James Johnson had a heck of a senior day at Quinnipiac. The guard scored 28 points and hit two 3-pointers down the stretch to pace the Bobcats to the 73-69 win.
Here are some highlights and Johnson's thoughts on the game:
Men’s basketball gameday
St. Francis (Pa.) at Quinnipiac
When: Today, 7 p.m.
Where: TD Bank Sports Center, Hamden
Records: St. Francis (Pa.) (6-21, 5-11 NEC); Quinnipiac (15-12, 8-8 Northeast)
Radio: WQUN-1220 AM
Scouting Quinnipiac: After a fine stretch helped the Bobcats clinch a tournament berth, they’ve lost two straight games and fallen into a tie for fifth in the NEC standings. The losses ended Quinnipiac’s chances of a home game in next week’s tournament.Quinnipiac has an RPI of 188 and seems to be a longshot to earn any other postseason berth unless it finishes strongly. Quinnipiac played in the NIT two years ago and the collegeInsider tournament last season. The Bobcats hope to get forward Jamee Jackson (foot) back for the stretch run.
Scouting St. Francis (Pa.): The Red Flash has faint hopes for a Northeast Tournament berth. St. Francis has to win its final two games and then get some help for a postseason ticket. The Red Flash bea Bryant last game to end a seven-game losing streak. They beat Quinnipiac 74-71 earlier in the season as Kameron Ritter had 24 points and Scott Eatherton finished with 21.St. Francis also was one of the only teams to out-rebound Quinnipiac this season.
Projected Starters
St. Francis (Pa.)
Player, Ht., Year, Pos., Avg
Kameron Ritter, 6-3, So. ,F ,5.0
Jon Taylor,6-8 ,Sr. ,F ,6.0;
Scott Eatherton,6-8 ,So. ,F ,14.1
Stephon Whyatt,6-1, Fr., G, 7.6
Anthony Ervin,6-4, Jr., G, 11.1
Quinnipiac
James Johnson, 6-0, Sr., G, 16.6
Ousmane Drame, 6-9, Fr., F, 6.4
Ike Azotam, 6-7 So., F, 16.4
Dave Johnson, 5-10, Jr., G, 8.4
Zaid Hearst, 6-0, Fr., G, 6.7
FAIRFIELD — Mired in a dismal stretch the Quinnipiac men’s basketball team always felt it could count on one thing: rebounding.
Though second in the nation in that category, it was their rebounding that failed the Bobcats down the stretch as Sacred Heart pulled out a 78-75 victory in a crucial Northeast Conference game at the Pitt Center Thursday night.
The win capped a season sweep of the Bobcats for the Pioneers, who got a career-high 28 points from Louis Montes and 23 from Shane Gibson, 18 of which came in the second half.
Quinnipiac has lost four of its last five games and fell to 9-9 overall and 2-5 in the NEC, a precarious spot as only the top eight teams in the conference qualify for the postseason tournament. The Bobcats are surprisingly in a three-way tie for eighth place.
“It’s hard losing,” Quinnipiac coach Tom Moore said. “I can’t measure the team’s doubt. We had murderous practices and they responded well. It just came down to our second-half defense.
“This group has wins at Vermont, at Boston University and at Robert Morris. There’s great potential there, but it’s infuriating when we look like a young team.”
Dave Johnson led Quinnipiac with 18 points and James Johnson. But James Johnson missed a designed 3-pointer that would have tied the game with 21 seconds left. He finished 2 for 10 from 3-point range in the game and the Bobcats went 4 for 19 behind the arc.
But offense aside, Moore was more concerned with his team’s defense in the second half when Sacred Heart shot 58 percent from the field.
“They made huge plays down the stretch,” Moore said. “But the tale of our NEC play is our defense. We’re not guarding long enough in games and we’re not guarding long enough in possessions.
“We try to play 28 seconds of hard defense and then we stop guarding.”
Quinnipiac led by as much as eight in the first half before Sacred Heart took a six-point lead in the second half. The game was nip-and-tuck the rest of the way.
Montes gave Sacred Heart a 74-71 lead with 2:08 to play. James Johnson cut it to 74-73 with two free throws with 1:39 left. But that’s when their rebounding failed the Bobcats.
Twice Sacred Heart missed shots but both times the Pioneers got the rebound, chewing up valuable time. After the second miss the Bobcats fouled Montes with 31 seconds left and he buried both free throws.
