QU Women's Basketball Opens Play4Kay Shootout With New Mexico State on Monday

Play4Kay Shootout First Round
Quinnipiac Bobcats (7-2) vs.
New Mexico State Aggies (7-3)
Date: Monday, Dec. 19, 2016 | 3:00 PM (6:00 PM EST)
Location: T-Mobile Arena | Las Vegas, Nev.
All-Time Series vs. New Mexico State: First Meeting

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VIVA LAS VEGAS
Owning a 7-2 mark on the season, the Quinnipiac women's basketball team heads into one of its biggest regular season tournaments in program history playing in peak form. Quinnipiac opens their run in the inaugural Play4Kay Shootout with a Monday afternoon game against New Mexico State at 3 PM local time (Pacific time zone) and 6 PM Eastern. The Bobcats come into the Play4Kay Shootout having played one of their best games of the season as Quinnipiac dispatched in-state rival Hartford, 82-59, on Dec. 10. With nine days between games, the Bobcats' superior depth will be tested in the tournament wherein all eight teams will play three games in three days. In a field featuring a nice mix of high and mid-major powers, the chance is there for the Bobcats to prove and test themselves on a national level.

PLAY4KAY SHOOTOUT FIELD
Quinnipiac has never faced any of the seven teams making an appearance in the inaugural Play4Kay Shootout. The Bobcats open with fellow mid-major power New Mexico State as Quinnipiac will be facing a Western Athletic Conference (WAC) team for the first time in program history. A matchup against either Oregon State or UNLV looms in the second round depending on the result of the first. The Beavers check in at No. 15 in the most-recent USA Today Coaches' Poll and are coming off an appearance in the 2016 Final Four. On the flip side of the bracket, the Bobcats will face either South Florida, Oklahoma State, Long Beach State or Santa Clara in the third and final game of the tournament.

REGULAR SEASON TOURNAMENT TUNE-UPS
This marks the third time in the last four seasons the Bobcats are set to appear in a major national regular season tournament. Quinnipiac's first season in the MAAC (2013-14) saw the Bobcats open the campaign going 1-2 in the 2013 Preseason WNIT with the lone win coming over North Carolina A&T at home, 77-63. In 2014-15, Quinnipiac went 2-2 in the 2014 Hall of Fame Women's Challenge with a major win coming over Alabama, 73-66, at the Mohegan Sun Arena. Each of those appearances featured a spotlight showdown as the Bobcats traveled to No. 5 ranked Louisville in the 2013 Preseason WNIT and played No. 1 ranked Notre Dame in South Bend during the 2014 Hall of Fame Women's Challenge.

SCOUTING THE AGGIES

New Mexico State (7-3) was picked to win the Western Athletic Conference in both the coaches' and media poll
Senior guard Moriah Mack was chosen for the WAC First Team in both polls. Forward Brianna Freeman joined Mack on the first team in the coaches' poll and was named to the second team with teammate Brooke Salas in the media poll
The Aggies have won back-to-back WAC regular season and tournament titles to punch consecutive appearances to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 30 years (1986-88)
NM State is coming off a historic season in 2015-16 as the Aggies finished 26-5, tying the 1987-88 team for the most wins in a single-season in program history
NM State split its first four games but has claimed four straight wins including five of the last season to improve to 7-3 on the season. Most recently, the Aggies secured a 67-59 win at UTEP on Dec. 15
The Aggies are currently ranked No. 16 in the College Insider Mid-Major Poll
The three NM State losses on the season have all come against powerful programs including Arizona on the high-major level (L, 74-63) as well as Hawaii (L, 56-53) and New Mexico (L, 84-55) who both excel at the mid-major level year-after-year
Even with the early loss to New Mexico, the Aggies turned around and defeated the Lobos in a second go-round by a score of 77-70 and are coming off recent wins over traditional mid-major powers UTEP and Pepperdine
NM State paces the WAC in and is among the Top 100 teams nationally in turnovers forced per game (22.0 – 20^th), turnover margin (+5.8, 35^th), steals per game (11.1, 40^th), scoring offense (72.8, 73^rd), assists per game (15.5, 87^th), three-point percentage defense (27.9, 67^th), rebounds per game (41.3, 99^th) and free throws made (141, 47^th). The Aggies also top the league in field goal percentage defense (37.8, 123^rd nation), scoring margin (+8.6, 101^st), assist/turnover ratio (0.96, 101^st) and turnovers per game (16.2, 153^rd)
Brooke Salas (12.9), Tamera William (12.6), Moriah Mack (10.8), Brianna Freeman (9.1) and Tyesha Taylor (8.9) pace the Aggie attack on offense. Zaire Williams directs the offense with her 5.4 assists per game average which leads the WAC and ranks 38^th nationally
Taylor (1.3, 4^th WAC) and Freeman (1.0, 6^th WAC) are consistent shot blockers along the interior
William gets to the line early and often as she leads the WAC and is among the national leaders in free throws made (60, 5^th nation), attempted (69, 14^th) and percentage (87.0, 53^rd)
William (3.0, 26^th nation), Salas (2.3, 109^th) and Mack (1.9, 211^th) are all producing on the defensive end of the floor in terms of steals per game

