The Quinnipiac Bobcats will be at Times Union Center to challenge the Siena Saints in a Metro Atlantic Athletic matchup. Action gets underway at 2:00 pm ET on Sunday, Feb. 28 and can be seen on EFC and ES3.
The Saints are hoping for a better outcome after their 76-69 loss to Fairfield on Wednesday. Javion Ogunyemi finished with 17 points to lead the game. The Bobcats are coming off a 91-77 loss at the hands of Marist on Friday. Daniel Harris led the team in scoring with 16 points.
Ogunyemi and Brett Bisping have played at a high level over the last five games for the Saints. During that stretch, Ogunyemi has averaged 18.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.6 steals, and 2.0 blocks, while Bisping has recorded 18.2 points, 13.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.8 three-pointers a game.
This is the second game of the year between these two teams, with the Saints winning the first matchup 64-52. Brett Bisping was a standout player in the game, producing 18 points, seven rebounds, one steal, two blocks, and one three-pointer.
The Saints have gone 19-11 Straight Up (SU) and 13-10-1 Against The Spread (ATS). Over their last 10 games, they have only managed a record of 3-7 ATS. Siena has averaged 68.5 points per game over the last 10 games, lower than its season average of 78.0. Siena has gotten to the free throw line often this season. They average 17 made free throws per game, which is 23rd-best in Division I. Teams have a tough time keeping Siena off of the offensive glass. They rank 21st in Division I in offensive rebounds. Crossing over to the defensive side of the court, the Saints prevent teams from making three-pointers, ranking 37th in the nation with a .316 opponent field-goal percentage from three-point range. The Saints are the 45th-best team in the country at blocking shots, averaging 4.8 blocks per game.
Over on the other bench, the Bobcats head into the game with records of 6-17 ATS and 9-19 SU. Offensively, the Bobcats have really picked up the pace in the last 10 games. They have exceeded their season average of 66.0 points per game by averaging 79.3 during that stretch. Quinnipiac is the best offensive rebounding team in Division I. The Bobcats average a Division I-leading 16.9 offensive rebounds per game. Shifting to the other side of the court, teams don’t seem to hit many three-pointers against the Bobcats, who are 31st in the country in terms of three-point field goals allowed at 163 this season. Blocking shots is an area where Quinnipiac has excelled. The Bobcats average 4.8 blocks per game, making them one of the best in the nation.
The Saints’ win over Quinnipiac in their last game moved their SU record against Quinnipiac to 3-2 over their most recent meetings. Furthermore, with a 3-2 record, Siena has the advantage ATS. When it comes to field goals, rebounds, or three-pointers, neither team was able to hold the advantage in all three of these categories over their past five meetings against one another.
Predictions: SU Winner – Siena, ATS Winner – Siena
Notes
Siena averages 78.0 points per game (ranked 57th). Quinnipiac, on the other hand, allows 71.1 points per game (ranked 135th).
The Quinnipiac Bobcats have a defensive rating of 101.6 (ranked 97th), while the Siena Saints have an offensive rating of 109.1 (ranked 101st).
The Siena Saints average a field goal percentage of 46.5% this season. The Quinnipiac Bobcats are a winless 0-7 when opponents have a FG% of 46.5% or greater.
On average, Siena attempts 17.0 three pointers and Quinnipiac attempts 22.0. In games where they have 20 or more three point attempts, the Siena Saints have a 3-2 record while the Quinnipiac Bobcats have a poor 5-14 record.
Among all teams in the nation, Quinnipiac is the best at rebounding, registering an average of 44.0 per game. Siena ranks 25th in rebounding with 40.3 per game.
Quinnipiac is the top-ranked team in the nation in terms of offensive rebounds. On the other side, Siena is ranked 78th when it comes to defensive rebounding.
On average, Quinnipiac forces a turnover rate of 17.4%. When Siena turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a winning 17-9 record.
