Quinnipiac University
Niagara
Samantha Guastella's 19 Points Lead QU Women's Basketball Past Niagara, 80-66
1/2/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
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HAMDEN, Conn. – A return home was just what the doctor ordered for the Quinnipiac women's basketball team as the Bobcats rolled past Niagara, 80-66, on Friday afternoon from Lender Court. Quinnipiac's convincing victory keeps the Bobcats undefeated at home (6-0) and in the MAAC (3-0) while also improving the team's overall record to 11-3.
Quinnipiac keeps a share of the top spot in the MAAC standings with the victory, while also prolonging their home dominance as the Bobcats have now outscored their opponents by an average of 16.3 points per game. The Bobcats' stifling defense played a major role in the victory as Quinnipiac held the Purple Eagles (6-6, 2-1 MAAC) to just 31.3 percent from the floor while also shutting down leading scorer Meghan McGuinness (12.2 PPG heading into Sunday), holding her to just five points (2-9 FG) in 27 minutes.
Samantha Guastella (Red Bank, New Jersey) played a key role for the Bobcats as she was lights out early, scoring 15 of her game-high 19 points in the first 7:11 of play. Guastella's 19 points came on 7-for-14 from the floor and 4-of-11 from three-point land while she rounded out her day with five rebounds and three blocks.
Jasmine Martin (Sicklerville, New Jersey) made some history in the victory as her 11 points bumped her into the Top 5 all-time scoring list at Quinnipiac. Entering the game ranked 8th on Quinnipiac's all-time scoring list, Martin's 11 points moved her past Jenn Hamilton '93 (1,439 career points), former teammate Brittany McQuain '14 (1,439) and Sara Esidore '04 (1,436).
Several other key contributors included Gillian Abshire (Washington, D.C.) who posted seven points and eight assists against just one turnover in 19 minutes. Val Driscoll (Stoughton, Massachusetts) added 11 points (4-6 FG), eight rebounds, two blocks and two assists while two bench players in Maria Napolitano (nine points) and Sarah Shewan (seven points, six rebounds) both had solid outings for the Bobcats.
Guastella was the story in the early going as she scored 15 of the Bobcats' first 17 points, including a 1:25 stretch in which she drained four straight baskets to stretch the Quinnipiac lead to 17-13.
A consistent threat from deep all season, Guastella has been particularly lethal at home in 2014 15 as she now is averaging 17.3 points on 58.7 percent shooting and 51.1 percent from three in six games at the TD Bank Sports Center.
Even with the monster first half from Guastella, Quinnipiac couldn't gain separation as both teams came ready to play on Friday with the score tied as late as 12 minutes into the first half. The Purple Eagles were gifted some great minutes from Val McQuade as she pumped in 13 points (3-5 3FG) in 14 first half minutes to keep her team in the game.
The game-defining stretch came towards the tail end of the first stanza as the Bobcats rode a 25-12 run that gave Quinnipiac the 46-31 at halftime. Quinnipiac's 46 first half points are the most points scored by the Bobcats in the first half of a game this season, besting the previous season-high of 44 from the Dec. 21 victory at Hartford.
With the imposing 15-point advantage in-hand at halftime, The Purple Eagles made a game of it as the lead trimmed to 10 points less than five minutes into the second stanza but the sizable halftime deficit proved too much to overcome as Quinnipiac sealed the victory with a 23-6 run midway through the second half guided by the Bobcats' starting five.
Abshire highlighted the major second half run with two three-point makes while Driscoll scored seven of her 11 points in the second half of play.
Niagara emptied their bench in the second half as 16 Purple Eagles played throughout the 40-minute conference matchup. The 2014 MAAC Rookie of the Year Victoria Rampado led the Purple Eagles with 13 points and five rebounds while Simone Hobdy played well with nine points in just eight minutes off the bench.
The Bobcats look to make it two straight home MAAC victories on Sunday as Quinnipiac plays host to Monmouth from the TD Bank Sports Center at 1:00 pm.
Contact: Maxx McNall; maxx.mcnall@quinnipiac.edu
