Justin Rutty had 19 points and 10 rebounds, and Quinnipiac withstood a late Yale rally for an 84-75 victory Saturday night in the season opener for both teams.
The Bobcats, who never trailed, took their biggest lead at 62-41 when Rutty scored on a layup with 12:37 to play. Yale pecked away at the 21-point deficit, twice cutting it to six in the final 2:20.
The Bulldogs' Reggie Willhite scored on a layup to make it 79-73 with 1:16 left. But Quinnipiac redoubled its offensive rebounding efforts in the final seconds, getting key second chances that led to three free throws and a layup which put the game away. The Bobcats had a 37-27 advantage in rebounds.
Deontay Twyman and James Johnson each scored 16 for the Bobcats.
Greg Mangano led all scorers with 20 for Yale. The Bulldogs stayed close by making 28 of 36 free throws, while Quinnipiac made 17 of 22.
