The run to the NCAA Tournament ended on Sunday night for the Quinnipiac men’s basketball team as the Bobcats suffered a 87-68 loss against the Jaspers of Manhattan College.

Quinnipiac ends their first season in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference with an overall record of 20-11.

Ike Azotam led the Bobcats with his 44th career double-double after scoring 18 points and grabbing ten rebounds against the Jaspers. With his ten rebounds, he also passed Justin Rutty’s mark of 1,032 rebounds to become the Quinnipiac all-time Division I leader in rebounds.

Zaid Hearst contributed 15 points and freshman Kasim Chandler played 31 minutes in the game, scoring 14 points and dishing out a career high seven assists. This was only Chandler’s second game back from his broken toe.

Manhattan started the game strong by going up 11-1 led by Rhamel Brown and Michael Alvardo. But then Quinnipiac went on a 10-0 run of its own to tie the game back at 11. The first half featured both teams trading baskets with each other until the score was nodded at 40 apiece during halftime.

Manhattan would begin to extend their lead in the second half led by the 25 point performance of George Beamon who scored 23 of his 25 in the second half and they would go on for the victory to advance to the MAAC Championship.

Manhattan head coach Steve Masiello was looking for their change of strategy to work against Quinnipiac and he was very pleased of the end result.

“I thought we did a great job of forcing the pace and I thought that were able to get the game on our terms,” said Masiello.

As for the Bobcats, their season may be over unless they get invited to one of the postseason tournaments outside of the NCAA, but head coach Tom Moore knows that he wants to coach these players for more time.

“I’m disappointed for my kids, a little disappointed for them, but I hope we get invited to a tournament because I do not want my time with these kids to end yet,” said Moore.

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