Bobcats exact revenge for the upset loss in the 2024 MAAC tournament semi-final.
JERSEY CITY — Quinnipiac stewed all summer about losing 62-60 to Saint Peter’s in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference semifinals. Saint Peter’s, not the Bobcats, advanced to and won the MAAC tournament final, receiving the league’s NCAA Tournament bid for the second time in three years.
That was then. When the 2024-25 MAAC schedule came out, the Bobcats circled January 3 in their calendars–the day they would get a rematch with the Peacocks. They made the most of it on Friday night, downing Saint Peter’s, 59-46, at Yanitelli Center in a game the Bobcats dominated.
Starting the game with a 12-4 lead, Quinnipiac finished the first half on a 15-0 run, taking a 41-24 halftime lead. During the run, Jaden Zimmerman (career-high 16 points) had a couple of dunks, Paul Otieno (11 points) executed a 3-point play, and Alexis Reyes shot a 3-pointer. By night’s end, four Bobcats scored in double figures, and Zimmerman, a freshman from the Bronx, finished with his fourth consecutive double-digit performance.
SPU Head Coach Bashir Mason: Hats off to Quinnipiac. They came out here with purpose, pride, and aggressiveness. I’m happy it happened. It shows my group is not mature or physical enough. We are learning; when we are learning, we are struggling.
The Bobcats extended their lead early in the second half, taking a 22-point 49-27 lead on Khaden Bennett’s 3-pointer, but the Peacocks (5-6, 0-3) responded by outscoring the visitors 22-18 in the second half overall. Still, it was too little too late. One reason is that Marcus Randolph and Mouhamed Sow struggled, combining for just nine points, well off their season averages. Those performances didn’t go unnoticed. ‘When Marcus, Stephon (Roberts), and Sow do not play well, we have no chance to win with our young guys finding their way,’ Mason bemoaned.
The Bobcats (7-7, 3-0 MAAC) set the tempo by playing physically, and Mason noted their aggressiveness. “Quinnipiac was a more connected and physical group,” Mason said.
Freshman guard Bryce Eaton was a bright spot for the Peacocks. He was the home team’s only double-digit scorer with ten points on 4-9 shooting. But Saint Peter’s struggled all night, shooting only 17-54 (31.5%) overall and 5-21 (23.8%) from the 3-point line. They also lost the battle of the boards, 44-35, while the visitors had more assists, steals, blocks, and fewer turnovers.
The outcome was disconcerting for a team still trying to find footing and establish an identity. “Severely below my expectations,” Mason answered when asked about the state of his team. “It has been a roller-coaster ride, which is where we are. We need to figure out what our culture is, what our players are about, and what the program is about.”
With Saint Peter’s next game a week away (on the road Friday night vs. the 6-7 Niagara Purple Eagles), Mason will have plenty of practice time to get his team on track.
