The Quinnipiac Bobcats men’s basketball team (14-11, 9-5 MAAC) are facing the Iona Gaels (10-15, 8-6 MAAC) on Tuesday, Feb. 19 at 7 p.m. at the People’s United Center in a battle for top position in MAAC standings.
In the last game between against Iona and Quinnipiac, Quinnipiac won by one point on the road, 66-65. Since then, the Bobcats are coming off of a thrilling triple-overtime game victory against the Siena Saints in Troy, New York. The game was everywhere on SportsCenter and brought some national spotlight on the MAAC. The Bobcats are now tied in MAAC standings with the Canisius Golden Griffins, of whom are 9-5. For the Iona Gaels, the team is currently tied for fifth place in MAAC with the Siena Saints. The team is currently coming off a win against the Saint Peter Peacocks. However, the Gaels are only one game behind Quinnipiac and Monmouth for the top of the MAAC.
Players to Watch
Quinnipiac- Cameron Young
Graduate guard Cameron Young just had the best game of his career against the Siena Saints. His name was all over, especially SportsCenter, as he had a night with 55 points, 10 rebounds and shot 62.5 percent from the field. Throughout the whole season, Young is averaging 22.8 points and scored 1,000 career points earlier in the year in only his third season with the Bobcats. He is clearly the front runner for MAAC Player of the Year. He has carried the load offensively and will need to continue being a scoring machine in order for the Bobcats to keep hold of their lead in the MAAC.
Iona- E.J. Crawford
Junior guard E.J. Crawford has not been as much of a scorer as Cameron Young, but he still putting up buckets. He leads the Gaels in points with 17.6, and averages 1.9 assists and 4.9 rebounds. This is also 5.1 points per game more from his previous season. Against Quinnipiac last time out, Crawford had 22, which lead the way. He is steadily improving and needs to come out and perform for the Gaels to win.
Keys to the Game
Quinnipiac- Offense, Offense and more Offense
For Quinnipiac to win this game, they have to keep scoring. In their past eight games, the Bobcats have scored more than 90 points three times, all of which were wins. However, in three of those games they only scored 70 or less points and two of them were losses. The key to their success is scoring the rock. If the Bobcats get into a defensive game, it will not be a great game. However, if the Bobcats control the tempo and ran up the scoreboard, they will come out with the win.
Iona- All-Around Game
For Iona to win this game, the team has to play an all-around great game. The team cannot be too offensive or defensive. If Iona goes into a scoring fest, Quinnipiac will keep up with them. If Iona is too defensive, the team will not put up enough points because Quinnipiac will still be able to score. They need to find that middle ground. With Quinnipiac being an arguably the better team, Iona will need to come out with a complete game.
The Game
Make sure to tune in to QBSN’s live broadcast of Quinnipiac vs. Iona from People’s United Center in Hamden, Connecticut. Kevin Higgins and Jon Surratt will be on the call of the game. For live updates throughout the game, make sure to follow @QBSN on twitter.
