Northeast Conference Notebook
by Zach Smart
Joe DeSantis never lost hope. Not amid the small crowds, the detractors, the off-court distractions, the grueling seven-game losing streak. Not even amid pink slip rumors which zipped through Hamden like the Connecticut Transit. Indeed, the man who was here when Quinnipiac was a Division-II program (and he only had one assistant whom he split the aerobics room as an office with) kept his serenity.
“We’re going to be good this year,” DeSantis assured a horde of Connecticut reporters following Quinnipiac’s season-opening upset-bid at then-No.18 UConn. The upset bid fell short, as the Bobcats were outlasted, 53-46, on Craig Austrie’s game-sealing three from the left corner.
“I got two little lightning-quick point guards,” DeSantis said, referencing 5-foot-8 freshman Casey Cosgrove and 5-foot-9 sophomore Job Casimir, both high-octane speedsters. Since Quinnipiac is one of the smaller teams in the conference and has been plagued by lack of size, rebounding, and interior defense the past few years, a statement of this ilk would only allow the skeptics to surface.
They did just that, as the Bobcats underwent a 0-9 freefall after winning two of their first three games. The abysmal losing streak featured two conference losses and an 80-74 horror show at Brown in which they surrendered 60 free throw attempts (Brown connected on a school record 47 of them en route to the victory).
The confidence pendulum took a sudden swing on Jan. 6, however, as the Bobcats defeated St. Francis Pa. 89-82 to stop the pores of gushing blood. The win jump-started a six-game winning streak, the longest in recent memory, as the Bobcats suddenly vaulted to the upper-echelon of the Northeast’s totem pole.
The Bobcats needed this in the worst way. Last Saturday, their hearts pumped shark’s blood as they awaited the grand opening of the TD Banknorth Sports Center, a dazzling 3,500-seat arena sitting on top of a hill that offers breathtaking views of New Haven and Long Island Sound. TD Banknorth, the new home to both hockey and hoops for the University, was a $52 million dollar investment. It’s a sparkling venue containing all the amenities.
Peaking at the right time, the Bobcats treated fans to a great game on Jan. 27, as they held on in a 73-71 thriller against James Williams and Long Island.
It should come as no surprise that the Bobcats’ success has run parallel with the emergence of junior guard DeMario Anderson, a transfer via conference rival Central Connecticut State. After struggling to find his niche in a sluggish December, Anderson has evolved into one of the conference’s premier players.
Anderson helped Quinnipiac give a solid account of itself on Saturday, pouring in 18 points while grabbing four boards. His most crucial points came on a put-back dunk nearing the end of the regulation.
A 20-point performance in a loss to Vermont was Anderson’s breakout game, as he shot 7-of-9 from the floor, catching fire late.
DeSantis knew coming into the year that the 6-4 high-raiser would be a great asset to the team. He knows from experience. Anderson scored a career-high 32 points while leading Central past Quinnipiac in his final regular season game with the Blue Devils in 2004-2005.
Adam Gonzalez, a senior combo guard, and Victor Akinyanju, an undersized forward/center deserve a lot of the credit as well.
Gonzalez, the former National Junior College Player of the Year, scored a game-high 21 points and dished out seven assists in the win over LIU. The Bronx, N.Y. product scored the first points in the new arena on an NBA three-pointer.
Akinyanju, a generously-listed 6-4 post man, scored the game-winner on a layup off a Gonzalez feed with 27 ticks to go in overtime. Akinyanju, who executed manipulative post moves and got free for easy buckets throughout the six-game winning streak. The Maryland native garnered NEC Player of the Week honors in mid-January after a 16-point, 17-board outburst in an 80-72 victory over Wagner.
Blue Devils Heating Up
Quinnipiac’s six-game winning streak was viciously snapped just two days after hitting their benchmark against LIU. The state and conference rivalry was renewed as Quinnipiac faced the real litmus test in their glitzy new arena in taking on Central Connecticut.
That test quickly morphed into an impossible final that would demand a curve for the Bobcats. The Blue Devils coasted to a convincing 65-54 victory before 2, 707, making it five straight against their in-state rivals.
Central Connecticut thoroughly thrashed the Bobcats up until the final three minutes, when Quinnipiac made it interesting with a couple of crucial threes. It was the only significant points they could muster from downtown on the night, as they shot an atrocious 4-for-25 from beyond the arc.
Obie Nwadike, a 6-foot-4 interior banger with a lion’s heart, did it all for CCSU. The NEC’s leading rebounder had a game-high 16 caroms, seven coming off the offensive glass, while bulldozing his way to 16 points. He hounded down opponents on defense, hustled after loose balls, and even played through a shaking moment in what was easily the best performance of his collegiate career.
“We get spoiled by (Nwadike) because we expect that from him,” CCSU coach Howie Dickenman said. “He’s 6-2 and a half, we list him at 6-4, but he has a heart as big as he could possibly have. He gives us everything he has every time.”
Central senior Javier Mojica, who has shouldered a leadership role this year, had 14 points and 12 rebounds. Mojica hit from outside and took opponents of the dribble, but his offense wasn’t the difference in this game. It was his suffocating defense that forced Gonzalez into an off-night.
Mojica held Gonzalez to just eight points on 3-of-11 shooting.
“(Gonzalez) is a hell of a player and he’s a go-to guy for them,” Mojica said. “My assignment was to play Gonzalez and hold him below his average. I was able to do that with my teammates – it was all-around great defense. I tried to keep him from getting hot because when he does a great player.”
The game didn’t exploit Quinnipiac’s weaknesses on this night as much as it displayed CCSU’s prestige. The Blue Devils made it evident that they belong in first place.
“Central is the best team in the league right now,” DeSantis said afterwards.
The game, of course, was multi-faceted, as Anderson went at it with some of his former teammates. With four and a half minutes gone by in the first half, Anderson sauntered over to the scorer’s table and entered the game. Despite missing his first four shots, Anderson would score 16 points, 14 in the second half.
“Personally, I think he had a little bit of a vendetta,” said Nwadike of his friend. “He wanted Quinnipiac beat Central Connecticut. Me and Javy (Mojica) and our team wasn’t going to let that happen.”
There is something special about this Central team. There’s no clear standout, just a scrappy core of solid upperclassmen and freshman Joe Seymore. They’re not the deepest team – usually they’ll go six or seven deep. At this point, they don’t need to be.
Blackwood Named Player of the Week
Central Connecticut junior guard Tristan Blackwood was the latest player to earn the Choice Hotels/NEC Player of the Week award. Blackwood averaged 27.5 points, 4.0 assists, 3.0 rebounds while shooting 14-29 (.483) from three-point land during the week of 1/29.
Pioneers Defeat Long Island:
At Fairfield, Conn., Drew Shubik scored 19 points to lead Sacred Heart to an 80-72 victory over Long Island. Luke Granato added 14 points for the Pioneers. Shubik also had seven rebounds.
Power Rankings:
1. Central Connecticut (13-10, 10-1): Little Depth But Few Flaws
2. Sacred Heart (11-10, 7-3): Must avenge loss against Central
3. Mount St. Mary’s (8-14, 7-4), Quinnipiac (9-11, 7-4): Feb. 3 meeting should be a thriller
