QU Women's Basketball Tips Off 2014-15 Season at Home Against Army on Saturday
11/13/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Army Black Knights (0-0, 0-0 Patriot League) @
Quinnipiac University Bobcats (0-0, 0-0 MAAC)
Saturday, Nov. 15, 2013 – 2 PM
TD Bank Sports Center – Hamden, Conn.
All-Time Series vs. Army: 4-0
Last Meeting: Dec. 11, 2010 | W, 69-65 | Hamden, Conn.
- QU Women's Basketball Homepage
- Army Women's Basketball Homepage
- QU Game Notes
- Army Game Notes
- MAAC Women's Basketball Homepage
- Live Stats: QuinnipiacBobcats.com
- Live Video: QuinnipiacBobcats.com
- Live Audio: AM 1220 WQUN
- Live Twitter: @QUAthletics
Women's Basketball Tips Off New Season
Quinnipiac women's basketball opens their 2014-15 season against the Army Black Knights on Saturday at 2:00 PM from Lender Court at the TD Bank Sports Center. The Black Knights pose as a formidable opponent for the Bobcats' in their season opener as Army is coming off a 25-win season and NCAA Tournament appearance in 2013-14.
On The Airwaves
WQUN will provide live audio for the game. The audio link provided above is for internet only. Bill Schweizer will be on play-by-play while Billy Mecca and Bob Tipson will be on color. Live video will also be available on QuinnipiacBobcats.com.
Scouting the Black Knights
Expectations are high for Army this year after posting a 25-8 record, winning the Patriot League Championship and appearing in the NCAA Tournament for just the second time in program history in 2013-14. Ranked 24th in the College Insider Women's Mid-Major Top 25 poll, Army was recently selected first in the Patriot League Preseason Coaches' Poll and feature one of the nation's most dynamic returning players in junior guard Kelsey Minato. Minato finishes her sophomore season ranked fifth in the nation in free-throw percentage (92.4) and 17th in scoring average (22.0) on her way to becoming Army's quickest player to reach 1,000 career points (59 games). She pumped in an Army NCAA Tournament record 31 points against Maryland on March 23 and also established an NCAA single-game record by shooting 26-of-26 from the free throw line against Holy Cross on Feb. 12. Even with Minato's return, the Black Knights' depth behind their leading scorer is very unproven as Army's second-leading returning scorer averaged just 6.2 points per game. Army graduated their top frontcourt player in Jen Hazlett who averaged 13.7 points and 7.5 rebounds per game and will rely on the return of senior Olivia Schretzman (6.2 points, 5.6 rebounds) and juniors Aimee Oertner (5.8 points, 4.1 rebounds) and Brianna Johnson (5.2 points, 3.8 rebounds) to shoulder to load with Hazlett graduated.
Series History Against Army
This marks just the fifth all-time meeting between the Black Knights and Bobcats as Quinnipiac comes in with an impressive 4-0 mark against Army in the series history. Their most recent meeting came back on Dec. 11, 2010 where the Bobcats took down Army, 69-65, from the TD Bank Sports Center.
Tied at the Top
The Quinnipiac University women's basketball team tied with Marist for first place in the MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, released by the league office on Wed., Nov. 5. In addition to the poll, the Bobcats also tied with the Red Foxes for the most Preseason All-MAAC honorees (Jasmine Martin, Gillian Abshire and Samantha Guastella) with three from each program. Marist, the nine-time defending MAAC Champions, finished with five first place votes compared to Quinnipiac's four but the two teams tied with 112 points each. The 2014-15 MAAC Preseason Poll announcement marks the first time since Oct. 24, 2006 (seven straight seasons) that Marist has not been voted the consensus preseason favorite.
Fabbri Closing In
Quinnipiac's all-time winningest coach in program history, Tricia Fabbri enters her 20th season manning the helm for the Bobcats. With an all-time record of 294-256 in 19 seasons, coach Fabbri comes into the 2014-15 needing just six victories to reach the 300 career win milestone. Six wins would put Fabbri into elite company as she would be the fourth head coach in any varsity sport at Quinnipiac to reach 300 wins.
Another National Postseason Appearance
Quinnipiac's trip to the 2014 WNIT Tournament marked its fourth national postseason appearance in its last seven seasons. The Bobcats earned its first appearance with a trip to Iona in the 2008 WNIT Tournament, made a second WNIT Tournament appearance in 2012 and Quinnipiac is still in search for its first national postseason victory.
