The Quinnipiac men’s basketball team fell to the Fairfield Stags 85-79 in the last game at M&T Bank Arena this season.
Similar to their first meeting, the in-state rivals were battling for the majority of the game, but with under seven minutes to go and the Bobcats leading by three points, senior forward Amarri Monroe, who was playing with three fouls, was called for a personal and technical foul, leading to his ejection from the contest.
“I thought the momentum changed drastically after that,” Quinnipiac head coach Tom Pecora said after the game.
Both teams struggled from the floor early on, shooting 6 of 19 combined over the first five minutes of action. The Bobcats started 0-5 before Monroe hit a baseline jumper for the game’s first points. After the Stags responded with a bucket of their own, sophomore guard Jaden Zimmerman buried a three-point basket the next possession.
With 12:44 left in the half, Fairfield standout Brandon Benjamin exited the game. Benjamin had eight of the Stags’ first 12 points and grabbed four rebounds.
Quinnipiac capitalized on Benjamin’s absence early, with Monroe forcing a turnover and taking it all the way for a slam, but a Declan Wucherpfennig dunk tied the game at 18 and led to Tom Pecora calling his first timeout.
The teams traded buckets the rest of the half, but it was the Stags leading 39-36 at the break despite going 0-5 from distance. Fairfield sophomore guard Eric Mejia led all scorers with 11 points to go along with four assists.
In the second, the Stags started hot, hitting seven of their first 10 shots, punctuated by their first three point basket of the game courtesy of senior guard Braden Sparks. Sparks’ bucket made the score 55-47 in favor of Fairfield.
Quinnipiac then mounted an 18-7 run, capped by a Zimmerman three to give the Bobcats a 65-62 lead. That’s when Monroe’s night ended. After the fouls, Deuce Turner received four free throws and made them all, giving Fairfield the lead for good.
Sparks led all scorers with 21 points in 38 minutes, while Mejia finished with 16 points. Zimmerman topped the Bobcats with 20 points, his fifth game of 20-plus this season.
The Bobcats shot just 46% from the field and 14 of 27 from the free throw line.
“Our inability to shoot the ball lately has really been an issue,” Pecora said. “We’re getting shots on goal but we’re not getting enough in the net as they would say in hockey.”
Senior day festivities were held before the game, and despite Monroe’s day ending early, his coach had nothing but positive things to say about the reigning MAAC Player of the Year’s time in Hamden.
“It was outstanding,” Pecora said of Monroe’s tenure as a Bobcat. “For this man to come here in the first place when he had opportunities other places…it speaks volumes to this university.”
Asim Jones and Ronell Giles Jr. were part of the ceremony as well. Jones transferred to Quinnipiac from Florida International University and recorded 16 points and seven assists in his final game at M&T Bank Arena.
“I think the future’s bright for [Jones],” Pecora said. “He can do some special stuff…when we go to the [MAAC] Tournament.”
Giles Jr. played the first three minutes of Sunday’s game, and while he may not have the counting stats, his head coach knows he’ll be successful in life.
“He’s just a great kid,” Pecora said. “I know Ronell Giles [Jr.] is gonna go out [and] have a great career in whatever he decides to do.”
With the loss, the Bobcats fell to 11-7 in the MAAC while Fairfield moved to 10-8. Quinnipiac will travel to face Niagara (4-14) on Friday, Feb. 27 before closing out the regular season against Canisius (4-14) on Sunday, Mar. 1.
