THE BASICS:
· Score: Quinnipiac 62, Holy Cross 56
· Records: Quinnipiac (1-2); Holy Cross (1-3)
· Location: TD Bank Sports Center, Hamden, Conn.
· Date: November 22, 2015
· The Lead: Holy Cross junior center Matt Husek scored a career-high 15 points, but the Crusaders were defeated by Quinnipiac, 62-56, in non-conference men's basketball action on Sunday afternoon at the TD Bank Sports Center.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
· Husek shot 6-of-10 from the field and hauled in five rebounds.
· Freshman forward Karl Charles and first-year guard Matt Zignorski each scored 10 points.
· Senior guard Cullen Hamilton tallied nine points, while junior forward Malachi Alexander posted eight points, eight rebounds and four assists.
· Quinnipiac was led by Chaise Daniels, who notched a double-double with game-highs of 20 points and 12 rebounds.
· Daniel Harris and Giovanni McLean also chipped in with 16 and 11 points, respectively.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:
· Quinnipiac shot 36.1 percent from the field (22-61) and 36.8 percent from downtown (7-19), while Holy Cross connected on 17-of-49 from the floor (34.7%) and 8-of-30 from behind the arc (26.7%).
· Both teams struggled from the free-throw line, as the Crusaders hit 63.6 percent (14-22) and the Bobcats shot 64.7 percent (11-17).
· Quinnipiac held the statistical edge in total rebounds (46-31), points in the paint (26-14) and second-chance points (14-9).
HOW IT HAPPENED:
· Both teams traded buckets to begin the first half, as the score was all square at 10-10 at the 15:16-mark of the stanza. Quinnipiac scored four quick points to go ahead 14-10, but the Crusaders rallied and went on an 8-0 surge to gain an 18-14 lead (9:48). Hamilton scored five of his eight points during the eight-point rally.
· The teams went back-and-forth over the final nine-plus minutes of the first half, as Holy Cross held a four-point lead at intermission (30-26). Husek led the Crusaders with 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting during the first half.
· Quinnipiac opened the second half on a 7-3 spurt to tie the game at 33-33 (16:56). Holy Cross, however, embarked on an 11-4 rally to gain a 44-37 advantage (10:46) on the back of a jumper by Zignorski.
· The Bobcats battled back and went on a 13-6 run over the next 6:21 to tie the game at 50-50. Quinnipiac continued its run and claimed a 56-50 lead at the 2:34-mark of the second half.
· Zignorski responded with a trey on the next possession, but the Bobcats answered with a three of their own to go back up by six points (59-53) with 1:48 on the clock.
· Quinnipiac hit three of its final four free throws and did not allow a Crusader field goal for the remainder of the contest to claim the victory.
UP NEXT:
· Holy Cross returns to action on Wednesday, Nov. 25, when it hosts Sacred Heart at 1:05 p.m.
BE PART OF THE ACTION:
· Single-game tickets, season tickets and mini plans to see the Crusaders are on sale now. Make sure you don't miss the opportunity to see the best collegiate basketball in Central Massachusetts! Tickets for Holy Cross basketball can be purchased online at GoHolyCross.com/tickets or over the phone by calling 1-844-GOCROSS.
BLACK FRIDAY / CYBER MONDAY:
· Black Friday and Cyber Monday are fast approaching! Get 20 PERCENT OFF most tickets for men's basketball when you purchase at GoHolyCross.com/tickets and 40 PERCENT OFF all apparel in the online store! Visit GoHolyCross.com to save on Crusader tickets and apparel this holiday season.
KEEP CONNECTED:
· To stay updated on the Holy Cross men's basketball team, follow the Crusaders on Twitter @HCrossMBB and on Facebook at HolyCrossBasketball.
· You can also subscribe for email alerts for all news and information on the team by clicking here.