“That’s the best shellacking in rebounding we’ve ever had,” Sacred Heart coach Dave Bike said. “They beat us by 11 but if we didn’t come up with four or five of those rebounds it would have been a different game.
“It started with Stan Dulaire’s rebound and then Nick Greenbacker got one and Phil Gaetano got involved in another one and they all were big. We respect their rebounding but we were able to come up with a couple of big ones.
“If Dulaire doesn’t get that rebound I think the whole game could turn around.”
Gaetano, a freshman from Wallingford, finished with seven points and had a big 3-pointer in the second half for Sacred Heart.
Quinnipiac hit 8 of its first 11 shots but only finished at 40 percent from the floor in the game and once again free throws were a problem. It went 13 for 20 from the line.
Ike Azotam finished with 15 points and eight rebounds for the Bobcats, who got the services of forward Jamee Jackson back. Jackson finished with nine points and eight rebounds after missing seven games with a foot injury.
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.
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,
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
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.
Follow Bill on Twitter @BillCloutier. To receive breaking news first, simply text the word nhsports to 22700. *Msg & Data Rates May Apply. Text HELP for help. Text STOP to cancel.
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
Quinnipiac beginning to get on a roll. This is from the QU web site
BURLINGTON, Vt. - Junior Jamee Jackson (Newark, N.J.) finished with 20 points on Sunday afternoon, as the Quinnipiac University men's basketball team handed the University of Vermont a home loss, 62-58, at Patrick Gymnasium in Burlington. With the win, the Bobcats climbed back over the .500 mark at 5-4, while the hosting Catamounts fell to 4-6 on the season.
With the Bobcats ahead by one with 2:33 showing on the clock, James Johnson (Queens, N.Y.) silenced the crowd with a deep three-point field goal to give the Bobcats a 57-53 lead. After a Catamount free-throw from Brian Voelkel, senior Garvey Young (Washington, D.C.), who returned to Vermont for the first time since transferring after his sophomore year, then pushed the lead to five with with a pull-up jumper on the left block with 42 seconds left. UVM ran out of time and couldn't overcome the deficit, suffering its fourth loss in a row.
Jackson was dominant in all facets of the game, adding seven rebounds and two steals to his stat line. He finished 8-of-15 from the floor, 4-of-5 from the charity stripe and was stellar behind the ball as well. James Johnson recorded 13 points, including two tallies from behind the arc. Ike Azotam (Boston, Mass.) and Young each finished with eight points and combined for 12 rebounds. Dave Johnson (Jackson, N.J.) chimed in with six points and Zaid Hearst (Bethesda, Md.) added four.
The game never saw a lead larger than six points, which the Catamounts earned in the first half. However, the Bobcats rallied off an 11-6 run in the final six minutes of the opening stanza to trail by just one at the break.
Contrary to the first half where the two teams combined for a total of 10 fouls, the second half featured a physical battle underneath. In the latter frame, 22 fouls were called, 13 against the visiting Bobcats. Azotam was sent to the bench after his fourth foul with nine minutes left in regulation.
However, poor free-throw shooting plagued the Catamounts down the stretch, as the team connected on just 8-17 in the second half. The missed freebees allowed the Bobcats to regain the lead with 4:19 left in the game, an advantage they would not relinquish.
QU used a plus-nine edge on the boards for the game, collecting 42 of them including 16 on the offensive end. The Bobcats shot 39.7 percent from the floor and went 10-of-15 from the free-throw line. The Catamounts shot 46 percent from the field, but just 1-of-13 from behind the arc.
Four players on Vermont registered double-figures on the afternoon. Brian Voelkel led all Catamounts with 12, Josh Elbaum added 11 and Luke Apfeld and Brendan Bald finished with 10.
Quinnipiac will now take some time away from the court to focus on finals before returning for its next contest. The Bobcats don't return to the hardword until Saturday, December 11 with a non-conference affair at UMass. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. in Amherst, Mass. NESN will broadcast the game live.
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. Follow Bill on Twitter @BillCloutier. To receive breaking news first, simply text the word nhsports to 22700. *Msg & Data Rates May Apply. Text HELP for help. Text STOP to cancel.
Justin Rutty is gone and, according to the Northeast Conference preseason coaches’ poll, so, too, are the lofty expectations for the Quinnipiac men’s basketball team. Quinnipiac, the unanimous choice to win the 2010-11 NEC title, was picked fifth in this season’s poll.
