Friday, December 1
Richmond, VA / Robins Center
7:00 PM
Quinnipiac University
at
Richmond
QU Women's Basketball Set to Face Richmond on the Road Friday at 7 PM
11/30/2017 4:22:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Bobcats Look to Earn First Road Win on Friday
Friday, Dec. 1, 2017 | 7 PM (ET) | Robins Center, Richmond, Virginia | SpiderTV
QUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY BOBCATS (2-3) at UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND SPIDERS (5-4)
Watch It Live: SpiderTV
Follow Live Stats: Richmondspiders.com
Listen Live: AM 1220 WQUN
Updates: @QU_WBB
Game Notes: Quinnipiac
All-Time Series vs. Richmond: Richmond leads 1-0
Current Streak: Richmond – 1 straight
Last Meeting: Richmond 87-50 (1999-2000 at LaSalle's Tournament in Philadelphia)
RICHMOND, Virginia – The Quinnipiac women's basketball team will look to win its third-straight contest and pick up its first true road win of the 2017-18 season when the Bobcats take on the University of Richmond Spiders on Friday, Dec. 1, at the Robins Center at 7 p.m.
LAST GAME (QUINNIPIAC 72, DAYTON 66)
Senior forward Sarah Shewan (Russell, Ontario) tied her career-high in points with 24 and pulled in 13 rebounds as the Quinnipiac women's basketball team edged reigning Atlantic-10 champion Dayton, 72-66 on Tuesday evening at the TD Bank Sports Center. The win was Quinnipiac's second in a row as the Bobcats close a short two-game homestand and get ready to hit the road to take on the University of Richmond and Hampton University on the road this weekend. Sophomore Vanessa Udoji (Randolph, Massachusetts) tied her season-high with 14 points and redshirt-junior Jen Fay (Lynbrook, New York) grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds in the win. The last time the Bobcats led in a contest from start to finish was in the upset win against No. 5 seeded Marquette in Quinnipiac's 68-65 victory over the Golden Eagles in the First Round of last season's NCAA Tournament.
OUT OF THE STARTING BLOCKS
Senior forward Sarah Shewan made her first start of the season on Tuesday against Dayton, filling in for injured Aryn McClure, and responded with one of the best games of her career. Shewan finished with 24 points and 13 rebounds in the 72-66 win, including 10 points and eight rebounds in the first quarter alone, when she had 10 of Quinnipiac's 17 points as the Bobcats led 17-11. The 24 points tied her career high, while the 13 rebounds was one shy of her personal best.
UDOJI ENTERING THE FRAY
Taking a big leap from her freshman year production, sophomore Vanessa Udoji has been one of the breakout players for the Bobcats as she comes in with 48 points (9.6 per game) through the first five games of 2017-18, good enough for third-most on the team. Already armed with three double-digit point outings this season (12 at Iowa, 14 vs Northern Colo.), Udoji led the team in scoring for just the second time in her career going for 14 (12 in the second half) in the home win over Northern Colorado (11/22). She also had 12 of her 14 points in the second half again in Tuesday's win over Dayton.
FILLING THE STAT SHEET
Leading the Bobcat offense in the early going, redshirt-junior Jen Fay has contributed in many ways. After tossing in a game-high 23 points (8-13 FG, 4-6 3FG) to go along with six rebounds in the season-opener at Iowa (11/10), Fay went for 15 points (5-12 FG, 4-10 3FG) with nine rebounds at No. 9/8 Ohio State (11/17). Her production against high-major foes has continued to shine throughout her career, averaging 8.9 points per game (98 total points in 11 games) on 43.4 FG% (36-83 FG) and 36.1 3FG% (13-36 3FG) with 3.9 RPG and 1.2 SPG. Fay has hit double figures in four of the last six games Quinnipiac has played against high-major competition while reaching the 20-point mark in two of those games. She had an off day shooting against Dayton on Tuesday (2-11), but finished with a strong overall line of seven points, 14 rebounds, six assists and no turnovers. The 14 rebounds set a new career high, breaking her old mark of 10 rebounds set four times, while the six assists tied a career high as well.
GIVING IT HER ALL
Contributing across the board in many stat categories, junior Aryn McClure shined in the matchup at No. 9/8 Ohio State (11/17) as she went for 15 points (6-16 FG) with six rebounds (three offensive), four assists, two blocks, one steal and no turnovers in 31 minutes of play. This marked the third such time in her career wherein McClure finished with double figure point totals to go along with at least four rebounds, three assists and one block against a high-major foe. McClure put up similar numbers last season in the NCAA Tournament in wins against Marquette (11 points, six rebounds, four assists, two blocks) and at Miami (15 points, four rebounds, three assists, one block). McClure missed the Dayton game with an injury.
LEADING THE HERD
Spending a large portion of her rookie season on the bench, sophomore Taylor Herd has cracked the lineup in the early portions of the new season and broke through with a career high 10 points (3-7 FG, 2-4 3FG) in 13 minutes at nationally-ranked Ohio State (11/17). After scoring nine points in 13 games last season, Herd eclipsed her entire career scoring output in one game as she went for 10 points including eight in the first half. Herd hit on two of her four three-point attempts,scoring from the three-point line for the first time in her career as she came in 0-for-4 in her first 15 career games.
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 66-7 (.904) in games played at home. In just the last three seasons (since 2014-15), Quinnipiac owns a mark of 41-3 (.932). That mark easily ranks as the best in the MAAC while it also places them in a tie with Maryland and Florida Gulf Coast for the eighth-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.
