By: Sierra Goodwill
After playing three of its last four games on the road the Quinnipiac men’s basketball team returned home to play the Manhattan Jaspers the only way it knows how; down to the wire, winning 71-70.
The Bobcats and Jaspers were competing for the No. 5 seed in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and a bye in the tournament, so there was a little extra intensity in the air at Lender Court in Hamden on Thursday night.
Quinnipiac had a hard time containing Rich Williams as he finished the game with 29 points, six of those coming in crunch time. With 1:28 to play in the second half, Williams hit a three to cut the Bobcats’ lead to two.
“For us, it’s a position that we’re comfortable in,” head coach Baker Dunleavy said. “Playing close games down to the last possession.”
Cam Young was called for an offensive foul on the other end and just like that Williams had the ball in his hand again behind the arc with 31 seconds left. Swish.
With Manhattan up by one, Dunleavy chose not to use a timeout.
“I really wanted us to see if we could get going before calling timeout,” he said. “I had no idea what they would be in defensively. They do a great job of disguising and switching defenses. We tried to come up with some things we could do offensively that could work against anything they were in; just simple concepts.”
That tactic and offensive simplicity came in handy. Cam Young, who finished the game with 27 points, was heavily guarded, but found Isaiah Washington wide open under the basket with 6.1 seconds. He made the layup to put Quinnipiac back up by one.
“When I came down I was trying to be aggressive so of course I was looking to score first,” Young said. “When I had nothing I turned and saw (Washington) cutting, which we always work on, so it was an easy look.”
The Jaspers had one last chance to run their offense, but the Bobcats’ improved defense held tough.
“To finish the game by getting a stop was big for this team’s psyche,” Dunleavy said. “I just think our defense has developed over these last three weeks way better than it’s been all season; even through four games in a row where we don’t come out on the right side.”
Although the team defense impressed the head coach, he still thinks that his offensive stud Young could get better on the other end of the ball. He was matched up against Williams who scored with ease through much of the game.
“I just believe in Cam and I believe in his ability to defend. I didn’t think he did as good of a job as he could do,” Dunleavy said. “He gets known right now as a guy who can really put the ball in the basket, and rightfully so. But by the time he’s done here I really want him to be known as a guy who can play on both ends. A stopper and a leading scorer and exhaust himself in doing that.”
With the win, Quinnipiac moves to fifth place in the conference standings. If it can maintain that position, that’s good enough for a first-round bye. Young gave the textbook answer, saying the team did not come into this game with any extra added intensity or pressure.
“We don’t really look at the standings we just try to get better every game,” the leading scorer said. “That’s what we talk about after every game, win or loss, we have to try to get better and see what we did wrong and work from there.”
Dunleavy interjected with a chuckle.
“Our guys obviously know the standings,” he said, laughing. “We don’t hide it from them. They know the standings. We all know it. But we just try to make it a point to not play for that. It’s easier said than done.”
With just three games left in the regular season, the stakes for each game just get higher. The Bobcats don’t know if they’ll be able to close out their conference schedule with or without three-point threat Andrew Robinson, who has been sidelined with an ankle sprain for the last five games.
Robinson is listed as day-to-day, but Dunleavy admits his return is taking longer than expected.
“It’s just not healing as fast as we thought. It’s kind of a unique situation,” the head coach said. “He’ll do treatments tomorrow and run, but as of now I’m just hoping.”
Quinnipiac takes a short road trip to Fairfield on Saturday to play the Stags in a 1 p.m. matinee. The Bobcats won 75-70 when these teams played less than two weeks ago.
