: WQUN-1220
TV: NESN, SNY
KEEP AN EYE ON
Discounted tickets: Tickets are just $5 for the New Year’s Eve matinee.
Scouting Quinnipiac: The Bobcats rank third in the nation in reboundng and Ike Azotam is a big reason. Azotam is eighth nationally averaging 11.2 rebounds a game and has scored 76 points in his last three outings. Quinnipiac has won five of six as it prepares to play its final non-conference game of the season.
Scouting Boston University: The Terriers have lost four straight but all have come against strong foes. Their last win was against rival Boston College. BU has an RPI of 181, while Quinnipiac is at 171 but the Terriers strength of schedule is much higher than that of the Bobcats. They’ve been out-rebounded by their opponents by over four boards a game which is an area that Quinnipiac will try to take advantage of but senior guard Darryl Partin, a 6-6 scoring machine, will cause plenty of problems defensively. Point guard D.J. Irving is questionable with a head injury.
PROBABLE STARTERS
BOSTON UNIVERSITY
Player Ht. Yr. Pos. PPG
Dom Morris 6-7 So. F 6.8
Travis Robinson 6-5 So. F 5.5
Patrick Hazel 6-6 Sr. F 7.7
Darryl Partin 6-6 Sr. G 20.8
Matt Griffin 5-10 Sr. G 5.6
QUINNIPIACIke Azotam 6-7 So. F 16.2
Dave Johnson 5-10 Jr. G 7.1
Zaid Hearst 6-4 Fr. G 5.6
James Johnson 6-0 Sr. G 17.3
Ousmane Drame 6-10 Fr. F 5.3

OFF THE BENCH
Boston Univ. — D.J. Irving, 6-0, So., G, 12.6 ppg.; Zach Chionuma, 6-5, Fr., G, 1.3; Malik Thomas, 6-7, Fr., F, 3.2. Quinnipiac — Nate Gause, 6-3, Fr., G, 5.0; Garvey Young, 6-5, Jr., G, 5.3.

Another win and another fantastic game from rising star Ike Azotam as Quinnipiac edged Colgate 80-70.
Azotam, a double-double machine had 20 points and 14 rebounds in the Bobcats win.

Here are the details from the Quinnipiac website:

HAMILTON, N.Y. - Four members of the Quinnipiac University men's basketball team registered double-figures in the scoring column on Wednesday evening, as the Bobcats handed Colgate University an 80-70 defeat at Cotterell Court in Hamilton, N.Y. The Bobcats shot 57 percent from the floor in the second half and connected on 28-of-31 from the free-throw line, two statistics that proved to be difference-makers in the final result.

With the win, Quinnipiac improved to 7-5 on the season, and have completed their regular-season non-conference road schedule. The Raiders suffered their second consecutive loss, dropping to 5-7 on the campaign.

Ike Azotam (Boston, Mass.) recorded game-highs in points (20) and rebounds (14) for his 10th career double-double, and number eight on the year. James Johnson (Queens, N.Y.) poured in 18 points on 4-of-9 shooting, including 9-of-10 from the free-throw line. He scored 11 in the second half and dished out a game-high six assists. Zaid Hearst (Bethesda, Md.) posted a new career-high with 16 points, as the freshman guard went 4-of-7 from the floor and 7-of-8 from the stripe. Dave Johnson (Jackson, N.J.) added 10 points and four rebounds.

The majority of the first half featured a back-and-forth battle, where neither team could gain a significant advantage. However, after the fourth and final media timeout, the Bobcats rallied off a 7-0 run to close the half en route to a 31-24 lead at the break. Dave Johnson and Nate Gause (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) accounted for the seven points on offense.

Azotam nearly collected his double-double in the first half, posting 10 points and nine boards. The backcourt duo of Dave Johnson and James Johnson combined for 15 points as well.