2016-17 SEASON REVIEW NOTES
2017 NCAA TOURNAMENT NOTEABLES
- Quinnipiac became the fourth No. 12 seed in NCAA Div. I women's basketball history to advance to the Sweet 16, joining BYU in 2014, Kansas in 2013 and San Francisco in 1996
- In addition, Quinnipiac became the fourth team in history to defeat a No. 4 and No. 5 seed to advance to the Sweet 16
- The Bobcats hit 15 three-pointers, finishing just one shy of matching a single-game program record, in an 85-78 upset at then-No. 16 ranked Miami in the NCAA Second Round
- Quinnipiac's 15 triples stands as the third-most in NCAA Second Round history
- Quinnipiac defeated the No. 16 nationally-ranked Miami Hurricanes, marking the first time Quinnipiac has defeated an ACC program and the second straight NCAA Tournament win over a ranked opponent after coming in with an all-time mark of 0-9 against ranked foes
- Quinnipiac advanced into the Sweet 16 as the lowest-seeded team remaining in the field at the time, while standing as one of just two double digit seeds (No. 10 Oregon) who advanced past the NCAA Second Round
- The Bobcats also carried the flag as the lone mid-major program to advance two rounds in the 2017 NCAA Tournament as well as the lowest-seed in both the men's and women's brackets to make the Sweet 16 round
- The Bobcats became the first female sports program at Quinnipiac to win an NCAA Tournament game
- Quinnipiac University now has three athletic programs win at least one game in the NCAA Tournament (women'sbasketball, men's ice hockey and men's lacrosse)
- Quinnipiac became the 23rd team in the history of the NCAA Tournament to win as a No. 12 seed in a No. 5 vs. No. 12 NCAA First Round matchup
- Quinnipiac defeated a Marquette squad that earned the No. 25 ranking in the most-recent USA Today Coaches' Poll, marking the first time in program history the Bobcats have defeated a nationally-ranked opponent
- The win marked the first time a Quinnipiac basketball program (women's or men's) has won a game over a nationally-ranked foe
2016-17 SEASON-IN-REVIEW
- At season's end, Quinnipiac achieved two more program-firsts as Quinnipiac earned the No. 23 ranking in the USA Today Coaches' Poll to earn a national-ranking for the first time in program history
- In addition, Quinnipiac was voted the top mid-major program in the nation in the College Insider Mid-Major Poll, marking the first time the program has earned the No. 1 ranking in the mid-major ranking poll
- The Bobcats finished 29-7 overall and 17-3 in league play to complete their sixth straight 20-win season while advancing to a fifth straight appearance in the conference championship game, sixth straight trip to a national postseason tournament and earning a third straight MAAC Regular Season title
- Quinnipiac clinched its third straight MAAC Regular Season title, winning seven straight games down the stretch of regularseason play to edge out Rider (16-4 MAAC) for the top spot in the standings
- The regular season title is the Bobcats' fourth in the last five years dating back to the 2012-13 campaign where Quinnipiac was crowned the NEC Regular Season Champion
- The Bobcats joined a list of 12 programs across the nation to have won at least three straight conference regular season titles while Quinnipiac has dominated the MAAC with a mark of 54-6 (.900) in league games since 2014-15
- Early last season, Quinnipiac clinched their sixth straight 20-win season, an accomplishment only 26 teams in the nation can boast heading into 2017-18
LEADER OF THE PACK
Head coach Tricia Fabbri enters her 23rd season leading the Bobcats in 2017-18, as the four-time Coach of the Year (twice in four MAAC seasons) and all-time winningest coach in program history comes into the new campaign with 379 career victories. Engineering a program that ranks 10th in the nation in total wins (134) over the last four seasons, Fabbri's Bobcats have reached the 20-win plateau in six straight seasons, won three conference titles in the last five seasons and earned three consecutive MAAC Regular Season titles.
PRESEASON POY
Junior wing Aryn McClure became the first Bobcat in program history to be named the MAAC Preseason Player of the Year while she also earned a spot on the 2017-18 Preseason All-MAAC Third Team. Already a two-time All-MAAC performer, McClure enters her third year armed with impressive all-around career totals including 618 points, 441 rebounds, 172 assists, 109 blocks (8th all-time at Quinnipiac) and 93 steals through 70 games. McClure has led the Bobcats in rebounding each of her first two seasons while she led the team in both rebounds and assists last season. She is on-pace to become the program'sall-time Div. I record holder in career blocks while she has a chance to join a select list that includes only two others in the Bobcats' Div. I era to finish their respective careers with 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds.
ARYN McCLURE 2016-17 NOTES
- Only player in the MAAC to lead her respective team in rebounds (210), assists (103) and blocks (55)
- Finished the season with 17 double digit scoring games, two 20-plus point outings and two double-doubles
- Played the game of her life in the MAAC Championship, netting a career high 28 points (8-12 FG, 12-14 FT) to lead the Bobcats past Rider for the conference title
- Her 28 points in the title game stands as the second-most points scored by a Bobcat in a postseason game in program history
- Her 12 free throw makes in the MAAC Championship also stands as the most made free throws by a Bobcat in a single-game in over two seasons
- Averaged 14.7 points (52.0 FG%) and 4.7 rebounds in conference postseason play to earn a spot on the MAAC's All-Tournament Team
- In three NCAA Tournament games, McClure averaged 11.7 points (56.0 FG%, 70.0 FT%), 4.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 30.7 minutes per game against three nationally-ranked teams
- Started the magical NCAA Tournament run with 11 points (5-9 FG), six rebounds, four assists and two blocks in a win over Marquette (3/18)
- Followed with another terrific outing in which she scored 15 points (5-8 FG, 5-6 FT) with four rebounds and three assists in a win at Miami (3/20)
- Completed the run with nine points (4-8 FG), three rebounds and six assists in the NCAA Sweet 16 against South Carolina (3/25)
PUTTING IN A GOOD FAY'S WORK
Joining McClure on the 2017-18 Preseason All-MAAC First Team is forward Jen Fay, as the redshirt junior is coming off a breakout showing in the NCAA Tournament. Fay's return to the court in 2016-17 after a missed 2015-16 season (season-ending ACL injury over the summer of 2015) provided a huge boost to the Bobcats as she ranked first on the team in scoring (10.5 PPG). Fay led the Bobcats in both shooting categories, posting a team-leading 47.5 percent (134-282 FG) from the floor and 38.3 percent (44-115 3FG) from three, as she was the only player in the MAAC to lead her respective team in both stat categories.
JEN FAY 2016-17 NOTES
- 2017 MAAC All-Tournament Team
- 2016-17 All-MAAC Third Team
- Led the team in scoring averaging 10.5 points while also leading the team in field goal (47.5) and three-point percentage (38.3)
- Added 4.4 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.1 assists in 20.5 minutes per game
- Ranked 22nd in the MAAC in scoring, fourth in field goal percentage and fourth in three-point percentage
- Finished second on the team with 44 three-point makes on the season
- After scoring 10 points just once in her rookie season, Fay recorded 18 double digit point outings in 2016-17
- Posted a team-leading 10.9 PPG (47.2 FG%, 37.9 3FG%, 73.1 FT%) across 20 MAAC games while adding 4.9 RPG, 1.4 SPG and 1.1 APG in 21.1 MPG
- Named to the MAAC All-Tournament Team as she averaged 10.0 PPG (43.5 FG%, 54.5 3FG%) with 6.0 RPG in 22.0 MPG as she helped lead the Bobcats to a conference title
- Broke out in a big way in the NCAA Tournament, averaging 13.7 PPG (48.5 FG%) to lead the team to go along with 3.0 RPG and 2.0 SPG in 22.0 MPG
- Was dynamic in the NCAA First Round as she posted 20 points (third-highest scoring total by a Bobcat in an NCAA Tournament game in program history) on 9-for-16 shooting to go along with four steals in a win over Marquette (3/18)
- Followed with nine points, three rebounds and two steals in a road win over Miami (3/20) in the NCAA Second Round
- Tied for the team-lead with 12 points (4-9 FG) while adding four rebounds in the NCAA Sweet 16 against South Carolina (3/25)
PAULA = PIVOTAL PLAYER
The play of Paula Strautmane was one of the biggest indicators to the Bobcats' team success last season. In the 29 games the Bobcats won in 2016-17, Strautmane averaged 9.3 PPG (44.4 FG%), 5.8 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.8 SPG and 1.6 BPG in 20.6 MPG. Compare those stats to Strautmane's averages in the seven Bobcat losses, 3.9 PPG (19.0 FG%, 66.7 FT%), 4.3 RPG, 1.1 APG, 0.6 SPG and 0.3 BPG, and the difference is clear. Strautmane reached double figures 14 times last season and the Bobcats went 13-1 (.929) in those contests.