JOHNSON JOINIING THE FRAY
Brittany Johnson enjoyed a career game as she pumped in a career and game high 16 points (6-10 FG, 2-3 3FG) to go along with six rebounds and a season high three steals in 19 minutes in an 82-59 win at Hartford (12/10). Johnson's third double digit scoring output of the season was good enough for a career-best – surpassing her 14-point total in the 2016-17 season opening win over Florida Gulf Coast on Nov. 11. Now in her third season, Johnson's scoring is a key indicator to the Bobcats' success as Quinnipiac owns a mark of 6-1 in games in which she hits double figures in scoring. Her scoring has also improved significantly this season as she has three 10+ point outings through nine games in 2016-17 compared to just four double digit games through 53 contests in her freshman and sophomore seasons.

HITTING THEIR MARKS
After struggling shooting a season-low 27.9 percent (17-61 FG) from the floor in a 71-54 home loss to national power Michigan State, the Bobcats responded in a big way hitting on a season-high 50.9 percent of their attempts from the floor (29-57 FG) in a 82-59 road win over Hartford. The three-point line was a big key to success as Quinnipiac finished a season-best 47.1 percent (8-17 3FG) from behind the arc in the win. That win saw the Bobcats shoot over 50 percent for the first time all season and over 40 percent from three for just the second time in 2016-17.

RECALIBRATING ON THE INSIDE
Relying heavily on the three-point shot against MSU (31 three-point attempts compared to 61 total field goal attempts), the Bobcats reestablished themselves along the interior as Quinnipiac outscored Hartford 38-16 on points in the paint for the game. The offensive success from down low translated in the rebounding department as Quinnipiac owned a +7 advantage on the boards (40-33), tied for the second-highest rebounding margin for the Bobcats in a single-game this season.

TONS OF TOOLS IN HER ARSENAL
Aryn McClure has been an all-around force this season as she owns averages of 7.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.8 blocks in 23.3 minutes per game. Out of the 11 schools in the MAAC, McClure is the only player in the league to lead her team in minutes (210), rebounds (66), steals (16) and blocks (16). She is coming off an outing against Hartford where she filled up the box score with seven points, five rebounds, five assists, three blocks and two steals in just 20 minutes.

MARTUCCI MAKING IT HAPPEN
Adily Martucci brought one of her best games to the table against Michigan State as the redshirt senior matched her career high with 20 points in just 23 minutes against the national power Spartans. A player known to step up her game against the Bobcats' toughest competition, Martucci spot 6-of-13 overall, 3-of-8 from deep and 5-of-6 from the charity stripe on her way to a season high performance. She also stepped up last season, posting 20 points (8-16 FG) for the first time in her career in an overtime loss at mid-major power Florida Gulf Coast.