20-20 Vision
With their win against Canisius in the MAAC Quarterfinals, the Bobcats claimed 20 wins in a season for the eighth time in program history. It's the third consecutive 20-win season, fifth time under the direction of head coach Tricia Fabbri and fifth time in the Division I era.
New England's Finest
Over the last three seasons (since 2011-12), Quinnipiac has dominated the New England region with a combined record of 74-27. Only the two-time NCAA champion UConn Huskies (108 wins) have amassed more victories than the Bobcats out of 21 Div. I schools located in New England. Quinnipiac's .755 winning percentage since 2011-12 ranks behind only the Huskies while the 74 combined victories for the Bobcats is 10 more than the next-closest institution Fairfield.
Dishing It Out
Gillian Abshire ranked 3rd in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.48). For the season, 'Boo' had 223 assists to only 64 turnovers. In the game against America on Nov. 23, Abshire collected a single-game program record 14 assists and only one turnover in one of the best performances of her junior campaign. Boo dished out five or more assists in 22 of Quinnipiac's 34 games (64.7 percent).
Making Her Mark
A dynamite go-to scorer, senior guard Jasmine Martin has now been named an All-Conference performer three straight seasons heading into her final campaign with the Bobcats. A double-digit scorer in all three years at Quinnipiac, Martin has a chance to become the only player in program history to have been named All-Conference and averaged double figures in all four seasons of her collegiate career.
Sammy Gua-"STELLA" For Three
Quinnipiac's breakout player from a year ago, senior forward Samantha Guastella comes into her final season as a Bobcat primed for another bump in her production. Newly honored as a Preseason All-MAAC honoree, Guastella is coming a season of career-highs across the board with 11.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting at a 43.9 percent clip from the floor. Her shooting prowess extended to three point land as she drained a single-season program record 70 three-pointers while shooting 37.1 percent from long range.
Just In The Nik-O-Line
An increase in playing time paid dividends last season senior Nikoline Ostergaard. After having been mostly a contributor off the bench in her first two seasons, Ostergaard played in all 34 games last season and also picked up the first four starters of her career. Armed with a 50.3 shooting percentage from the floor in 2013-14, Ostergaard ranked in the Top 10 amongst all MAAC players. She also posted one of the best games for any Bobcat last season as she tossed in a career-high 26 points on 13-of-19 shooting at Iona (1/25) which tied for the fourth-most made field goals in a single-game in program history.
Latest Shipment Arrival: From Michigan
One of the newest additions to the Quinnipiac program graduated from the University of Michigan in 2014. A 6-foot-4 center from Stoughton, Mass., graduate student Val Driscoll played three seasons at Michigan before deciding to finish her collegiate career as a Bobcat. Having missed the 2012-13 season due to injury, Driscoll transferred to Quinnipiac post-graduation to continue her education as a master's student while still holding one year of eligibility. Driscoll averaged 5.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.1 blocks while appearing in all 34 games (29 starts) for the Wolverines.
Saying Goodbye
Quinnipiac was forced to say goodbye to one of the most talented players in program history as Brittany McQuain graduated in 2014 with the 6th-most points (1,439) and 2nd-most rebounds (1,109) as well as the most games played (129) of any player in program history. A two-time All-Conference player, McQuain signed a professional contract with DJK Brose Bamberg in Germany. She became the first Bobcat alumni to sign a professional contract since Ashlee Kelly '04 inked a deal 10 years ago in 2004.
2014-15 Season Preview
The time is now for Quinnipiac women's basketball. Coming off a trip to the 2013 NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history, the Bobcats had yet another banner season in 2013-14 and are primed to challenge a return trip to the "Big Dance" in 2014-15.
The Bobcats are coming off their third straight 20-win season as Quinnipiac compiled an overall mark of 21-13 last season to go along with a 14-6 record in their debut season in the MAAC. Armed with the No. 4 seed in the 2014 MAAC Tournament, Quinnipiac upended No. 5 Canisius and landed an upset victory over No. 1 Iona to make it to the Bobcats' second straight conference championship game. In the MAAC title game, Quinnipiac led by as many as 17 points in the first half including a 35-24 margin at halftime but No. 2 Marist's second half run proved too much to overcome as the Red Foxes claimed a 70-66 victory.