PAULA STRAUTMANE 2016-17 NOTES
- Played in 34 games (22 starts)
- Averaged 8.1 points (39.2 FG%, 73.0 FT%), 5.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.3 blocks and 1.5 steals in 20.1 minutes per game
- Ranked 20th in the MAAC in rebounding, tied for 10th in steals, fifth in blocks and tied for sixth in offensive rebounding
- Finished the season with 15 double digit scoring games and a team-leading three double-doubles
- Bobcats were 14-1 (.933) in the 15 games in which she recorded 10 points
- In the 29 games the Bobcats won, Strautmane averaged 9.3 PPG (44.4 FG%), 5.8 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.8 SPG and 1.6 BPG in 20.6 MPG compared to her averages in the seven Bobcat losses, 3.9 PPG (19.0 FG%, 66.7 FT%), 4.3 RPG, 1.1 APG, 0.6 SPG and 0.3 BPG
- No player on the team scored more points on-average in wins compared to losses ( 5.4 PPG)
- Played her best in the NCAA Tournament where she averaged 10.0 PPG (47.8 FG%, 87.5 FT%), 5.3 RPG, 3.3 APG and 1.0SPG in 24.3 MPG
- Was instrumental in NCAA Tournament wins over Marquette (3/18) and at Miami (3/20) as she posted 15 points (5-6 FG, 5-6 FT), three rebounds and two assists in the First Round win over the Golden Eagles, followed by a huge double-double that included 11 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists and two steals in 35 minutes in the Second Round victory over the Hurricanes
POST PRESENCE
The player with the highest career scoring total heading into in 2017-18, senior Sarah Shewan enters her final season with 695 points to go along with 413 rebounds in 104 games. Shewan turned herself into a consistent presence towards the end of theseason as she averaged 7.3 PPG (51.2 FG%, 44.4 3FG%) and 5.0 RPG in 20.7 MPG across three NCAA Tournament games.She grabbed at least five rebounds in seven of the final eight games of the season while she made two three-pointers in back-to-back NCAA Tournament games against Miami and South Carolina.
SARAH SHEWAN 2016-17 NOTES
- Played in all 36 games (11 starts)
- Averaged 7.4 points (35.3 FG%, 30.3 3FG%, 75.0 FG%), 4.9 rebounds and 0.9 assists in 18.6 minutes per game
- Recorded 10 double digit scoring games on the season with one 20-point outing and two double-doubles
- Improved her play considerably down the stretch, averaging 9.1 points and 6.5 rebounds while shooting 40.6 percent from the floor in the final 13 games of the season
- In three MAAC Tournament games she posted 7.0 PPG, 7.0 RPG and 1.3 BPG while seeing 23.7 MPG
- Was again solid in the NCAA Tournament as she averaged 7.3 PPG (51.2 FG%, 44.4 3FG%) and 5.0 RPG in 20.7 MPG
- Came up with 11 points, six rebounds and two blocks in the NCAA Second Round win at Miami (3/20)
CARLY FABBRI 2016-17 NOTES
- 2017 MAAC All-Tournament Team
- Played in all 36 games (13 starts) and averaged 5.4 points (37 FG%, 36.8 3FG%, 70.6 FT%) with 2.6 assists, 2.2 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 21.7 minutes per game
- Made 39 three-pointers on the season (third on the team), was second on the team with 93 assists and finished sixth in the MAAC in three-point percentage (36.8)
- Struggled in the first 10 games of 2016-17 (2.6 PPG, 4-23 3FG) before finishing with 6.5 PPG average in final 26 games of the season while shooting 35-for-83 (42.2 3FG%) from three-point range
- Recorded a 2.18 assist/turnover ratio (93 assists, 43 turnovers) while serving as the Bobcats' primary point guard
- Named to the MAAC's All-Tournament Team after averaging 11 PPG (45 FG%, 42.9 3FG%, 64.3 FT%) with 3.0 APG, 3.0 RPG and 1.0 SPG in 27.3 MPG in three postseason contests
- Tallied back-to-back season high point totals in MAAC quarterfinal and semifinal round with 13 vs. Canisius and 14 vs. Iona
- Scored eight points with two three-pointers in the NCAA First Round win over Marquette (3/18)
- Followed with eight points, four assists and no turnovers in a season high 31 minutes to help defeat Miami (3/20) on the road in the NCAA Second Round
NEWLY ADDED TO THE MIX
The graduation of key contributors Adily Martucci and Morgan Manz fills a couple holes in the rotation that shapes up to be filled by several contributors who showed flashes last season. Juniors Edel Thornton and Brittany Martin look to carve out larger roles in the Bobcat backcourt while sophomores Vanessa Udoji, Paige Warfel, Jaden Ward, Taylor Herd and Katie Grant all expect to see an up-tick in minutes from the start of the season. Freshmen Danelle Bradley and Chiara Bacchini add more depth and look to crack what figures to be a deep rotation that'll go 10-12 players in any game.
ANOTHER NATIONAL POSTSEASON APPEARANCE
Quinnipiac's third trip to the NCAA Tournament marked the sixth straight national postseason appearance for the Bobcats and the seventh in program history. The Bobcats earned its first national postseason appearance with a trip to Iona in the 2008 WNIT Tournament and then made a second WNIT Tournament appearance in 2012 against Temple. The first NCAA Tournament berth came in with the NEC Championship victory in 2013 as the Bobcats advanced as a No. 13 seed to play at No. 4 Maryland. Quinnipiac also took home the 2015 MAAC Championship, claiming a No. 12 seed and facing No. 5 Oklahoma in a game played in Palo Alto, California (home of Stanford). In the 2014 and 2016 postseason, the Bobcats advanced to the WNIT with history being made in 2016 when Quinnipiac defeated Maine, 90-44, claiming the program'sfirst-ever victory in a national postseason tournament.
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Bobcats littered the MAAC's All-Tournament Team as Aryn McClure (14.7 PPG, 52 FG%, 4.7 RPG), Carly Fabbri (11.0 PPG, 42.9 3FG%, 3.0 APG, 3.0 RPG) and Jen Fay (10.0 PPG, 43.5 FG%, 54.5 3FG%, 6.0 RPG) all earned recognition with Quinnipiac's title run, in addition to Adily Martucci's Tournament MVP honor. McClure stood out with her career high 28 point effort in the title game. Fabbri sparked the Bobcats to a pair of come-from-behind wins over Canisius and Iona, setting new season highs in points in both games prior to the championship. Fay shot the three-ball (6-11 3FG) well throughout the tournament and came up with her second career double-double as she tallied 16 points and 10 rebounds in the title game.
NATIONALLY RANKED SUCCESS
The Bobcats are 2-10 all-time against nationally-ranked competition and own an all-time mark of 8-32 against teams in high-major conferences (ACC, BIG EAST, Big 12, B1G, Pac-12 and SEC). After going 0-for-9 in their first game games against ranked foes, Quinnipiac won two straight games against nationally-ranked opponents in the 2017 NCAA Tournament before bowing out to the eventual NCAA Champions South Carolina. Quinnipiac started with an NCAA First Round victory over a Marquette squad that came in ranked No. 25 in the USA Today Coaches' Poll and followed up with a road triumph over No. 16 Miami. The Bobcats have six remaining wins over high-major foes coming against Alabama, Minnesota, St. John's (NY),Syracuse and Providence (twice)). Quinnipiac owns an all-time mark of 1-4 against B1G competition.