SHE GOT GAME
Jen Fay continues to dominate on the offensive end for the Bobcats as she tallied a game high 19 points on 7-for-10 shooting and 3-of-5 from deep in a 73-47 win over Siena. After scoring 10+ points just once in her freshman season, Fay has notched a team-leading five double digit outings for the Bobcats. In those five games, Fay is averaging 15.2 points per game while shooting a blistering 60.4 percent (29-48 FG) overall, 45.5 percent (10-22 3FG) from behind the arc and 88.9 percent (8-9 FT) from the charity stripe.

FORCING THE ISSUE
The Bobcat defense pitched a stellar defensive outing against Siena as the Saints were forced into 34 turnovers while Quinnipiac came up with 20 steals in the winning effort. The 34 forced turnovers for Quinnipiac are the second-most by a Bobcat opponent in a single-game in the Bobcats' Div. I program history (since 1998-99) – Quinnipiac forced Manhattan into 35 turnovers last season on Dec. 6, 2015.

TOP SPOT IN THE MAAC
Through nine games this season, Quinnipiac holds the lead in eight different statistical categories while the Bobcats are ranked no worse than third out of 11 MAAC teams in 15 out of 21 major team statistics. Quinnipiac leads the MAAC in scoring offense (71.6), scoring margin (+12.8), field goal percentage defense (35.4), three-point percentage defense (24.2), assists (18.2), steals (12.2), turnover margin (+6.44) and assist/turnover ratio (1.14).

FRESHMAN FITS RIGHT IN
Ever since moving into a major role in the rotation, freshman Vanessa Udoji has responded with a pair of impressive outings in wins over Saint Peter's and Siena. In those two games, Udoji averaged 14.5 PPG as she pumped in a team-leading 16 points against the Peacocks and followed with 13 against the Saints. Udoji shot 62.5 percent (10-16 FG) from the floor while adding five rebounds per contest in just 21.5 minutes per game. Her production on the defensive end has also been stellar as she tied for the team-lead with seven steals including a single-game high mark (five) against Siena that stands as the most for any Bobcat in a game this season. Prior to the uptick, Udoji had appeared in just nine total minutes in the first five games of the season (three DNP's) with two points scored.

POINTS ALL AROUND
Five Bobcats – Vanessa Udoji 16, Adily Martucci 13, Paige Warfel 11, Jen Fay 10 and Paula Strautmane 10 – hit double figures in the box score in a dominating 84-51 road win over Saint Peter's. This marked the first time since a road win over Rider back on Feb. 26, 2015 (44 games ago) that five Bobcats finished with at least 10 points in the same game.

SHE'S A THORN-TON IN THEIR SIDE
Edel Thornton posted one of the best games of her young career in an 84-51 road win at Saint Peter's as she tallied five points to go along with her seven assists against no turnovers in 17 minutes. Thornton's seven-assist outing is good enough for a career high as well as the most assists for any Bobcat in a game this season. In fact, Thornton dished out the most assists in a single-game without a turnover since the program's all-time assist leader Gillian Abshire posted 11 assists and no turnovers in a home win over Iona on Feb. 9, 2015 (50 games ago).

HAVE A DAY JEN FAY
Temple's hot shooting spoiled what was the best game of redshirt sophomore Jen Fay's young caree as she finished with a career and game high 26 points on 10-of-13 shooting, 3-of-5 from three and 3-for-3 at the free throw line. Fay added six rebounds and two steals in just 25 minutes of action as she easily surpassed her previous career-best total of 11. Her 26 points also represents the highest single-game point total by a Bobcat since Samantha Guastella went for 28 in a home win over Siena on Dec. 5, 2014 (66 games ago).

STREAK BUSTED
Quinnipiac has enjoyed a great deal of success over the past three seasons when building a first half lead. After starting 2016-17 with a mark of 2-0 when owning a halftime lead, the Bobcats recently saw one of their most impressive streaks in program history come to an end in a 71-68 loss at Temple. Quinnipiac's three-point loss signaled the first time the Bobcats had lost a game in which they held a halftime lead since the 2014 MAAC Championship game against Marist. The undefeated streak, which lasted over the course of three seasons, came to an end at 45 straight wins for the Bobcats when holding a halftime lead. Quinnipiac went undefeated in both 2014-15 (24-0) and 2015-16 (19-0) and for the first two games of 2016-17 before suffering the defeat. They now stand with a mark of 48-1 (.980) since the start of 2014-15 in games in which the Bobcats lead at the half.