Despite the crushing loss in the championship game, the Bobcats earned their first at-large postseason tournament berth in program history as Quinnipiac was placed into the field for the WNIT. The Bobcats traveled for a first round matchup at Villanova as Quinnipiac extended their streak to three straight seasons earning a trip to a national postseason tournament.
Fast forward to the 2014-15 season and the Bobcats are itching to get back out on the court in the hopes of fulfilling their hopes of another NCAA Tournament appearance. The Bobcats return 11 letterwinners and four starters from last year's squad. Among the 11 returners includes five senior class members that have lifted this program to new heights since first arriving on-campus back in 2011. In addition, the Bobcats welcome one of their most talented recruiting classes in program history and also add a 6-foot-4 University of Michigan transfer that'll immediately help alleviate the loss of Brittany McQuain to graduation.
With the announcement of the MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll now official, the Bobcats find themselves tied for the No. 1 spot on the poll with nine-time defending MAAC Champion Marist. Expectations in Hamden are at an all-time high as the league's announcement marked the first time since 2006 that the Red Foxes were not voted consensus preseason favorites in the MAAC.
Now entering her 20th season manning the helm at Quinnipiac, head coach Tricia Fabbri knows all too well that her 2014-15 squad has the talent to make it back into the NCAA Tournament for a second time in three years. Armed with an experienced and battle-tested group of returners as well as some talented incomers, the Bobcats have their sights set on avenging their bitter end to the inaugural campaign in the MAAC.
Backcourt
With close to 100 games played together, Quinnipiac's starting backcourt is not just experienced but have served as the heart and soul of this Bobcat program for the last three seasons now. Named team captains since the start of the 2012-13, senior Gillian "Boo" Abshire and Jasmine Martin enter their third straight season as team leaders in the 2014-15 season. Catalysts on the 2013 NCAA Tournament squad, Abshire and Martin have led the Bobcats to an overall record of 73-26 and 42-11 in conference play as well as two trips to the WNIT throughout their first three seasons together.
Supplementing the return of the Abshire and Martin is a young but talented pool of guards that includes another senior class member Shaina Earle, junior three-point specialist Maria Napolitano and two dynamic defensive spark plugs off the bench in junior Adily Martucci and sophomore Brianah Ramos. Two rookie guards in Brittany Johnson and Carly Fabbri, daughter of head coach Tricia Fabbri, add even more depth to an already balanced and deep crop for the Quinnipiac backcourt.
Quinnipiac's 5-foot-6 senior shooting guard Martin joins Iona's Damika Martinez and Joy Adams as the only unanimous selections to the All-MAAC Preseason First Team. In 2013-14, Martin helped lead the Bobcats to an appearance in the MAAC Championship Finals during the first year of MAAC competition. She led Quinnipiac in scoring at 15 points per game, a total that ranked fifth overall in the MAAC. The Sicklerville, N.J. native netted her 1,000th career point on Jan. 10, 2014 at Iona to become the 20th player in program history to reach the milestone. Her highly productive 2013-14 campaign earned Martin All-MAAC Second Team honors, making her an All-Conference performer in each of her first three seasons as a Bobcat.
The Bobcats' floor general for each of the previous three seasons, senior point guard Abshire finished 2013-14 averaging 7.1 points per game and a league-leading 6.6 assists. Abshire has appeared in and started all 99 games at the point guard position since first arriving as a freshman back in 2011-12. Now a three-time team captain along with Martin, Abshire's elite floor vision puts her in select company as her 6.6 assists per game in 2013-14 ranked 10th-best in NCAA Div. I while her 3.48 assists/turnover ratio last season ranked 3rd in the nation. Her 223 total assists last season broke Maria Holland's 32-year-old single-season program record while her stellar all-around play garnered All-MAAC Third Team honors.
One of the more underrated performers last season for the Bobcats returns as junior Maria Napolitano looks to better her 2013-14 per-game averages of 4.6 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.3 made three pointers in 33 games. She stepped into a starting role towards the halfway point of last season and was a key contributor to the Bobcats' 16-7 overall record in the 23 games in which she started. Her streak of 11 straight games with at least one made three point bucket was second-best on the team while her 43 made field goals from long range was third-best for the Bobcats last season.