ALL-TEAM-FIRST MENTALITY
Quinnipiac has long preached the mantra of team-first and last season certainly is no different. Upon the announcement of the All-MAAC Teams, Quinnipiac found themselves with three All-League players – Adily Martucci (Second Team All-MAAC), Aryn McClure (Third Team) and Jen Fay (Third Team) – but none on the All-MAAC First Team. This marked thesecond time in the last three seasons (all of which have ended with Quinnipiac standing as the regular season champion in the MAAC) without representation on the All-MAAC First Team. Armed with a 54-6 record in the league over the last threeseasons, Quinnipiac has just one All-MAAC First Team selection in that span (Samantha Guastella 2015 – Bobcats went 20-0 in the MAAC that season). In the 2016-17 season alone, the Bobcats stand as the only team in the nation to have won their conference's regular season title outright and not have a First Team All-Conference player (32 conferences in the country).
BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK
Quinnipiac's domination of the MAAC continued in 2016-17 as the Bobcats claimed a third straight MAAC Regular Season Championship with the top record in conference play at 17-3. Owning a 54-6 (.900) regular season mark against MAAC competition over the last three seasons, including an undefeated 20-0 conference season in 2014-15, the Bobcats have dominated the league since joining in 2013-14. Now in exclusive company, Quinnipiac is one of just 13 programs in the nation (UConn, George Washington, Notre Dame, Baylor, DePaul, Maryland, Green Bay, Colorado State, Oregon State, South Carolina, Chattanooga and New Mexico State) to win back-to-back-to-back regular season titles.
HITTING THAT MAGIC NUMBER
Quinnipiac's 76-60 win over Siena (2/12) clinched yet another 20-win campaign for Head Coach Tricia Fabbri in 2016-17. The 11th 20-win season in program history made it six in-a-row as well as the eighth in Fabbri's 22-year coaching career at Quinnipiac. Quinnipiac is one of just 26 teams across the nation and one of 11 mid-major programs to record six straight 20 win seasons. Over the last six seasons, Quinnipiac stands with a record of 158-46 for a .775 win percentage which ranks as the 13th-best overall mark in the nation.
DEE-FENSE
Quinnipiac's defense led the MAAC all last season as the Bobcats allowed 58.6 points per game (56th-best mark in the nation). Quinnipiac allowed fewer than 60 points per game for just the third time in the program's Div. I history (2015-16 – 58.7, 2012-13 – 57.4, 2007-08 – 58.7). In MAAC regular season games, Quinnipiac allowed a miniscule 53.3 PPG while opponents shot just 35.3 percent from the floor in conference play, both standards that led the MAAC. For the season, Quinnipiac is allowing opponents to shoot 36.9 percent (39th-best in the nation) while also ranking 21st in the nation in steals per game (10.8). Allowing 0.777 points per possession (best in the MAAC), Quinnipiac held opponents to fewer than 70 points in 29-of-36 games last season including 20 of the last 23 contests. The Bobcats had their run of 19 straight games holding teams to fewer than 70 points snapped in the MAAC Championship game against Rider (3/6).
SUCCESS IN THE WIN STREAK
Quinnipiac broke out of a two-game losing streak last season and turned into a simply dominant team in the 12-game winstreak that saw the Bobcats make runs in the MAAC and NCAA Tournament. In that span, Quinnipiac scrapped the five-in, five-out "Gold Rush" subbing pattern and averaged 70.3 PPG (42.4 FG%) while outscoring the opposition by an average margin of 13.4. The most-noteworthy stat in that span is from the three-point line as the Bobcats hit 37.0 percent (97-262 3FG) from behind the arc during the win streak after shooting a MAAC-low 27.9 percent (144-517 3FG) from three in the first 23 games of last season. Aryn McClure (13.1 PPG, Adily Martucci (12.3 PPG) and Jen Fay (10.6 PPG) spearheaded the revival averaging over the 10 PPG average.
MAAC WIN STREAK
Quinnipiac saw its streak of 25 consecutive MAAC conference victories end in a 61-58 loss at Monmouth (1/19) last season. An impressive streak nevertheless, the Bobcats strung together 17 straight wins to end the 2015-16 regular season and eightstraight to open the 2016-17 season. That dominance is rivaled in recent time only by Marist who put together a 30-game unbeaten streak in the MAAC regular season that stretched from 2011-12 to an undefeated 18-0 record in 2012-13 and ending in 2013-14.
BIG MOVERS IN THE MAAC
Since joining the MAAC in 2013-14, Quinnipiac has reeled off a record of 78-14 (.848) in all games against MAAC opponents and 68-12 (.850) in regular season MAAC games, both records that currently lead all teams in the conference. The Bobcats rank well ahead of Iona who sits with the second-best mark of 63-25 (.716) in games against conference foes over the last fourseasons and stand 58-22 (.725) in regular season MAAC play.
TOP SPOT IN THE MAAC
Through 36 games last season, Quinnipiac finished with the lead in eight different statistical categories while the Bobcats ranked no worse than third out of 11 MAAC teams in 17 out of 21 major team statistics. Quinnipiac led the MAAC in scoring offense (68.4), scoring margin ( 9.7), field goal percentage defense (36.9), blocked shots (4.9), assists (16.2), steals (10.8), turnover margin ( 5.00) and assist/turnover ratio (1.11).
GOTTA LOVE THAT HOME COOKIN
Quinnipiac's extended home dominance is particularly impressive when looking at games against MAAC opponents as the Bobcats stand with a mark of 36-4 (.900) at home in league games since joining the conference in 2013-14. That prominence is only magnified when looking at the last three seasons as the Bobcats are 29-1 (.967) at the TD Bank Sports Center in conference games since 2014-15 and are currently riding a 19-game unbeaten streak in home games against MAAC foes.
THE ULTIMATE CLOSERS
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. Overall, however, the Bobcats went 22-2 in the 2016-17 season to give Quinnipiac a mark of 67-2 (.971) since thestart of 2014-15 in games in which Quinnipiac leads at the half.
THAT 70 SCORING SHOW
Since the 2007-08 season, Quinnipiac is 134-15 (.899) in games wherein the Bobcats score 70 or more points, including a 16-0 mark in 2016-17 and 58-2 (.967) 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.
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 theirsupreme 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 fiveseasons while ranking Top 50 in the nation four times. The prolonged trend continued in 2016-17, as the Bobcats led the MAAC and ranked 46th in the nation in assist/turnover ratio (1.11).