VOTERS TAKING NOTICE
Voters are taking notice of Quinnipiac and their 6-2 start to 2016-17 as the Bobcats earned the No. 6 ranking in the College Insider Mid-Major Poll on Tuesday. The Top 10 ranking comes just three weeks following the program's highest-ranking in the College Insider Poll at No. 4. Overall, the Bobcats enter their fifth straight week ranked in the Top 10 after being ranked in the Top 5 for four straight weeks.

SHOOTER'S TOUCH
Even with the 7-2 start, Quinnipiac struggled to find their shot in the first two games of the season as the Bobcats started the season just 36 percent (45-125 FG) from the floor and 26.8 percent (11-41 3FG) from three for 64.5 points per game. Those numbers have improved considerably in the last seven games as the Bobcats have since shot 40.1 percent (187-466 FG) overall and 31.2 percent (58-186 3FG) from deep on their way to 73.6 PPG as a team.

FLIPPING THE SCRIPT
One of the most telling statistical trends all season for the Bobcats has been in the turnover department as Quinnipiac owns a +58 advantage (+6.5 per game; 23^rd in the nation) in turnover margin through nine games in 2016-17. The Bobcats have turned the ball over just 144 times while forcing the opposition into 202 turnovers (22.4 per game) which ranks 15^th in the nation. Temple and Michigan State are the only opponents of nine to have committed less than 20 turnovers in a single-game against the Bobcats. The pressure-packed team defensive approach has translated directly into points as the Bobcats have outscored their nine opponents 203-134 (+69) in points-off-turnovers for a per-game average of 22.6 compared to 14.9 for the opposition.

THAT 70+ SHOW
Since the 2007-08 season, Quinnipiac is 122-15 (.890) in games wherein the Bobcats score 70 or more points, including a 13-1 mark in 2015-16 and 42-2 combined since 2014-15. During 2012-13 (18-0) and 2010-11 (8-0), the Bobcats rolled to undefeated records in each respective season when reaching the scoring plateau.

Quinnipiac's Record in Games Scoring 70+ Points Since 2007-08
Season                                                                 Record
2016-17 5-0
2015-16                                                                 13-1
2014-15                                                                 28-1
2013-14                                                                 14-6
2012-13                                                                 18-0
2011-12                                                                 9-3
2010-11                                                                 8-0
2009-10                                                                 5-2
2008-09                                                                 11-1
2007-08                                                                 11-1
Total (10 Seasons)                                                122-15 (.891)

BOY CAN THE BOBCATS PROTECT THE BALL
Even after the graduation of the program's all-time assists leader Gillian Abshire in 2015, Quinnipiac has prolonged their supreme proficiency with the ball. The Bobcats predicate smart passes and protecting the ball on offense and the stats certainly reflect that trend as Quinnipiac has produced a conference-leading assist/turnover ratio in four of the last five seasons while ranking Top 50 in the nation three times. Through nine games in 2016-17, the pattern is already showing through as the Bobcats lead the MAAC and rank 44^th in the nation in assist/turnover ratio (1.13).

Assist/Turnover Ratio Last Five Seasons
Season	Games	W-L	Ast	APG	TO	TPG	A/TO	NCAA Rank	Conf Rank
2012-13	33	30-3	557	16.9	477	14.5	1.17	10th	1st (NEC)
2013-14	34	21-13	554	16.3	446	13.1	1.24	20th	2nd (MAAC)
2014-15	35	31-4	685	19.6	465	13.3	1.47	5th	1st (MAAC)
2015-16	34	25-9	523	15.4	507	14.9	1.03	51st	2nd (MAAC)
2016-17	9	7-2	164	18.2	144	16.0	1.14	44th	1st (MAAC)
Total	145	114-31	2483	17.1	2039	14.1	1.22

