Winning a college basketball game is hard. Winning a couple in a row is impressive. Winning 10 in a row? That’s dominant.
Dominance is the perfect word to describe the Quinnipiac men’s basketball team so far in 2024. After defeating St. Peter’s on Thursday by a score of 84-73 in Hamden, the Bobcats picked up their 10th consecutive victory in MAAC play, continuing their historic season and advancing to 19-4 overall.
It was a complete team effort for Quinnipiac in the win as five players finished in double figures, led by 18 points from both sophomore forward Amarri Tice and first-year Rihards Vavers.
Things weren’t looking great for the Bobcats early on when graduate student guard Matt Balanc picked up his second foul in the first four minutes of the game, forcing him to the bench for the rest of the half. Balanc finished with just 12 points, tied for his second-lowest scoring game of the year.
“Matt Balanc got in that early foul trouble and that put him in a funk a little bit, but he made a few plays late when it mattered and that’s what leaders and captains do,” head coach Tom Pecora said.
The Peacocks were putting full court pressure on the Bobcats for the full 40 minutes, forcing some key turnovers to stay in the game. Graduate student guard Savion Lewis was in charge of breaking the press and registered eight assists, making him the single-season Division I assists leader at Quinnipiac.
“It’s pretty cool,” Lewis said about breaking the record. “It’s a blessing obviously. I’m grateful for it, but I’m just trying to win the whole thing. That’s my main goal.”
Lewis found his open teammates all night long. Whether it be one of Vavers’ triples or a pick-and-roll to set up senior forward Paul Otieno at the rim, the Bobcat point guard set the team up for success.
Balanc and Lewis have each been at Quinnipiac since the 2018-19 season and are in their sixth years with the program. Two of three captains this season, they have a chance to do what no team in Hamden has done before them: win a conference regular season title and advance to the NCAA Tournament.
“We want it,” Balanc said. “I’ve been here a lot. I’ve lost a lot. I’m done doing that.”
“It’d be great for the people that came before us,” he added. “I’ve been on teams that have had the chance to do it and been on teams that wanted it just as well. It says something to the players that came before us, the veterans that were able to coach us and teach us.”
With role players like Tice and Vavers stepping it up in the scoring column, Otieno putting up double-doubles, Lewis being a floor general and Balanc setting the tone as a great leader, it goes to show knocking off Pecora’s squad any time soon won’t be easy.
“Having balance is a powerful thing,” Pecora said. “I think we’re getting better and better at that.”
The next challenger to Quinnipiac’s undefeated start to 2024? Mount St. Mary’s on Saturday afternoon in Emmitsburg, Maryland. Otieno defined the key to winning as simply as he could.
“It’s a one game winning streak,” Otieno said. “Take it one game at a time.”
Tip-off between the Bobcats and Mountaineers is set for 4 p.m. with Quinnipiac looking for win number 20 on the season, which would already match last season’s win total. It’s only February 8.
“We’re the best team in the MAAC right now,” Otieno emphasized.
Tough to argue with that.