NEXT UP
After facing Richmond on Friday, the Bobcats will complete their two-game road trip with a road contest against Hampton on Sunday at 1 p.m. Quinnipiac will then have two home games before breaking for finals, hosting Providence on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. and Princeton on Saturday, December 9 at 1 p.m
QUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY BOBCATS (2-3) at UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND SPIDERS (5-4)
Watch It Live: SpiderTV
Follow Live Stats: Richmondspiders.com
Listen Live: AM 1220 WQUN
Updates: @QU_WBB
Game Notes: Quinnipiac
All-Time Series vs. Richmond: Richmond leads 1-0
Current Streak: Richmond – 1 straight
Last Meeting: Richmond 87-50 (1999-2000 at LaSalle's Tournament in Philadelphia)
RICHMOND, Virginia – The Quinnipiac women's basketball team will look to win its third-straight contest and pick up its first true road win of the 2017-18 season when the Bobcats take on the University of Richmond Spiders on Friday, Dec. 1, at the Robins Center at 7 p.m.
LAST GAME (QUINNIPIAC 72, DAYTON 66)
Senior forward Sarah Shewan (Russell, Ontario) tied her career-high in points with 24 and pulled in 13 rebounds as the Quinnipiac women's basketball team edged reigning Atlantic-10 champion Dayton, 72-66 on Tuesday evening at the TD Bank Sports Center. The win was Quinnipiac's second in a row as the Bobcats close a short two-game homestand and get ready to hit the road to take on the University of Richmond and Hampton University on the road this weekend. Sophomore Vanessa Udoji (Randolph, Massachusetts) tied her season-high with 14 points and redshirt-junior Jen Fay (Lynbrook, New York) grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds in the win. The last time the Bobcats led in a contest from start to finish was in the upset win against No. 5 seeded Marquette in Quinnipiac's 68-65 victory over the Golden Eagles in the First Round of last season's NCAA Tournament.
OUT OF THE STARTING BLOCKS
Senior forward Sarah Shewan made her first start of the season on Tuesday against Dayton, filling in for injured Aryn McClure, and responded with one of the best games of her career. Shewan finished with 24 points and 13 rebounds in the 72-66 win, including 10 points and eight rebounds in the first quarter alone, when she had 10 of Quinnipiac's 17 points as the Bobcats led 17-11. The 24 points tied her career high, while the 13 rebounds was one shy of her personal best.
UDOJI ENTERING THE FRAY
Taking a big leap from her freshman year production, sophomore Vanessa Udoji has been one of the breakout players for the Bobcats as she comes in with 48 points (9.6 per game) through the first five games of 2017-18, good enough for third-most on the team. Already armed with three double-digit point outings this season (12 at Iowa, 14 vs Northern Colo.), Udoji led the team in scoring for just the second time in her career going for 14 (12 in the second half) in the home win over Northern Colorado (11/22). She also had 12 of her 14 points in the second half again in Tuesday's win over Dayton.
FILLING THE STAT SHEET
Leading the Bobcat offense in the early going, redshirt-junior Jen Fay has contributed in many ways. After tossing in a game-high 23 points (8-13 FG, 4-6 3FG) to go along with six rebounds in the season-opener at Iowa (11/10), Fay went for 15 points (5-12 FG, 4-10 3FG) with nine rebounds at No. 9/8 Ohio State (11/17). Her production against high-major foes has continued to shine throughout her career, averaging 8.9 points per game (98 total points in 11 games) on 43.4 FG% (36-83 FG) and 36.1 3FG% (13-36 3FG) with 3.9 RPG and 1.2 SPG. Fay has hit double figures in four of the last six games Quinnipiac has played against high-major competition while reaching the 20-point mark in two of those games. She had an off day shooting against Dayton on Tuesday (2-11), but finished with a strong overall line of seven points, 14 rebounds, six assists and no turnovers. The 14 rebounds set a new career high, breaking her old mark of 10 rebounds set four times, while the six assists tied a career high as well.
GIVING IT HER ALL
Contributing across the board in many stat categories, junior Aryn McClure shined in the matchup at No. 9/8 Ohio State (11/17) as she went for 15 points (6-16 FG) with six rebounds (three offensive), four assists, two blocks, one steal and no turnovers in 31 minutes of play. This marked the third such time in her career wherein McClure finished with double figure point totals to go along with at least four rebounds, three assists and one block against a high-major foe. McClure put up similar numbers last season in the NCAA Tournament in wins against Marquette (11 points, six rebounds, four assists, two blocks) and at Miami (15 points, four rebounds, three assists, one block). McClure missed the Dayton game with an injury.
LEADING THE HERD
Spending a large portion of her rookie season on the bench, sophomore Taylor Herd has cracked the lineup in the early portions of the new season and broke through with a career high 10 points (3-7 FG, 2-4 3FG) in 13 minutes at nationally-ranked Ohio State (11/17). After scoring nine points in 13 games last season, Herd eclipsed her entire career scoring output in one game as she went for 10 points including eight in the first half. Herd hit on two of her four three-point attempts,scoring from the three-point line for the first time in her career as she came in 0-for-4 in her first 15 career games.
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 66-7 (.904) in games played at home. In just the last three seasons (since 2014-15), Quinnipiac owns a mark of 41-3 (.932). That mark easily ranks as the best in the MAAC while it also places them in a tie with Maryland and Florida Gulf Coast for the eighth-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.
2016-17 SEASON REVIEW NOTES
2017 NCAA TOURNAMENT NOTEABLES
- Quinnipiac became the fourth No. 12 seed in NCAA Div. I women's basketball history to advance to the Sweet 16, joining BYU in 2014, Kansas in 2013 and San Francisco in 1996
- In addition, Quinnipiac became the fourth team in history to defeat a No. 4 and No. 5 seed to advance to the Sweet 16
- The Bobcats hit 15 three-pointers, finishing just one shy of matching a single-game program record, in an 85-78 upset at then-No. 16 ranked Miami in the NCAA Second Round
- Quinnipiac's 15 triples stands as the third-most in NCAA Second Round history
- Quinnipiac defeated the No. 16 nationally-ranked Miami Hurricanes, marking the first time Quinnipiac has defeated an ACC program and the second straight NCAA Tournament win over a ranked opponent after coming in with an all-time mark of 0-9 against ranked foes
- Quinnipiac advanced into the Sweet 16 as the lowest-seeded team remaining in the field at the time, while standing as one of just two double digit seeds (No. 10 Oregon) who advanced past the NCAA Second Round
- The Bobcats also carried the flag as the lone mid-major program to advance two rounds in the 2017 NCAA Tournament as well as the lowest-seed in both the men's and women's brackets to make the Sweet 16 round
- The Bobcats became the first female sports program at Quinnipiac to win an NCAA Tournament game
- Quinnipiac University now has three athletic programs win at least one game in the NCAA Tournament (women'sbasketball, men's ice hockey and men's lacrosse)
- Quinnipiac became the 23rd team in the history of the NCAA Tournament to win as a No. 12 seed in a No. 5 vs. No. 12 NCAA First Round matchup
- Quinnipiac defeated a Marquette squad that earned the No. 25 ranking in the most-recent USA Today Coaches' Poll, marking the first time in program history the Bobcats have defeated a nationally-ranked opponent
- The win marked the first time a Quinnipiac basketball program (women's or men's) has won a game over a nationally-ranked foe
2016-17 SEASON-IN-REVIEW
- At season's end, Quinnipiac achieved two more program-firsts as Quinnipiac earned the No. 23 ranking in the USA Today Coaches' Poll to earn a national-ranking for the first time in program history
- In addition, Quinnipiac was voted the top mid-major program in the nation in the College Insider Mid-Major Poll, marking the first time the program has earned the No. 1 ranking in the mid-major ranking poll
- The Bobcats finished 29-7 overall and 17-3 in league play to complete their sixth straight 20-win season while advancing to a fifth straight appearance in the conference championship game, sixth straight trip to a national postseason tournament and earning a third straight MAAC Regular Season title
- Quinnipiac clinched its third straight MAAC Regular Season title, winning seven straight games down the stretch of regularseason play to edge out Rider (16-4 MAAC) for the top spot in the standings
- The regular season title is the Bobcats' fourth in the last five years dating back to the 2012-13 campaign where Quinnipiac was crowned the NEC Regular Season Champion
- The Bobcats joined a list of 12 programs across the nation to have won at least three straight conference regular season titles while Quinnipiac has dominated the MAAC with a mark of 54-6 (.900) in league games since 2014-15
- Early last season, Quinnipiac clinched their sixth straight 20-win season, an accomplishment only 26 teams in the nation can boast heading into 2017-18
LEADER OF THE PACK
Head coach Tricia Fabbri enters her 23rd season leading the Bobcats in 2017-18, as the four-time Coach of the Year (twice in four MAAC seasons) and all-time winningest coach in program history comes into the new campaign with 379 career victories. Engineering a program that ranks 10th in the nation in total wins (134) over the last four seasons, Fabbri's Bobcats have reached the 20-win plateau in six straight seasons, won three conference titles in the last five seasons and earned three consecutive MAAC Regular Season titles.
