Photo courtesy Quinnipiac Athletics
By: Tom Cunningham
Follow @TomCunny13
The Quinnipiac men’s basketball team’s struggles’ continue as the team fell to the top team in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference on Thursday at Lender Court. The Hawks came in to Hamden and took care of business winning for the first time ever at the TD Bank Sports Center by a final score of 66-51.
Here are three things we learned:
Quinnipiac’s rebounding and defense could help this team in Albany
With the loss the Bobcats fell to 5-13 on the year with a 2-7 record in the MAAC. While those numbers are nothing to brag about, the team has been competitive in many of the matchups being within striking distance for majority of their recent losses, aside from the loss to Rider. The Bobcats were able to hang with the Hawks for much of the matchup, even cutting the Hawks’ lead to two points at the beginning of the second half. The Bobcats played great defense, especially on the top-scorer in the MAAC in Justin Robinson, limiting him to just 13 points, well below his season average of 20.6 points per game. Monmouth, one of the best three-point shooting teams in the conference also only shot 15% from beyond the arc thanks to the stingy Quinnipiac defense. The Bobcats also did their thing on the boards as always, out-rebounding the Hawks 57-to-43. Quinnipiac picked up 27 offensive rebounds, only garnering 18 second chance points. If the Bobcats were able to convert on more of the offensive rebounds, this game may have had a different ending. If this team is able to lock down on the defense end, and continue to rebound at the rate they have been, with a few more made baskets this team could pose a threat in the early rounds of the MAAC Tournament come March.
Ayron Hutton seems to be finding his groove
Since the calendar switched over to 2016, sophomore guard Aryon Hutton seems to be getting his scoring mojo back. He has scored in double-figures in two of the past three games including tying for the team high with Danny Harris against Monmouth, each scoring 11. Hutton shot 3-of-9 from the field, which may not seem like great numbers, but all three of the shots he made were from beyond the arc. Hutton also added four rebounds, two assists, and one block to his stat line in 25 minutes off the bench for the Bobcats. Hutton adds a spark off the bench and as he gains more confidence, a player with his scoring ability and basketball IQ to come off the bench and lead the second unit could pay huge dividends for Tom Moore’s squad.
Balanced offensive attack shows why Monmouth is the best in the MAAC
The Monmouth Hawks (16-5, 8-2 MAAC) have proven throughout the course of the season that they are the best team in the conference. We have all heard about the quality wins this team has tallied this year, including defeating UCLA, USC, Georgetown, Notre Dame, and Rutgers. After defeating Quinnipiac, Monmouth has won seven of its past eight matchups, solidifying itself as a top-tier MAAC team. Justin Robinson leads the MAAC in points per game with 20.6, but was held in check against Quinnipiac with just 13. With his production not to where it is on a nightly basis, other players had to step up. Robinson’s teammates did just that across the board. Chris Brady chipped in 11, Je’lon Hornbeak had nine, Deon Jones and Austin Tilghman contributed eight apiece, and Zac Tillman chimed in with six of his own. This balanced offensive attack will be huge for the Hawks as they continue their journey to Albany and perhaps beyond.
