Quinnipiac Falls to Vermont, 53-46

Shooting woes plagued the Quinnipiac University men’s basketball team on Saturday afternoon, as the Bobcats fell short in a defensive battle to Vermont, 53-46, at the TD Bank Sports Center in a game that was televised throughout the region on NESN.

“We held Vermont to 38 percent shooting and controlled the boards for most of the game, but credit Vermont’s defense,” said head coach Tom Moore. “Positionally, they were really good all game, and they were really tough on and off the ball, but we didn’t make free throws or open shots.”

Outside of a 10-point, 10-rebound performance for Garvey Young (Washington, D.C.) and a team-high 13 points and nine rebounds for Ike Azotam (Boston, Mass.), Quinnipiac’s offense struggled to find a rhythm. Young collected the first double-double of his QU career which included five offensive rebounds, while Azotam went 5-of-9 from the floor in limited action due to foul trouble. Ousmane Drame (Boston, Mass.) joined Azotam as the only other Bobcat to shoot over 50 percent from the floor (4-of-7) with nine points to go along with five rebounds and a game-high four blocks – the most by a Quinnipiac player since he broke the record with six last season against Boston University.

Vermont grabbed an early lead in the game – an advantage that fluctuated from one point to nine points throughout the entire 40 minutes. Vermont carried a mere three-point lead into halftime, despite just two field goals in the final 10:46 seconds of the opening stanza. Vermont had 11 turnovers and shot 40 percent from the floor, while Quinnipiac turned the ball over eight times and shot 25 percent from the field.

After the break, Quinnipiac kept knocking at the door for a quick spurt to get the offense on the right track. They came to within one point two different times in the final 20 minutes – including a pair of free throws from Jamee Jackson (Newark, N.J.) that cut the deficit to one with 5:58 seconds remaining. Unfortunately, the Catamounts answered with eight straight points – none bigger than a three-pointer from Brian Voelkel at the 5:24 mark. Vermont sealed the deal with free throws down the stretch to hand the Bobcats their third loss at home this season.

For the game, Quinnipiac dominated the paint, 30-18, and edged Vermont on the glass, 37-36. However, the Catamounts turned 14 QU turnovers into 20 points on the other end and made 18 free throws compared to 11 for the Bobcats.

Quinnipiac executed its plan defensively, holding Vermont’s leading scorer, Luke Apfeld, to zero points on the evening. Voelkel was the difference-maker for the Catamounts, who finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Trey Blue added 13 points on 4-of-6 shooting. 

The Bobcats picked up their first win all-time against the Catamounts last season in Burlington, Vt. They are now 1-6 all-time against Vermont.

Quinnipiac returns to the court next weekend at Boston University on Sunday, December 16. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m.

Fans interested in purchasing season tickets for the 2012-13 campaign can call the QU Ticket Office at 203-582-3905, visit the official website of Quinnipiac athletics, www.QuinnipiacBobcats.com or make a trip to the TD Bank Sports Center Ticket Office.

Please refer to the Official Website of Quinnipiac Athletics, www.QuinnipiacBobcats.com, for any schedule changes as well as the latest news, scores and highlights. The 2012-13 Men's Basketball Schedule is also available for download atwww.QuinnipiacBobcats.com for all mobile devices, including iPhones and iPads, as well as all desktop computers.