PRESEASON POY
Junior wing Aryn McClure became the first Bobcat in program history to be named the MAAC Preseason Player of the Year while she also earned a spot on the 2017-18 Preseason All-MAAC Third Team. Already a two-time All-MAAC performer, McClure enters her third year armed with impressive all-around career totals including 618 points, 441 rebounds, 172 assists, 109 blocks (8th all-time at Quinnipiac) and 93 steals through 70 games. McClure has led the Bobcats in rebounding each of her first two seasons while she led the team in both rebounds and assists last season. She is on-pace to become the program'sall-time Div. I record holder in career blocks while she has a chance to join a select list that includes only two others in the Bobcats' Div. I era to finish their respective careers with 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds.
ARYN McCLURE 2016-17 NOTES
- Only player in the MAAC to lead her respective team in rebounds (210), assists (103) and blocks (55)
- Finished the season with 17 double digit scoring games, two 20-plus point outings and two double-doubles
- Played the game of her life in the MAAC Championship, netting a career high 28 points (8-12 FG, 12-14 FT) to lead the Bobcats past Rider for the conference title
- Her 28 points in the title game stands as the second-most points scored by a Bobcat in a postseason game in program history
- Her 12 free throw makes in the MAAC Championship also stands as the most made free throws by a Bobcat in a single-game in over two seasons
- Averaged 14.7 points (52.0 FG%) and 4.7 rebounds in conference postseason play to earn a spot on the MAAC's All-Tournament Team
- In three NCAA Tournament games, McClure averaged 11.7 points (56.0 FG%, 70.0 FT%), 4.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 30.7 minutes per game against three nationally-ranked teams
- Started the magical NCAA Tournament run with 11 points (5-9 FG), six rebounds, four assists and two blocks in a win over Marquette (3/18)
- Followed with another terrific outing in which she scored 15 points (5-8 FG, 5-6 FT) with four rebounds and three assists in a win at Miami (3/20)
- Completed the run with nine points (4-8 FG), three rebounds and six assists in the NCAA Sweet 16 against South Carolina (3/25)
PUTTING IN A GOOD FAY'S WORK
Joining McClure on the 2017-18 Preseason All-MAAC First Team is forward Jen Fay, as the redshirt junior is coming off a breakout showing in the NCAA Tournament. Fay's return to the court in 2016-17 after a missed 2015-16 season (season-ending ACL injury over the summer of 2015) provided a huge boost to the Bobcats as she ranked first on the team in scoring (10.5 PPG). Fay led the Bobcats in both shooting categories, posting a team-leading 47.5 percent (134-282 FG) from the floor and 38.3 percent (44-115 3FG) from three, as she was the only player in the MAAC to lead her respective team in both stat categories.
JEN FAY 2016-17 NOTES
- 2017 MAAC All-Tournament Team
- 2016-17 All-MAAC Third Team
- Led the team in scoring averaging 10.5 points while also leading the team in field goal (47.5) and three-point percentage (38.3)
- Added 4.4 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.1 assists in 20.5 minutes per game
- Ranked 22nd in the MAAC in scoring, fourth in field goal percentage and fourth in three-point percentage
- Finished second on the team with 44 three-point makes on the season
- After scoring 10 points just once in her rookie season, Fay recorded 18 double digit point outings in 2016-17
- Posted a team-leading 10.9 PPG (47.2 FG%, 37.9 3FG%, 73.1 FT%) across 20 MAAC games while adding 4.9 RPG, 1.4 SPG and 1.1 APG in 21.1 MPG
- Named to the MAAC All-Tournament Team as she averaged 10.0 PPG (43.5 FG%, 54.5 3FG%) with 6.0 RPG in 22.0 MPG as she helped lead the Bobcats to a conference title
- Broke out in a big way in the NCAA Tournament, averaging 13.7 PPG (48.5 FG%) to lead the team to go along with 3.0 RPG and 2.0 SPG in 22.0 MPG
- Was dynamic in the NCAA First Round as she posted 20 points (third-highest scoring total by a Bobcat in an NCAA Tournament game in program history) on 9-for-16 shooting to go along with four steals in a win over Marquette (3/18)
- Followed with nine points, three rebounds and two steals in a road win over Miami (3/20) in the NCAA Second Round
- Tied for the team-lead with 12 points (4-9 FG) while adding four rebounds in the NCAA Sweet 16 against South Carolina (3/25)
PAULA = PIVOTAL PLAYER
The play of Paula Strautmane was one of the biggest indicators to the Bobcats' team success last season. In the 29 games the Bobcats won in 2016-17, Strautmane averaged 9.3 PPG (44.4 FG%), 5.8 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.8 SPG and 1.6 BPG in 20.6 MPG. Compare those stats to Strautmane's averages in the seven Bobcat losses, 3.9 PPG (19.0 FG%, 66.7 FT%), 4.3 RPG, 1.1 APG, 0.6 SPG and 0.3 BPG, and the difference is clear. Strautmane reached double figures 14 times last season and the Bobcats went 13-1 (.929) in those contests.
