Matt Balanc connected on a heroic, contested three-pointer with 13 seconds left in the game to pull the Bobcats back from down double digits to tie things up at 60 with a trip to the MAAC Championship Game on the line.
Saint Peter’s called a timeout to draw up an out-of-bounds play to try and win the game. The Peacocks ran a set that had guard Roy Clarke drive to the hoop and attempt a game-winning layup.
Clarke missed the layup.
In comes Peacocks’ forward Mouhamed Sow soaring in for the offensive rebound and putback layup just as the clock hit 0.0 and Saint Peter’s walked off with a 62-60 victory, ending Quinnipiac’s season short of its goal.
“We got the stop but we didn’t finish the play,” Balanc said.
The Bobcats hurt themselves from the free throw line, shooting 17-for-27, or 63%, from the charity stripe. Key misses late from graduate student guard Balanc and senior forward Paul Otieno proved critical in the two-point defeat.
This isn’t the first time that Quinnipiac has fallen victim in the semifinal round to Saint Peter’s. Back in 2022, the Peacocks knocked off the Bobcats en route to their MAAC Championship and subsequent run to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament.
A loss so heartbreaking for the Bobcats stings, even more, knowing that it is potentially the last time both Balanc and graduate student guard Savion Lewis – each in their sixth and final year with the program – will wear the white and gold ever again.
“I’ve been here for a while and it’s felt like a home for me,” Balanc said. “I haven’t thought about leaving, haven’t thought about leaving because when I come up from Maryland it’s like a second home.”
“I don’t know how other schools are, but I know that this school cares and that’s why me and Matt have been here for so long,” Lewis added. “We’re really thankful and grateful for everyone from the staff to the student body to the players to the coaches. Everyone.”
The Peacocks brought physicality that the Bobcats struggled to match. Saint Peter’s prefers to play games with lower scoring as they are a defense-oriented team, which Pecora and Quinnipiac were aware of.
“We wrote the number ‘65’ on the board and said if we get 65 points or better we’ll win the game tonight,” Pecora said.
The Bobcats scored 60 points.
In the end, Quinnipiac was sent home after a historic first year with Pecora at the helm. 24 wins set a program Division I record and the Bobcats won their first regular season title as a member of the MAAC.
“I just told them how proud I was of them,” Pecora said. “It’s ok to grieve a little bit and ok to be sad. We’re blessed to have the group we have in the locker room.”
As hinted, there may be more basketball to come next week. Pecora hinted that his team will try and play in one of the postseason tournaments – likely either the CBI or CIT – which means at least one more game for Lewis and Balanc in a Bobcat uniform.
“Hopefully our season is not over,” Pecora said. “I think we’re going to have an opportunity to play in one of those postseason tournaments.”
Whether Quinnipiac follows through with Pecora’s proposal remains to be seen until this weekend when the field is announced. Still, nonetheless, the Bobcats have a lot to be proud of despite the result in Atlantic City.
