The early morning conversation behind Savion Lewis’ return, and how he helped Quinnipiac beat Rider

Savion Lewis returned Saturday for Quinnipiac as Bobcats won fifth straight, coming back from double-digit deficit to defeat Rider. (Photo by Quinnipiac Athletics)

By Ethan Hurwitz (@HurwitzSports)

HAMDEN, Conn. — Tom Pecora came into work this morning at around 7:15 a.m. to find his captain point guard already putting shots up.

Quinnipiac’s conference game against Rider wasn’t for almost another seven hours, but Savion Lewis was focused on his return to the floor. 

“I came in early, as I always do, like 7:15 (a.m.), Sav’s in here, of course, shooting free throws already,” Pecora said after the Bobcats’ 75-64 win over the Broncs Saturday afternoon. “He and I talked and I was like, ‘Listen, man, I’ll start you if you want. But I think it’d be great if I could get away with playing you 15 to 20 minutes tonight. I think that would be the best way to get you back in the flow of things.’”

It wasn’t a banner day for the graduate student, as Lewis got six points and six assists—low for his standards—in his first game action since January 10 against Siena. He came off the bench, replaced by senior forward Alexis Reyes in the starting lineup. He wasn’t on the court during the closing minutes of Quinnipiac’s fifth straight win.

But with the captain back in the fold, it gave the team—and Lewis himself—a jolt of positive energy.

“I feel great, I feel blessed,” Lewis told ESPN+ broadcaster Billy Mecca postgame. “I’m glad to be back on the court, very grateful.”

The Bobcats were grateful for his turnover-free game, especially in the second half, where they were able to jump out to a semi-comfortable win after a not-so-comfortable first half. Rider was up by double digits at one point, but after a spark during halftime, the preseason favorites in the MAAC stepped it up, a lot of it starting on the offensive side of the floor.

“(He) just spreads the court,” junior forward Amarri Monroe said of Lewis. “Having a true point guard out there (who’s) able to distribute the offense, and they know how lethal he is with the pick-and-rolls, I’m happy he's back, for sure.”

Monroe was the star of the win, recording his sixth double-double of the season, all while fighting through a number of right hand and elbow injuries. 

“I was gonna be worse than it was,” he laughed postgame.

It wasn’t just Monroe that was impacted by the return of the Bobcats’ point guard. Lewis’ return helped spread the rock around to the rest of Quinnipiac’s backcourt, as sophomore Khaden Bennett (11 points, 10 rebounds) got his first-career double-double, and junior Ryan Mabrey added 12 points from beyond the arc off the bench.

“It's a lot easier,” Mabrey said of Lewis' impact on his own style of play. “He's definitely a facilitator, so when he's out there, he looks for people, and he looks for me a lot. I love having him out there. It's great to have him back.”

Lewis has been dealing with lower-body injuries throughout the season. Bumps and bruises, especially in his seventh season of college basketball, are expected to follow him all the way until March. But even if he’s not on the floor for some of the games, he has the prior experience to suit up and help his teammates deliver the team’s eighth MAAC win. 

“Experience is the greatest teacher,” Lewis said. “I’ve been here the longest, I just have a great feel for my teammates and they know that I’m out there to help them. So every single time I’m out there, I’m just trying to get them involved and get myself involved while the game goes on.”

So Lewis—with his head coach only planning to play him between 15 and 20 minutes—checked into the game for 22 minutes. It didn’t bother the captain, instead it was something he was willing to do.

“He was like, ‘Whatever's best, don't worry about it,’ and I talked to the team about it before,” Pecora said. “That’s serving leadership, that’s big-time. There'd be a lot of guys that would be like, ‘Hey, I'm a captain, I'm a starter, I'm back, I'm healthy. I want to start.’ But he was genuine about it. That's why he's a special kid.”