Now close to two full years removed from a season-ending injury in her sophomore season, Earle looks to get back to her freshman year form where she played in 30 games, averaged close to eight minutes per game and scored 1.8 points. Her leadership on this team cannot be undervalued as her presence will help guide the growth of two up-and-comers coming off the bench for the Bobcats.
Martucci and Ramos combined to average 5.6 points, 2.2 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 1.1 steals per game in less than 16 minutes per game in their debut seasons for the Bobcats in 2013-14. Martucci missed her freshman year due to injury and saw her first game action last season while Ramos had her moments as a highly-touted freshman newcomer. With Martucci planning to take a medical redshirt, both are entering just their second seasons as active players and each provides consistent and valuable energy coming off the bench.
Two freshmen also bear watching as Carly Fabbri and Brittany Johnson round out a deep crop of eight guards coach Fabbri has at her disposal. Coach Fabbri's daughter Carly enjoyed a tremendous career at Laurelton Hall in Milford, Conn., highlighted by the school's first ever CIAC Championship title in 2014. Meanwhile, Johnson enjoyed a solid career at Pickerington North High School under the direction of head coach Dave Butcher – one of high school basketball's all-time winningest coaches. Johnson adds a winning mindset after claiming nearly 70 victories throughout her high school career.
Frontcourt
Big shoes will need to be filled in the Quinnipiac frontcourt as Brittany McQuain graduated with one of the most impressive resumes of any Bobcat in program history. A four-year starter for the Bobcats, McQuain didn't miss a game throughout her Quinnipiac career and finished with the most games played (129) of any player in program history. Over her career, McQuain finished in a tie for Quinnipiac's 5th-highest all-time scorer (1,439 points), 2nd in rebounding (1,109), 6th in blocked shots (116), 5th in made field goals (571) and 9th in made free throws (297).
A two-time All-Conference performer including MVP honors in the 2013 Northeast Conference Championship squad, McQuain graduated Quinnipiac with career averages of 11.2 points, 8.6 rebounds and just under one block per game. However, despite the loss of one of the program's cornerstone players, the Bobcats possess the deepest frontcourt in the MAAC and will cause all sorts of problems for their opponents in terms of matching up with such a versatile, experienced and talented crop.
Headlining that group is senior forward Samantha Guastella who was most recently selected to the 2014-15 MAAC Preseason Second Team by the league's coaches. Quinnipiac's breakout start of 2013-14 started all 34 games in her first season as a full-time starters. Guastella averaged career-highs across the board with 11.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.3 blocks while shooting at a 43.9 percent clip from the floor. A true marksman from the outside, Guastella created all sorts of mismatch problems for defenses as she drained a single-season program record 70 three point field goals while shooting 37.1 percent from long range. Recently enshrined with Abshire and Martin as tri-captains for the 2014-15 season, Guastella brings an added spark and energy to the team evidenced by her play on the court.
Another steady contributor through the years, looking to breakout with more playing time this season is another senior forward in Nikoline Ostergaard. Appearing in all 34 games for the Bobcats, she averaged 6.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game while leading the team with a 50.3 shooting percentage from the floor which ranked in the Top 10 amongst MAAC players. A steady three-year performer, Ostergaard has improved her play considerably from year-to-year, setting new single-season career highs in points, rebounds, shooting percentage and free throw percentage.
Among the list of five newcomers for the 2014-15 season, no one has more big game experience than University of Michigan transfer Val Driscoll, A graduate student with one more year of eligibility remaining, the 6-foot-4 center out of Stoughton, Mass. will be able to play right away for coach Fabbri. Her imposing physical presence helps shoulder some of the load that departed with McQuain's graduation. Last season, she averaged 5.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.1 blocks in just over 24 minutes per game for the Wolverines. Driscoll's impact can really be seen on the defensive end as she finished the 2013-14 season with 70 blocked shots, placing her sixth on the Michigan single-season list and 46th nationally in terms of blocks per game.
