By: Ryan Chichester
Baker Dunleavy and his Quinnipiac mens basketball team are hoping for another soaring rejection from Abdulai Bundu, this time to block a potential three-game losing streak when the Bobcats host the Siena Saints on Saturday afternoon.
Quinnipiac has dropped two straight to Rider and Niagara, two of the MAAC’s toughest opponents.
It was Bundu’s big block in the final seconds of regulation that sealed a 71-70 win for Quinnipiac in its first meeting with Siena on New Year’s Day in Albany. Both teams will take the court on Sunday with just two days of rest, as Siena also played on Thursday night, a 68-65 win at Marist.
Here is what you need to know as the Bobcats go for the regular season sweep of the Saints:
No Nico Clareth
Quinnipiac saw just 19 minutes of Siena’s team captain in the first meeting, and held the senior to just 1-of-2 shooting from the field. Since then, Siena’s top shooting threat decided to transfer, taking his 15.1 points per game with him.
Without Clareth, Siena has dropped to the ninth-best offense in the MAAC, averaging under 70 points per game. The Bobcats may have somewhat of a break on the defensive end, but they still need to watch the Saints shooters. One in particular is Jordan Horn, who has embraced a three-point shooting role off the bench for head coach Jimmy Patsos, much like Jacob Rigoni has for the Bobcats (although Rigoni earned the start on Thursday night). Horn is shooting 39-percent from beyond the arc this season, helping keep the Saints in the top five in the MAAC when it comes to three-point shooting, even without Clareth.
The Saints shot 62.5-percent from downtown in their loss to the Bobcats back on New Year’s Day, with junior Evan Fisher leading the way with four threes on just six attempts. The Bobcats will need to improve on their perimeter defense to make the shorthanded Saints’ offense just a little more one-dimensional.
Crash that glass
Despite allowing the Saints to shoot over 53-percent from the field in their last meeting, the Bobcats still finished the game with a 32-21 rebounding advantage, which was key to their one-point win.
Quinnipiac snagged 13 offensive boards compared to Siena’s three, which is impressive given the Saints’ rebounding pedigree this season. Siena ranks fourth in the MAAC in offensive rebounding, and second on the defensive glass. The Saints’ trio of forwards in Fisher, Roman Penn and Prince Oduro make rebounding a tough assignment for opponents, but the Bobcats were able to neutralize the threat thanks to nine rebounds from Cam Young, and another nine by the duo of Bundu and Rigoni.
The Bobcats must find bodies as soon as a shot goes up and grab those rebounds to have a repeat performance of their last game with the Saints. It will take another balanced effort, but the Bobcats will have the energy of their home crowd and a larger student section as students are fresh back from winter break. The added noise level should give the Bobcats a boost to grab that extra rebound, or block that extra shot to seal a win at home.