Upon resuming play after the intermission, Quinnipiac picked up right where it left off in the first half. Garvey Young (Washington, D.C.) knocked down a three-point field goal from the wing to cap off a 26-18 run at the 10:19 mark. The bucket forced first-year head coach Matt Langel into a timeout, as QU had created its largest lead of the game (15 points).

The Raiders wouldn't go away and began to chip away at the deficit behind stellar long-range shooting. Colgate reduced its deficit to just five points at two different points, but terrific shooting from the free-throw line and key baskets disallowed a complete comeback. The Bobcats made their last six shots from the line down the stretch, with Azotam putting the game away after converting on a three-point play in the waning seconds.

QU outshot Colgate 42 percent to 40 percent from the field, 90 percent (28-31) to 82 percent (14-17) from the free-throw line and controlled the glass with a plus-20 rebounding margin (45-25). 18 of the 45 rebounds came on the offensive end, which lead to 19 second-chance points.

Forward Ousmane Drame, in his second-career start, posted six points and seven rebounds. Young and Gause combined for 10 points off the bench.

Mike Venezia had 15 points to lead all Raiders, who head to New Hampshire on Saturday. Sterling Melville finished with 14 and Mitch Rolls added 10.

QU returns to action on Saturday, December 31 when the team plays host to Boston University at the TD Bank Sports Center. Tip-off is set for noon with a live broadcast featured on NESN and SNY. For all information pertaining to the men's basketball program, please visit www.quinnipiacbobcats.com.

Men’s basketball gameday
Quinnipiac at Colgate
When: Today, 7 p.m.
Where: Cotterell Court, Hamilton, N.Y.
Records: Quinnipiac (6-5); Colgate (5-6)
Radio: WQUN-1220
Video: gocolgateraiders.com
KEEP AN EYE ON
Scouting Quinnipiac: Ike Azotam has scored career highs in his last two games and the brst couldn’t have come at a better time. With Jamee Jackson expected to miss up to five weeks with torn ligaments in his left foot Azotam has become an offensive force. Freshman Ousmane Drame was also terrific last game, a win over Niagara, registering his first career double-double. Drame is averaging 5.9 rebounds a game in just over 15 minutes of action.
Scouting Colgate: The Red Raiders are 4-0 at home on the season and have a balanced offense with five players averaging at least nine points a game. They shoot 40 percent from 3-point range and are 2-0 on the season against Northeast Conference teams. They’ve played at Wisconsin and at Syracuse this season but both were blowouts.
PROBABLE STARTERS
COLGATE
Player Ht. Yr. Pos. PPG
Nick Pascale 6-10 Sr. C 6.3
Yaw Gyawu 6-5 Sr. F 9.0
Pat Moore 6-5 So. G 11.1
Mike Venezia 6-1 Sr. G 9.2
Mitch Rolls 6-0 Jr. G 10.0
QUINNIPIAC
Ousmane Drame 6-10 Fr. F 5.3
Dave Johnson 5-10 Jr. G 6.8
Ike Azotam 6-7 So. F 15.9
Zaid Hearst 6-4 Fr. G 4.6
James Johnson 6-0 Sr. G 17.2
OFF THE BENCH
Quinnipiac — Nate Gause, 6-3, Fr., G, 5.0 ppg.; Garvey Young, 6-5, Jr., G, 5.3. Colgate: Sterling Melville, 6-4, Sr., F, 9.5; Brandon James, 6-6, Jr., F, 5.3

A pair of Quinnipiac basketball players applied for accelerated rehabilitation when they appeared in Meriden Superior Court on Tuesday.

Senior James Johnson and junior Jamee Jackson, two of the five players allegedly involved in an on-campus altercation on September 18, applied for the program which carries a period of probation for first-time offenders. If the program is granted and players fulfill their obligations the charges could be dismissed. They may also face probation for up to two years.

The other three players involved in the case also appeared before Judge Philip Scarpellino and had their cases continued until Jan. 17 at the same venue. Dave Johnson and Nate Gause were arrested last week upon further investigation by the Hamden Police Department. Jackson was also arrested on that day.

