Feb. 5, 2009

Final Stats

FAIRFIELD, CT - James Feldeine had a double-double with 12 points and ten rebounds, leading five Quinnipiac University players in double figures as the Bobcats came back to defeat Sacred Heart University in a Northeast Conference men's basketball game Thursday night.

The loss snapped a SHU four-game winning streak and dropped them into fourth place in the NEC standings at 7-5. Quinnipiac improved to 10-12 overall and 6-6 in the conference.

Senior Joey Henley (Kent, WA) continued his dominating play for the Pioneers, registering his third straight double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Junior Corey Hassan (Merrimack, NH) got into the double action with career highs of 20 points and 13 boards.

A Hassan three with 12:15 left in the first half gave the Pioneers their largest lead at 19-12. Freshman James Johnson tied it at 25-25 with a pair of free throws with 5:44 left in the half, but the Pioneer carried a 31-27 lead into the intermission after a Jerrell Thompson jumper in the final seconds of the half.

Another Hassan trey with 11:55 left in the game helped SHU equal its largest lead at 44-37, but the Bobcats used an 8-0 run in the next three minutes to take a 45-44 lead. The two teams traded the lead over the next few minutes until Johnson gave Quinnipiac a 53-50 lead with 4:39 left with a three-pointer.

Henley tied the game with an old-fashioned three-point play with 3:22 left, but Feldeine answered just :11 later with a three to put the Bobcats back up 56-53. After Hassan tied it at 57-57 with a jumper with 1:58 to go, Jeremy Baker hit a jumper for QU and after Henley missed a SHU layup, Justin Rutty was fouled and made one of two and Ed Zajac was fouled grabbing the offensive board for the Bobcats. He hit both of his free throw tries and Quinnipiac had a four-point edge with :38 to go.

Ryon Howard nailed a quick jumper for the Pioneers to cut the gap to three. Quinnipiac turned the ball over by committing an offensive foul on an inbound play and Howard was fouled going to the hoop. He made just one of two tries to cut the QU lead to 62-60 with :21 left.

The Pioneers were forced to foul, clipping Johnson. He made both of his free throws with :13 left to make it 64-60 and the Pioneers looked dead. Hassan wasn't through though and banked home a three with :07 to go to cut the lead to one. They fouled Bryan Geffen on the inbound after the make and the Bobcat sophomore made both to push the lead to three.

Chauncey Hardy raced up the floor for the Pioneers in an attempt to tie it, but the Bobcats fouled him on purpose before he could shoot, sending him to the line for two free throws instead of a possible tying three-pointer. Hardy missed the first, but made the second. SHU couldn't steal the inbound pass and the Bobcats escaped with the win.