Alexis Reyes’ 13 points led Quinnipiac as Bobcats ended four-game losing streak with win of Iona to sweep Gaels and take back MAAC lead. (Photo by Quinnipiac Athletics)
By Vincent Simone (@VTSimone)
The win put an end to a four-game losing streak the Bobcats had endured after an 11-1 start to Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play, and returned them to the top of the league standings after losing the lead with Sunday’s loss at Rider.
The Bobcats’ two leading scorers on the season — Matt Balanc and Amarri Tice — as well as key reserve guard Doug Young, each managed to accrue two fouls within the first five minutes of the game. Despite those stars being forced into early spectator roles, Quinnipiac (20-8, 12-5 MAAC) led by as many as 14 points in the opening half, and carried a 37-30 lead into the intermission.
Seldom-used forward Richie Springs scored all nine of his points in the first half, while Rihards Vavers also helped buoy the Bobcats with 11 in the opening frame. In the end, eight of Quinnipiac's nine players to see action notched at least eight points, led by Alexis Reyes’ 13. First-year wing Daemar Kelly tallied a career-high eight points.
“I thought it would be a strength throughout the season,” head coach Tom Pecora said of his team’s bench. “For us to be the best version of ourselves, our depth has got to come into play.”
Quinnipiac pushed its advantage back out to 14 in the opening minutes of the second half, but Iona (13-15, 8-9 MAAC) would not go away quietly. A Joel Brown triple pulled the Gaels within four with 10:47 to play, but the Bobcats responded with a 14-3 run spurred on by point guard Savion Lewis, who scored all nine of his points in the second half.
“I took pride in making sure we finished this game and got us a win,” Lewis said after the game.
A sixth-year point guard, Lewis has been the engine of Quinnipiac’s offense. Not surprisingly, the Bobcats’ recent slump has coincided with Lewis’ personal doldrums. Over his previous four games before Friday, he averaged just 4.5 points and 4.8 assists per game.
Lewis ranked sixth nationally in assists entering Friday’s contest, with 7.1 helpers per game, and put together one of his best performances of the season with 12 assists on the evening. It was the third time this season the Long Island native posted double-digit dimes, and the effort pulled him within six of the program’s single-season record.
“Tonight, his mindset and understanding the way he could impact that game without scoring a ton of points, picking them apart with passes, was very impressive,” Pecora said of his point guard.
On the other side of the court, Iona’s loss brings the Gaels’ own losing streak to four games. While Brown’s 17 points marked a season high, head coach Tobin Anderson bemoaned the inconsistency preventing his team from getting over the hump.
“We have good enough players to still win, but we’re not doing any of the tough stuff,” said Anderson. “We can do those things, but we just don’t do them consistently. That’s the frustrating part.”
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