James Johnson and sophomore Ike Azotam were previously arrested for the assault. Azotam's case was also continued and his attorney claims that he was misidentified in the altercation.

The players' defense attorney, Thomas Lynch, told the Quinnipiac Chronicle, said he was looking for accelerated rehabilitation.

Said Lynch: “They have a hearing before the judge where we make the argument that both Jamee and James regret the incident and that they will abide by any conditions that the court may put on them, the probation, and if that’s the case then at the end of the probation period the charges are dismissed."

The incident left four students injured. One student suffered a bruised jaw, cracked tooth and a laceration to the face that required 17 stitches; a second student suffered a broken nose, which required surgery; a third student was allegedly knocked unconscious; and a fourth student suffered facial injuries.

James Johnson and Azotam were the first two arrested. They were charged with third-degree assault and second-degree breach of peace charges. On Dec. 1, after the other three players surrendered to Hamden Police, Jackson was charged with conspiracy to commit assault and assault in the third degree and second-degree breach of peace. Dave Johnson, a junior, and Gause, a freshman, were charged with third-degree conspiracy to commit assault and second-degree breach of peace.

Quinnipiac coach Tom Moore, who was at Tuesday’s hearing, suspended James Johnson for the team’s first game and the university handed other sanctions.

“All five team members who were involved have already been appropriately disciplined for the September incident by the university and received team sanctions from me as well,” Moore said in a statement. “No other disciplinary action stemming from this incident is planned at this time."

By Bill Cloutier
Assistant Sports Editor
bcloutier@nhregister.com
HAMDEN — Three more Quinnipiac University basketball players have been arrested in connection with a Sept. 18 assault, police said.
Charged today were Jamee Jackson, 20, of Irvington, N.J.; David Johnson, 22, of Jackson, N. J. and Nate Gause, of Poughkeepsie, N.Y. The trio turned themselves into police on Thursday morning. They all posted bond and were released.
QU basketball players James Johnson and Ike Azotam were previously arrested and their cases are pending. James Johnson was suspended for one game this season as a result of the incident.
Four Quinnipiac students were injured in the assault, according to Capt. Ronald Smith. One student suffered a bruised jaw, cracked tooth and a laceration to the face, which required 17 stitches. A second student suffered a broken nose, which required surgery. A third was allegedly knocked unconscious and a fourth received facial injuries, Smith said.
Detective Michael DePalma conducted the investigation. All five players are schedule to appear in Meriden Superior Court on Dec. 6.
Jackson was charged with third-degree assault, conspiracy to commit third-degree assault and breach of peace. David Johnson was charged with conspiracy to commit third-degree assault and breach of peace. Gause was charged with third-degree conspiracy to commit assault and breach of peace.
“All five team members who were involved have already been appropriately disciplined for the September incident by the university and received team sanctions from me as well,” said Tom Moore, head men’s basketball coach. “No other disciplinary action stemming from this incident is planned at this time.”
According to the Hamden police Captain Ronald Smith the incidents began on Sept. 17 the night before the assault when James Johnson was confronted by another Quinnipiac University student.
“During that dispute, which was verbal in nature it seems that a large crowd gathered around James Johnson and the Quinnipiac University student,” Smith said. “Someone from the crowd allegedly swung at James Johnson. I don’t know if it actually struck him.
According to the police, James Johnson then got some of his teammates and came back looking for this individual. When they came back campus police were present and there was no further incident.
“The next day several of the basketball players were searching out this individual kid,” Smith said. “They entered a dorm, which was not their dorm, found the student and an altercation took place. Several of the Quinnipiac University students suffered severe injuries.
All of the players involved in the alleged altercation were present at Thursday night’s game and were expected to play.
According to a source, Azotam claims he was misidentified in the assault but that was not confirmed by the police.
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