RETURN OF THE GOLD RUSH
Injuries forced Quinnipiac out of their rotation but now back at full strength, Quinnipiac has utilized their "Gold Rush" subbing strategy to the fullest extent. In this approach first developed in the team's 30-3 season in 2012-13, Quinnipiac chooses to sub five players in-and-out of the game at a time throughout entire 40-minute contests. Since making the move back to the traditional approach, Quinnipiac is averaging 73.6 PPG while shooting 40.1 percent, dishing out 19 assists per game and totaling 13.9 steals per contest. Of the 10 consistent "Gold Rush" players, only one is averaging more than 22 MPG (Aryn McClure 22.1 MPG) while eight Bobcats are averaging at least 5.0 PPG. On the defensive end, Quinnipiac is holding opponents to just 59 PPG, 35.4 percent shooting, 25.4 percent from deep and just 79 assists to 160 turnovers for a miniscule 0.49 assist/turnover ratio.

MORGAN MAKING IT HAPPEN
Morgan Manz has taken a leading role this season for the first time in her career as she ranks third on the team in scoring at 8.8 PPG. She paved the way with 16 points while shooting an impressive 6-of-9 overall and 3-for-5 from three-point range in a 78-55 road victory over Holy Cross (11/16). Coming into the Bobcats' 63-60 road win over Dayton where she posted a game-high 19 points, Manz owned a career-best point total of 15 and bested that mark in consecutive games.

BIG MAAC AWARD
Aryn McClure started the season taking home the league's first MAAC Player of the Week honor of 2016-17 as well as the first of her career. She also took home College Sports Madness' MAAC Player of the Week award, sweeping the week in what was a masterful performance from McClure over the 2-0 week. McClure started with her fifth career double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds to go along with four assists and a career high five blocks in the win over FGCU. She followed that up with 12 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two blocks in the comeback win over Dayton, netting 11 of her 12 points in the second half.

WHAT A WIN!
Trailing 17 points with 14:30 remaining, the Bobcats gutted out the largest comeback in the program's Division I history as Quinnipiac came-from-behind to defeat fellow mid-major power Dayton, 63-60, in Ohio on Sunday, Nov. 13. The 17-point Quinnipiac comeback sets a new Div. I record, one better than a 16-point margin overcome in a 68-61 overtime win over Robert Morris back on Feb. 19, 2000.

TURNAROUND FOR THE AGES
Playing in front of a ravenous home fanbase of nearly 2,000 strong cheering for a Dayton team just two seasons removed from a run into the 2015 Elite Eight, the Bobcats were all but out of it trailing 46-29 with 4:30 left in the third quarter. After shooting a paltry 11-for-41 (26.8 percent) overall up to the 4:30 mark of the third quarter, Quinnipiac was nothing short of incredible for the final 14:30 of play. Led by the senior tandem of Morgan Manz and Adily Martucci, the Bobcats finished 13-of-26 (50 percent) in what amounted to a 20-point swing (34-14 run) to end the game.

SPLASH ZONE
The lynchpin behind the victory over Dayton was a career game from Morgan Manz as she posted a monster total going for a career high 19 points (7-15 FG, 3-9 3FG) in a career best 31 minutes which included a decisive bucket in the waning minutes to help seal the win. Eight of her game-high 19 points came in the fourth quarter including a pair of three-pointers and the huge jumper that put the Bobcats up three with 21 seconds to go.

RESUME BOOSTER
Quinnipiac opened 2016-17 with two of their most impressive wins in program history. Starting with a 66-56 win over perennial mid-major power Florida Gulf Coast, the Bobcats' 63-60 road win over Dayton comes against a Flyer team that had won six consecutive Atlantic-10 Championships from 2010-15. Between the Bobcats' first two opponents, Quinnipiac defeated a pair of teams that have combined for 453 wins (FGCU: 246-52; Dayton: 207-82), 50.3 wins per season (FGCU: 27.3; Dayton: 23), 77.1 winning percentage, 10 conference titles and five NCAA Tournament victories in the last nine seasons (since 2007-08).

