The Quinnipiac men’s basketball team (10-18 overall, 7-9 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) will host the St. Peter’s Peacocks (10-17 overall, 4-12 MAAC) in their final home game Friday at the Lender Court as they will celebrate their seniors on Senior Night. St. Peter’s put forth one of their best offensive showcases last time these two teams met, winning 84-58. With only two games remaining for each team in the regular season, both teams look to boost their placement for the MAAC tournament, as Quinnipiac currently sits at seventh place in the MAAC standings, while St. Peter’s is in ninth.
Players to Watch
Quinnipiac – Cam Young (senior guard)
Cam Young has exploded out of nowhere for Quinnipiac this season, leading the Bobcats in points per game (18.9) and total rebounds (176). His breakout season has been one of the few positives to Quinnipiac’s underwhelming season. He comes off a 31-point performance against Fairfield, tying his career high in points. Young has been the go-to offensive threat, scoring double-digit points in every game except three. He will look to improve on his 18-point game against St. Peter’s in their last matchup and lead the way for the offense.
St. Peter’s – Quinn Taylor (sophomore guard/forward)
The sophomore guard/forward has been one of the better all-around players on the St. Peter’s squad. While he does not stand out as a real leader on either offense or defense, it’s the fact that he can do his job on both ends of the court that makes him successful. Taylor ranks in the MAAC in rebounding (14th), free throw percentage (11th), in offensive rebounds (14th), and defensive rebounding (13th). If the Peacocks want to sweep the season series, they will need Taylor to bring his best game, both offensively and defensively.
Keys to the Game
Quinnipiac – Take Advantage of a Weak Offense
For the Bobcats, St. Peter’s does not pose much of a threat on offense. They rank last in the MAAC in scoring per game (65.9), field goal percentage (.418), three-point field goal percentage (.330), and offensive rebounds (32.0). The statistics say it all – St. Peter’s is just not good offensively. But that same offense poured in 84 points in January against the Bobcats. Quinnipiac’s defense certainly does not stand out, but if they can just limit the offense of St. Peter’s, it will give their offense more chances to try and solve the dominant defense of the Peacocks.
St. Peter’s – Continue the Defensive Dominance
St. Peter’s holds one of the best defense in the MAAC, leading the conference in points per game on defense (68.3) and field goal percentage on defense (.424). Led by junior forward Samuel Idowu and his 1.1 blocks per game, and freshman guard Elijah Gonzales and his 1.5 steals per game, the Peacocks provide a stingy defense for all opponents. It’s a match-up that certainly favors St. Peter’s as Quinnipiac is tied for seventh in the MAAC for points per game (72.6). If St. Peter’s can bring their A-game on defense, that will give the offense a chance to perhaps find a spark that has been missing for most of the season and they could sneak out of Hamden with a victory.
The Game
Tune into the broadcast of the Quinnipiac vs. St. Peter’s game from the Lender Court at 7 p.m. on Friday at mixlr.com/qbsn. Jonathan Banks and Bryan Murphy will be on the call for the game. You can follow @QBSN on Twitter for updates on the game.
