Khaden Bennett has career day in Quinnipiac’s loss to UMass Lowell

Khaden Bennett led Quinnipiac with 19 points, but Bobcats were done in by UMass Lowell’s second-half comeback. (Photo by Quinnipiac Athletics)

By Ethan Hurwitz (@HurwitzSports)

LOWELL, Mass. — Entering Saturday’s non-conference matchup with UMass Lowell, Quinnipiac sophomore guard Khaden Bennett had only totaled 50 points in his college career.

Just 40 minutes later, he recorded just over a quarter of that number in the Bobcats’ 80-70 loss, leading head coach Tom Pecora to play him for an extended period of time.

“We talked about it before the game, it would probably be a good game for him,” Pecora said. “He’s worked on everything, he’s a great worker. His ability to shoot the ball and obviously decide when it’s a good time to drive the ball.”

Bennett racked up 19 points, eight rebounds and two steals, all of which set or equaled career highs for the Grand Prairie, Texas, native. Despite his career day, which also had him tying his personal-best 25 minutes, a second half filled with soft defense helped give UMass Lowell the 10-point, come-from-behind victory at Costello Athletic Center.

“We got a little lazy in our zone, we didn’t control the backboards like we did before,” Pecora said. “I think we got a little cute, and they amped up the intensity. We didn’t match it.”

For portions throughout the game, Bennett would run the offense when Savion Lewis—the team’s primary point guard—was subbed out and appeared to be around the ball on almost every defensive possession.

“He used to get himself in trouble driving the ball into traffic, but he’s made that adjustment. He’s pretty good with that,” Pecora said. “He’s getting better as a defender and his zone helps with that, at least it did in the first half.”

Going with Bennett over senior guard Doug Young was a decision that the coaching staff decided on, calling it a “coach’s decision.” The Bobcats were also without senior forward Alexis Reyes for the second straight game with what Pecora described as a back injury.

“He’s got a back (injury), so you never know with a back,” Pecora said. “He couldn’t go. His back’s a mess.”

For the victorious River Hawks, their backcourt was the collective star of the game. Graduate student Quinton Mincey (31 points, eight rebounds) and freshman Martin Somerville (16 points, five assists) found crevices in the Bobcats’ defense, both on the interior and from deep.

The second half started off with a major lead for Quinnipiac, at one point leading by 15. But Mincey, Somerville and fifth-year forward Max Brooks (18 points and seven blocks) got key basket after key basket to slowly chip away at the lead. By the end of the game, the Bobcats’ offense had been neutralized and it felt like every shot from the River Hawks was hitting nylon. When the shots didn’t fall, UMass Lowell’s frontcourt continued the possession.

“The key to the game was controlling the backboard,” Pecora said. “At the half, (UMass Lowell) might have had six offensive rebounds and they ended the game with double-digits.”

Grabbing a defensive rebound was a major part of why Quinnipiac gave away its lead. Graduate student forward Paul Otieno had 11 rebounds in the effort, but all of them were on the offensive side of the floor. 

The Bobcats now fall back down to .500 on the young campaign. Next on the docket is a late flight out of Boston and into St. Louis, where they will face off against the Saint Louis Billikens Monday night in the Gateway City. But don’t let their record fool you.

“They’re good,” Pecora said.

With Bennett carving out a larger role and Reyes likely out for the third time this season, the quick turnaround against Saint Louis will be a good test for Quinnipiac ahead of its MAAC opener against Rider on December 6.