MISSION COMPLETE
After a pair of thrilling meetings in the two seasons prior, the Bobcats finally broke through against Florida Gulf Coast as Quinnipiac dominated defensively in a 66-56 season-opening win at home over the fellow mid-major power. In a matchup pitting two programs ranked in the College Insider Mid-Major Poll, then-No. 13 Quinnipiac put on a defensive clinic in holding then-No. 7 FGCU to just 20-of-61 shooting from the floor and 12 percent (3-25 3FG) from three. Quinnipiac's defensive outing from the three-point line is commendable considering FGCU ranked sixth in the nation with 9.3 made three-pointers per game in 2015-16.

HOME LOVIN
The TD Bank Sports Center, home of the Quinnipiac Bobcats, has long been one of the most difficult arenas to play at in the country. Since the 2012-13 season, Quinnipiac owns a record of 55-7 (.887) in games played at home. In just the last three seasons (since 2014-15), Quinnipiac owns a mark of 30-3 (.909). That mark easily ranks as the best in the MAAC while it also places them tied for the 17th-best home win percentage in the nation over the last three seasons. The Bobcats' 14-0 mark at home in 2014-15 made them one of just 14 teams in the nation to finish with an undefeated home record.

BIG MOVERS IN THE MAAC
Since joining the MAAC in 2013-14, Quinnipiac has reeled off a record of 60-11 (.845) in all games against MAAC opponents and 53-9 (.855) in regular season MAAC games, both records that currently lead all teams in the MAAC. The Bobcats surpassed longtime conference power Marist who owns a mark of 54-16 (.771) against conference foes over the last three seasons and stand 48-14 (.774) in regular season MAAC play.

THE 2015-16 REGULAR SEASON
Quinnipiac finished 22-7 overall and 17-3 in league play to earn the 2015-16 MAAC Regular Season Championship and the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament. Quinnipiac clinched its second straight MAAC Regular Season title with a win over Iona in a winner-take-all regular season finale. The regular season title was the Bobcats' third in the four years dating back to the 2012-13 campaign where Quinnipiac was crowned the NEC Regular Season Champions. The Bobcats became just the second MAAC team, joining Marist in 2004-05, to start their conference schedule with three losses and win the remainder of their games to take home the MAAC Regular Season title outright. Quinnipiac entered the MAAC Tournament winners of 17 straight games which was the sixth-longest streak in the nation.

HIGH-POWERED OFFENSIVE ATTACK
Quinnipiac's coaching staff has long preached an up-tempo offensive system and the stats certainly reflect its success as the Bobcats have led their respective conference in scoring offense and assists in four of the last five seasons. Starting in the final two years of the Northeast Conference, Quinnipiac averaged an NEC-leading 67.9 points per game in 2011-12 and 70.5 PPG in 2012-13. That success carried over since joining the MAAC as the Bobcats ranked second in the league at 73.4 PPG in 2013-14 before leading the way again in 2014-15 with a league-record 78.5 PPG as well as 67.5 PPG in 2015-16. Over the last five seasons, Quinnipiac's cumulative scoring average is 71.6 PPG while the team dishes out 16.6 assists per game across the 168-game span.

Scoring Offense Last Five Seasons
Season	Games	W-L	Pts	PPG	Ast	APG
2011-12	32	22-10	2173	67.9	470	14.7
2012-13	33	30-3	2327	70.5	557	16.9
2013-14	34	21-13	2494	73.4	554	16.3
2014-15	35	31-4	2749	78.5	685	19.6
2015-16	34	25-9	2294	67.4	523	15.4
Total	168	129-39	12,037	71.6	2789	16.6

Schedule

QU Women's Basketball Opens Play4Kay Shootout With New Mexico State on Monday

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Players Mentioned

Jen Fay

Brittany Johnson

Morgan Manz

Adily Martucci

Aryn McClure

Paula Strautmane

Edel Thornton

Vanessa Udoji

Paige Warfel

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QU Women's Basketball Opens Play4Kay Shootout With New Mexico State on Monday

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Jen Fay

Brittany Johnson

Morgan Manz

Adily Martucci

Aryn McClure

Paula Strautmane

Edel Thornton

Vanessa Udoji

Paige Warfel

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