Rich Kelly’s Twitter name is “Richie Drama” and tonight’s game between Quinnipiac and Canisius was drama filled. Quinnipiac beat Canisius 72-69 to advance to the MAAC Tournament Semifinals.
Quinnipiac got off to a slow start against Canisius and Quinnipiac found itself down 9-3 just four minutes into the game. The Bobcats were struggling to find an offensive groove, as they were 1-for-9 from the field early on.
Dunleavy threw Kelly into the fire from the beginning when he named Kelly the starting point guard. Kelly took control of the leadership role and he continued to mature as the season progressed. Kelly did not seem nervous even though he was playing a big game.
“I think we are a family at this point. I know that we are a new team with six or seven new guys, but we really bonded over the season,” Kelly said. “We are at the point where we can say anything to anyone of the team and they know that it is coming from the heart and that we are only trying to help them.”
Kelly had 16 points and the game-sealing layup but he spent a majority of the first half on the bench because of foul trouble. Kelly now has the ability to stay engaged in games whereas earlier in the season he would be out of it.
“Earlier in the season I would get in foul trouble and maybe mentally I would take myself out of (the game),” Kelly said.
Kelly did manage to stay engaged in the game tonight though and that helped his team get an upset in the MAAC tournament.
“I think it’s that bond that we formed and I feel really close to all the guys on the team and I just want the best for them,” Kelly said. “I have their backs and they have my back.”
Earlier in the day, Canisius’ Jermaine Crumpton received the co-MAAC Player of the Year award and he played like the Player of the Year tonight as he finished with 22 points and 11 rebounds. Dunleavy had mix thoughts on how his team did against one of the best players in the conference.
“We wanted to be aggressive on (Crumpton) and make him uncomfortable,” Dunleavy said. “I thought sometimes we did that, sometimes we didn’t.”
Quinnipiac came clawing back in the second half as it continued to trim down Canisius’ lead. Kelly and Rigoni put their team on their back as both players made big shots in the second half despite being the youngest players on the team.
“I was trying to control the game a little bit offensively,” Dunleavy said. “There was a point where (Canisius) was doing such a good job defensively of locking into our offense, that we just let our guys just start to flow a little bit and play a little bit freer.”
The Bobcats were no strangers to a close game at the end because they have played in so many tight games all season despite being on the losing end of many of those games.
“It wouldn’t be a Quinnipiac basketball game if it didn’t come down to the final moments,” Dunleavy said.
Cam Young has made an impact in his senior season at Quinnipiac, many of his games have been close, and those games have prepared him and his teammates to succeed in the MAAC tournament.
“I think it prepared us well,” Young said. “At the end of the game, I don’t think none of us were in unfamiliar territory. We all just stayed composed.”
Kelly scored the game-winner against Columbia back in early December, Dunleavy relied on his point guard to come through in the clutch in a win or go home game, and Kelly did just that when he made a layup with 10 seconds left to put the Bobcats up three.
“Whatever (Dunleavy) calls, I run,” Kelly said. “I was just hoping he called something for me, and he did so it worked out well.”
Quinnipiac will now have an off day, as it will await the winner of the Niagara and Fairfield game. The Bobcats lost both games to Niagara in the regular season and they split the regular season series with Fairfield. The Bobcats will play on Sunday night at 9:30 p.m. on ESPNU.