Look for a pair of freshmen to also see a considerable amount of playing time in their rookie seasons with the Bobcats. Both Sarah Shewan and Jennifer Fay come to Quinnipiac as the two highest-rated recruits in program history, respectively. Shewan, a 6-foot-2 forward out of Russell, Ontario, helped lead St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic to two league championships. Noticed by many while competing in the "Toronto A-Game," coaches from United States' institutions suddenly took interest in the athletic power forward/center before she ultimately decided to sign with Quinnipiac. Meanwhile, Fay stands 6-feet tall out of Lynbrook, N.Y. and played her final two seasons of high school basketball at Nazareth Regional which has been ranked among the nation's elite programs for decades. Fay's senior season earned her a bevy of awards in the Brooklyn area while she was also a McDonald's All-American nominee. An adept outside shooter with excellent rebounding skills, Fay has already drawn attention having been named the 2014-15 MAAC Preseason Freshman of the Year by College Sports Madness.
Three more returners also help round out the Quinnipiac frontcourt as juniors Katie Carroll and Tiffany Webster along with sophomore Morgan Manz all look to make an impact for the Bobcats. Carroll appeared in 14 games last season while Webster, a transfer from Hampton University, was forced to sit out the 2013-14 campaign due to the NCAA transfer rules. Manz, meanwhile appeared in 29 games and finished with the second-best field goal percentage (50 percent) and the best three point percentage (43.2) of any player on the team.
Schedule
After playing one of the 10 most difficult schedules, according to RPI, of any team in the country last season, coach Fabbri is testing her squad once again with an imposing set of games in 2014-15. Highlighted by the Hall of Fame Challenge and a matchup with last year's national runner-up Notre Dame, the Bobcats could potentially see eight teams that made national postseason appearances a year ago.
Out of the 11 non-conference games, the Bobcats will play seven different teams that made the NCAA Tournament and another squad that was selected for the NIT field. Additionally, nine of those 11 teams had winning records and only four of the contests this season will be at the TD Bank Sports Center.
The 2014-15 season opens with back-to-back home games starting on Nov. 15 when Quinnipiac takes on Army which is followed by a game against Hampton on Nov. 18. Both opponents made the NCAA Tournament a year ago as Army posted a 25-8 record and took down the Patriot League Championship while Hampton claimed the MEAC and finished with an overall record of 28-5.
After competing in the WNIT Preseason Tournament last year, Quinnipiac will make a second straight major in-season tournament appearance in the Hall of Fame Women's Challenge. Quinnipiac's first action of the four-game tournament will take place on the campus of Notre Dame. The Bobcats open against Harvard on Nov. 23, then take on Holy Cross on Nov. 24 and complete the three-game set at national powerhouse Notre Dame on Nov. 25. The tournament concludes on Nov. 30 where the Bobcats take on Alabama at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.
December brings five additional non-conference games, beginning with two home games on Dec. 15 and Dec. 17. Quinnipiac welcomes reigning America East Champion Albany to the Bank on the 15th before taking on Drexel on the 17th.
After its annual clash with Hartford at Chase Family Arena on Dec. 21, Quinnipiac wraps up the non-conference slate at the Hawk Classic on Dec. 29-30. The Bobcats drew Saint Joseph's, an NCAA Tournament team from last year, in the first game, and will take on either Florida Gulf Coast or Cal State Northridge the following day. Both FGCU and CSU Northridge were in the NCAA field in 2014 as well. The tournament will be held at Hagan Arena in Philadelphia.
The Bobcats open conference play at home on Friday, Dec. 5 against Siena and start MAAC play with home games in six of their first nine intra-conference matchups. Quinnipiac will go nearly a full month between MAAC home games as the Bobcats will continue their home conference slate the day after New Year's when they host Niagara on Jan. 2. Among the other notable home games include a matchup against nine-time defending champs Marist on Jan. 22, defending MAAC regular season champions Iona come to town on Feb. 9 and Senior Day will be held on Feb. 19 with a matchup against St. Peter's. The Bobcats will also play host to three MAAC games in seven days from Jan. 15 – 22 as Fairfield (Jan. 15), Manhattan (Jan. 18) and Marist (Jan. 22) highlight the homestand.
A crucial road stand ends the Bobcats' 2014-15 MAAC regular season schedule as Quinnipiac faces three straight road meetings against conference foes to end the year. The end-of-year stretch starts with Iona on Feb. 22, Rider on Feb. 26 and the regular season finale for the Bobcats will be at Monmouth on March 1.
The 2015 MAAC Championships will be held from March 5-9 at the Times Union Center in Albany, N.Y. The first round matchups start on March 5, followed by the Quarterfinals on March 6, Semifinals on March 8 and the Women's Championship Game will be televised on ESPNU on March 9.