PAULA STRAUTMANE 2016-17 NOTES
- Played in 34 games (22 starts)
- Averaged 8.1 points (39.2 FG%, 73.0 FT%), 5.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.3 blocks and 1.5 steals in 20.1 minutes per game
- Ranked 20th in the MAAC in rebounding, tied for 10th in steals, fifth in blocks and tied for sixth in offensive rebounding
- Finished the season with 15 double digit scoring games and a team-leading three double-doubles
- Bobcats were 14-1 (.933) in the 15 games in which she recorded 10 points
- In the 29 games the Bobcats won, Strautmane averaged 9.3 PPG (44.4 FG%), 5.8 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.8 SPG and 1.6 BPG in 20.6 MPG compared to her averages in the seven Bobcat losses, 3.9 PPG (19.0 FG%, 66.7 FT%), 4.3 RPG, 1.1 APG, 0.6 SPG and 0.3 BPG
- No player on the team scored more points on-average in wins compared to losses ( 5.4 PPG)
- Played her best in the NCAA Tournament where she averaged 10.0 PPG (47.8 FG%, 87.5 FT%), 5.3 RPG, 3.3 APG and 1.0SPG in 24.3 MPG
- Was instrumental in NCAA Tournament wins over Marquette (3/18) and at Miami (3/20) as she posted 15 points (5-6 FG, 5-6 FT), three rebounds and two assists in the First Round win over the Golden Eagles, followed by a huge double-double that included 11 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists and two steals in 35 minutes in the Second Round victory over the Hurricanes
POST PRESENCE
The player with the highest career scoring total heading into in 2017-18, senior Sarah Shewan enters her final season with 695 points to go along with 413 rebounds in 104 games. Shewan turned herself into a consistent presence towards the end of theseason as she averaged 7.3 PPG (51.2 FG%, 44.4 3FG%) and 5.0 RPG in 20.7 MPG across three NCAA Tournament games.She grabbed at least five rebounds in seven of the final eight games of the season while she made two three-pointers in back-to-back NCAA Tournament games against Miami and South Carolina.
SARAH SHEWAN 2016-17 NOTES
- Played in all 36 games (11 starts)
- Averaged 7.4 points (35.3 FG%, 30.3 3FG%, 75.0 FG%), 4.9 rebounds and 0.9 assists in 18.6 minutes per game
- Recorded 10 double digit scoring games on the season with one 20-point outing and two double-doubles
- Improved her play considerably down the stretch, averaging 9.1 points and 6.5 rebounds while shooting 40.6 percent from the floor in the final 13 games of the season
- In three MAAC Tournament games she posted 7.0 PPG, 7.0 RPG and 1.3 BPG while seeing 23.7 MPG
- Was again solid in the NCAA Tournament as she averaged 7.3 PPG (51.2 FG%, 44.4 3FG%) and 5.0 RPG in 20.7 MPG
- Came up with 11 points, six rebounds and two blocks in the NCAA Second Round win at Miami (3/20)
CARLY FABBRI 2016-17 NOTES
- 2017 MAAC All-Tournament Team
- Played in all 36 games (13 starts) and averaged 5.4 points (37 FG%, 36.8 3FG%, 70.6 FT%) with 2.6 assists, 2.2 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 21.7 minutes per game
- Made 39 three-pointers on the season (third on the team), was second on the team with 93 assists and finished sixth in the MAAC in three-point percentage (36.8)
- Struggled in the first 10 games of 2016-17 (2.6 PPG, 4-23 3FG) before finishing with 6.5 PPG average in final 26 games of the season while shooting 35-for-83 (42.2 3FG%) from three-point range
- Recorded a 2.18 assist/turnover ratio (93 assists, 43 turnovers) while serving as the Bobcats' primary point guard
- Named to the MAAC's All-Tournament Team after averaging 11 PPG (45 FG%, 42.9 3FG%, 64.3 FT%) with 3.0 APG, 3.0 RPG and 1.0 SPG in 27.3 MPG in three postseason contests
- Tallied back-to-back season high point totals in MAAC quarterfinal and semifinal round with 13 vs. Canisius and 14 vs. Iona
- Scored eight points with two three-pointers in the NCAA First Round win over Marquette (3/18)
- Followed with eight points, four assists and no turnovers in a season high 31 minutes to help defeat Miami (3/20) on the road in the NCAA Second Round
NEWLY ADDED TO THE MIX
The graduation of key contributors Adily Martucci and Morgan Manz fills a couple holes in the rotation that shapes up to be filled by several contributors who showed flashes last season. Juniors Edel Thornton and Brittany Martin look to carve out larger roles in the Bobcat backcourt while sophomores Vanessa Udoji, Paige Warfel, Jaden Ward, Taylor Herd and Katie Grant all expect to see an up-tick in minutes from the start of the season. Freshmen Danelle Bradley and Chiara Bacchini add more depth and look to crack what figures to be a deep rotation that'll go 10-12 players in any game.
ANOTHER NATIONAL POSTSEASON APPEARANCE
Quinnipiac's third trip to the NCAA Tournament marked the sixth straight national postseason appearance for the Bobcats and the seventh in program history. The Bobcats earned its first national postseason appearance with a trip to Iona in the 2008 WNIT Tournament and then made a second WNIT Tournament appearance in 2012 against Temple. The first NCAA Tournament berth came in with the NEC Championship victory in 2013 as the Bobcats advanced as a No. 13 seed to play at No. 4 Maryland. Quinnipiac also took home the 2015 MAAC Championship, claiming a No. 12 seed and facing No. 5 Oklahoma in a game played in Palo Alto, California (home of Stanford). In the 2014 and 2016 postseason, the Bobcats advanced to the WNIT with history being made in 2016 when Quinnipiac defeated Maine, 90-44, claiming the program'sfirst-ever victory in a national postseason tournament.
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Bobcats littered the MAAC's All-Tournament Team as Aryn McClure (14.7 PPG, 52 FG%, 4.7 RPG), Carly Fabbri (11.0 PPG, 42.9 3FG%, 3.0 APG, 3.0 RPG) and Jen Fay (10.0 PPG, 43.5 FG%, 54.5 3FG%, 6.0 RPG) all earned recognition with Quinnipiac's title run, in addition to Adily Martucci's Tournament MVP honor. McClure stood out with her career high 28 point effort in the title game. Fabbri sparked the Bobcats to a pair of come-from-behind wins over Canisius and Iona, setting new season highs in points in both games prior to the championship. Fay shot the three-ball (6-11 3FG) well throughout the tournament and came up with her second career double-double as she tallied 16 points and 10 rebounds in the title game.
NATIONALLY RANKED SUCCESS
The Bobcats are 2-10 all-time against nationally-ranked competition and own an all-time mark of 8-32 against teams in high-major conferences (ACC, BIG EAST, Big 12, B1G, Pac-12 and SEC). After going 0-for-9 in their first game games against ranked foes, Quinnipiac won two straight games against nationally-ranked opponents in the 2017 NCAA Tournament before bowing out to the eventual NCAA Champions South Carolina. Quinnipiac started with an NCAA First Round victory over a Marquette squad that came in ranked No. 25 in the USA Today Coaches' Poll and followed up with a road triumph over No. 16 Miami. The Bobcats have six remaining wins over high-major foes coming against Alabama, Minnesota, St. John's (NY),Syracuse and Providence (twice)). Quinnipiac owns an all-time mark of 1-4 against B1G competition.
