By Ethan Hurwitz (@HurwitzSports)
HAMDEN, Conn. — Basketball is a numbers game. Always has been and always will be.
So when the MAAC-leading Quinnipiac Bobcats—winners of six in a row and eight of their last nine—hosted in-state foe Fairfield in Hamden, a few important numbers began to stand out.
Here’s a look at some figures that helped define Quinnipiac’s 81-69 victory over the Stags Friday night:
27: Just under two weeks ago, junior forward Amarri Monroe set a then-career high in points scored. Tonight, Monroe tacked on two game-clinching free throws to bump his total to 27, his new career best.
Following eight fast points to open up the game, it wasn’t an overall productive first half for the MAAC Preseason Player of the Year. After racking up two quick fouls, including one that head coach Tom Pecora called “silly,” he spent the remainder of the half on the bench. Once he re-entered the game, it was lights out from there.
“He just continues to grow as a player, and that’s what we want them all to do,” Pecora said. “Out of season, you work on your weaknesses. In season, you work on your strengths. He continues to just work and work and work.”
“I was having fun putting the ball in the rim,” Monroe added. “It was just natural, not forcing anything.”
It wasn’t all sunshine for the Bobcats’ best player. He was almost at risk for missing the game, dealing with a nasty flu that forced him to take an IV on Thursday. He only practiced 30 minutes during the session.
“(I’m) definitely better,” Monroe said with a distinct rasp in his voice. “Practiced yesterday for the first time all week. I definitely feel better for sure.”
With a reworked starting five—Savion Lewis returned to the lineup and freshman Jaden Zimmerman started on the bench—it just gave way for more scoring opportunities for Monroe, which in turn, opens up the floor for the rest of the Bobcats.
“We’re working on certain things with him every day,” Pecora said. “Offensively, making those catch and shoot threes instead of having to put it on the deck first, not always forcing it there, making it back, kicking it out, and that just creates more space for other guys to score.”
3-0: When both Monroe and graduate forward Paul Otieno grab double-doubles, the Bobcats are undefeated. That’s right, Quinnipiac has won all three games in which two of the MAAC’s best players have combined to stuff the stat sheet.
“There’s a stat where every game me and Paul have a double-double, we always win,” Monroe said. “We haven’t lost a game. We’re competitive at it and even in practice, we’re fighting for rebounds.”
The three wins—December 29 against Hofstra, January 16 against Merrimack and tonight against Fairfield—have all been dominant performances by Monroe and Otieno. For the former, it was his sixth double-double of the season.
For the 6-foot-8 Otieno, his effort was good for his 10th, the best in the MAAC by a country mile. He’s also one of 12 players across the country to record at least 10 double-doubles.
“Our front line with Paul and Amarri, when they’re going out and getting double doubles like that, they’re beasts,” Pecora said. “They’re tough to handle for opposing teams.”
Both players are atop the conference standings in total rebounds and rebounds per game. Otieno doesn’t worry about how his stats line up against the other MAAC big men, but his teammate is certainly aware.
“He’s top whatever in the country,” Monroe said. “He’s a dog, unstoppable for sure.”
Otieno, the often mild-mannered big man, was all business following the win, knowing what lies ahead. He’s not worried about his stats.
“I’m just playing, man,” Otieno said. “If I get it, I get it.”
2,812: Sure, it took an in-state rival and cheap beer to draw the largest home crowd of the season, but boy, did it sure pay off on the floor.
At the start of the game, it was loud. During Quinnipiac’s 11-0 run late in the second half, it got louder. When the victorious Bobcats mobbed the student section across the entire building, it got as loud as it could.
“I don’t even know,” Otieno laughed after being asked whose idea it was to celebrate in the stands. “(I was like) let’s go, we got the dub.”
With an attendance number that neared 3,000, the atmosphere was an instrumental part of the Bobcats’ win (and the late-game downfall of the Stags).
“Whatever we gotta do to keep the student body coming like this, I mean, whatever it takes,” Pecora said. “I’ll buy the kegs of beer, I think the crowd was awesome. These are good games.”
It was a chippy first half, and even chippier second, with Fairfield’s Deon Perry (a team-high 23 points) and Quinnipiac’s Lewis trading matching technicals. All that did was give the fans more things to cheer about.
“Can’t ask for a better crowd, I mean, they were great, the student section was great,” Monroe said. “I (saw) everybody waving their towels around, I’m like, ‘Wow, this is great.’ Definitely made me smile.”