“Looking at the teams and who everyone has coming back, that’s probably where we should be picked,” Quinnipiac coach Tom Moore said. “You could say we’re in a rebuilding mode. We have nine new players to go with our core of four players.”
Last year’s conference champ, Long Island, was picked to repeat its title. The Blackbirds went 27-6 last year. Robert Morris, who eliminated Quinnipiac in the NEC tournament for the second year in a row, was picked second followed by Central Connecticut State. Wagner was picked fourth and Sacred Heart was picked to finish eighth.
“This is the best the league has been in the 10 years that I’ve been here,” LIU coach Jim Ferry said. “We didn’t talk about winning a championship, we just want to finish in the top four to have a chance to win it.”
Quinnipiac has earned postseason tournament bids the past two seasons racking up 45 wins in the process. Rutty, one of the league’s top players for the past few seasons, is now playing professionally in Europe. That will put a great deal of the team’s promise in the hands of point guard James Johnson.
Johnson was selected to the preseason all-conference team along with CCSU’s Ken Horton, LIU’s Julian Boyd and Jamal Olasewere and Wagner’s Tyler Murray. Johnson still faces possible suspension from the team for his involvement in an assault that is still pending in the courts. Moore would not say if Johnson would be available for the team’s season-opener on Nov. 11 in the Connecticut 6 tournament.
Johnson is perhaps the league’s most important player. He led Quinnipiac in scoring last season, is an unflappable point guard and is its best defensive player. Filling Rutty’s shoes won’t be an easy task but Quinnipiac does have Ike Azotam and Jamee Jackson returning to the front court. The pair hope to maintain the Bobcats’ fierce identity of rebounding. The Bobcats have ranked amongst the nation’s leaders in rebounding average for the past three years and Moore said they outrebounded Northeastern by 17 in a recent scrimmage.
Jackson and Azotam both played well when Rutty missed seven games down the stretch last season due to injury.
“It was good for Jamee to be thrown into the fire last year,” Moore said. “He responded a bit. He had 20 points at Monmouth the night we heard that Justin was going to be out for a while. It was good for Jamee to take the lead and his numbers went up and that’s been explained to him and is going to be explained to him again as the season approaches.”
Quinnipiac basketball players to appear in court Monday
A Connecticut judge is scheduled to take up the case of two Quinnipiac University basketball players charged with assault after an on-campus fight last month. Senior guard James Johnson, the team’s leading scorer a year ago, and sophomore forward Ike Azotam have pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor assault charges. They are due back in Meriden Superior court Monday. Each is accused of striking other students in the face early in the morning of Sept. 18. Quinnipiac coach Tom Moore said both have received sanctions from the school and will be sanctioned further by the athletic department. Neither Johnson nor Azotam attended the school’s Midnight Madness a week ago and both players could be suspended from either upcoming scrimmages or early-season games. The player’s attorney, Thomas Lynch, says Azotam was misidentified by witnesses, and he’s hopeful those charges will be dismissed.
A pair of Quinnipiac men’s basketball players plead not guilty to assault and breach of peace charges in Monday’s arraignment at Meriden Superior Court. Ike Azotam, a 20-year-old sophomore forward and James Johnson, 21, a senior point guard and the team’s leading scorer last year, are scheduled to return to court Oct. 24 for a judicial pretrial. Quinnipiac officials did not comment on any measures the school has taken in the situation. Men’s basketball can begin practice on Oct. 15 and it is unknown whether Johnson or Azotam will be allowed to participate but the school said initially that both students were still members of the team pending a university investigation. School officials also declined to say whether the pair have been suspended from school or placed on academic probation. The pair’s lawyer, Thomas Lynch, told the Quinnipiac Chronicle that he thinks Azotam, 20, was “misidentified” in the police’s report and that Johnson, 21, was assaulted the night before the incident. The police report stated that Azotam and Johnson struck students who were attempting to break up a fight. Police said that Azotam and Johnson were responsible for striking two fellow students in the face. The first student, who police said was assaulted by Azotam, was treated for his injuries at the university’s medical center. The second, who police siad was assaulted by Johnson, suffered minor facial injuries. The school released a statement saying both players have been cooperating with authorities. Under the school’s judicial policy, any sanctions would follow an investigation by a review board. Follow Bill on Twitter @BillCloutier. To receive breaking sports news first — simply text the word “nhsports” to 22700. Standard msg+data rates may
RSS