ALL-TEAM-FIRST MENTALITY
Quinnipiac has long preached the mantra of team-first and last season certainly is no different. Upon the announcement of the All-MAAC Teams, Quinnipiac found themselves with three All-League players – Adily Martucci (Second Team All-MAAC), Aryn McClure (Third Team) and Jen Fay (Third Team) – but none on the All-MAAC First Team. This marked thesecond time in the last three seasons (all of which have ended with Quinnipiac standing as the regular season champion in the MAAC) without representation on the All-MAAC First Team. Armed with a 54-6 record in the league over the last threeseasons, Quinnipiac has just one All-MAAC First Team selection in that span (Samantha Guastella 2015 – Bobcats went 20-0 in the MAAC that season). In the 2016-17 season alone, the Bobcats stand as the only team in the nation to have won their conference's regular season title outright and not have a First Team All-Conference player (32 conferences in the country).
BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK
Quinnipiac's domination of the MAAC continued in 2016-17 as the Bobcats claimed a third straight MAAC Regular Season Championship with the top record in conference play at 17-3. Owning a 54-6 (.900) regular season mark against MAAC competition over the last three seasons, including an undefeated 20-0 conference season in 2014-15, the Bobcats have dominated the league since joining in 2013-14. Now in exclusive company, Quinnipiac is one of just 13 programs in the nation (UConn, George Washington, Notre Dame, Baylor, DePaul, Maryland, Green Bay, Colorado State, Oregon State, South Carolina, Chattanooga and New Mexico State) to win back-to-back-to-back regular season titles.
HITTING THAT MAGIC NUMBER
Quinnipiac's 76-60 win over Siena (2/12) clinched yet another 20-win campaign for Head Coach Tricia Fabbri in 2016-17. The 11th 20-win season in program history made it six in-a-row as well as the eighth in Fabbri's 22-year coaching career at Quinnipiac. Quinnipiac is one of just 26 teams across the nation and one of 11 mid-major programs to record six straight 20 win seasons. Over the last six seasons, Quinnipiac stands with a record of 158-46 for a .775 win percentage which ranks as the 13th-best overall mark in the nation.
DEE-FENSE
Quinnipiac's defense led the MAAC all last season as the Bobcats allowed 58.6 points per game (56th-best mark in the nation). Quinnipiac allowed fewer than 60 points per game for just the third time in the program's Div. I history (2015-16 – 58.7, 2012-13 – 57.4, 2007-08 – 58.7). In MAAC regular season games, Quinnipiac allowed a miniscule 53.3 PPG while opponents shot just 35.3 percent from the floor in conference play, both standards that led the MAAC. For the season, Quinnipiac is allowing opponents to shoot 36.9 percent (39th-best in the nation) while also ranking 21st in the nation in steals per game (10.8). Allowing 0.777 points per possession (best in the MAAC), Quinnipiac held opponents to fewer than 70 points in 29-of-36 games last season including 20 of the last 23 contests. The Bobcats had their run of 19 straight games holding teams to fewer than 70 points snapped in the MAAC Championship game against Rider (3/6).
SUCCESS IN THE WIN STREAK
Quinnipiac broke out of a two-game losing streak last season and turned into a simply dominant team in the 12-game winstreak that saw the Bobcats make runs in the MAAC and NCAA Tournament. In that span, Quinnipiac scrapped the five-in, five-out "Gold Rush" subbing pattern and averaged 70.3 PPG (42.4 FG%) while outscoring the opposition by an average margin of 13.4. The most-noteworthy stat in that span is from the three-point line as the Bobcats hit 37.0 percent (97-262 3FG) from behind the arc during the win streak after shooting a MAAC-low 27.9 percent (144-517 3FG) from three in the first 23 games of last season. Aryn McClure (13.1 PPG, Adily Martucci (12.3 PPG) and Jen Fay (10.6 PPG) spearheaded the revival averaging over the 10 PPG average.
MAAC WIN STREAK
Quinnipiac saw its streak of 25 consecutive MAAC conference victories end in a 61-58 loss at Monmouth (1/19) last season. An impressive streak nevertheless, the Bobcats strung together 17 straight wins to end the 2015-16 regular season and eightstraight to open the 2016-17 season. That dominance is rivaled in recent time only by Marist who put together a 30-game unbeaten streak in the MAAC regular season that stretched from 2011-12 to an undefeated 18-0 record in 2012-13 and ending in 2013-14.
BIG MOVERS IN THE MAAC
Since joining the MAAC in 2013-14, Quinnipiac has reeled off a record of 78-14 (.848) in all games against MAAC opponents and 68-12 (.850) in regular season MAAC games, both records that currently lead all teams in the conference. The Bobcats rank well ahead of Iona who sits with the second-best mark of 63-25 (.716) in games against conference foes over the last fourseasons and stand 58-22 (.725) in regular season MAAC play.
TOP SPOT IN THE MAAC
Through 36 games last season, Quinnipiac finished with the lead in eight different statistical categories while the Bobcats ranked no worse than third out of 11 MAAC teams in 17 out of 21 major team statistics. Quinnipiac led the MAAC in scoring offense (68.4), scoring margin ( 9.7), field goal percentage defense (36.9), blocked shots (4.9), assists (16.2), steals (10.8), turnover margin ( 5.00) and assist/turnover ratio (1.11).
GOTTA LOVE THAT HOME COOKIN
Quinnipiac's extended home dominance is particularly impressive when looking at games against MAAC opponents as the Bobcats stand with a mark of 36-4 (.900) at home in league games since joining the conference in 2013-14. That prominence is only magnified when looking at the last three seasons as the Bobcats are 29-1 (.967) at the TD Bank Sports Center in conference games since 2014-15 and are currently riding a 19-game unbeaten streak in home games against MAAC foes.
THE ULTIMATE CLOSERS
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. Overall, however, the Bobcats went 22-2 in the 2016-17 season to give Quinnipiac a mark of 67-2 (.971) since thestart of 2014-15 in games in which Quinnipiac leads at the half.
THAT 70 SCORING SHOW
Since the 2007-08 season, Quinnipiac is 134-15 (.899) in games wherein the Bobcats score 70 or more points, including a 16-0 mark in 2016-17 and 58-2 (.967) 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.
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 theirsupreme 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 fiveseasons while ranking Top 50 in the nation four times. The prolonged trend continued in 2016-17, as the Bobcats led the MAAC and ranked 46th in the nation in assist/turnover ratio (1.11).
NEXT UP
After facing Richmond on Friday, the Bobcats will complete their two-game road trip with a road contest against Hampton on Sunday at 1 p.m. Quinnipiac will then have two home games before breaking for finals, hosting Providence on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. and Princeton on Saturday, December 9 at 1 p.m
Players Mentioned
Guard
/ Women's Basketball
Guard/Forward
/ Women's Basketball
Guard
/ Women's Basketball
Center
/ Women's Basketball
Guard
/ Women's Basketball
Guard
/ Women's Basketball
Guard/Forward
/ Women's Basketball
Guard
/ Women's Basketball
Guard/Forward
/ Women's Basketball
Forward
/ Women's Basketball
Forward
/ Women's BasketballCoaches Road Show at Bears BBQ
Thursday, September 04
Quinnipiac Athletics 2024-25 Highlight Video
Tuesday, May 20
2024 Women's Basketball Kids Day: Recap
Friday, December 20
The Roar - Episode 6: Jackie Grisdale and Grace LaBarge
Wednesday, December 18
