QU Women's Basketball Hosts MAAC Rival Marist on Thursday (ESPN3)

Quinnipiac Bobcats (18-6, 11-3 MAAC) vs.
Marist Red Foxes (11-12, 8-5 MAAC)
Date: Thursday, Feb. 9, 2017 | 5:00 PM
Location: TD Bank Sports Center | Hamden, Conn.
All-Time Series vs. Marist: Quinnipiac leads 5-4
Last Meeting: W, 76-71 (February 18, 2016 at QU)

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HERE. WE. GO!
Fans have been waiting all season for this much-anticipated showdown as the Quinnipiac women's basketball team prepares for the first meeting of the season with traditional MAAC rival Marist on Thursday at 5 PM from the TD Bank Sports Center. These two sides have gone back-and-forth with some epic duels since the Bobcats joined the league in 2013-14 and this week's showdown shapes up to be another good one in Hamden. The Bobcats will be hosting "Pink Out the Bank" in cooperation with their annual Play 4 Kay game inspired to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research. Head coach Tricia Fabbri has already committed to donating $1 for every ticket sold to Thursday night's game which will be shown live on ESPN3.

SCOUTING THE RED FOXES

Marist (11-12, 8-5 MAAC) opened the season with one of their worst stretches in recent memory, losing six straight to open 2016-17
The Red Foxes, however, righted the ship and have since gone 11-6 while they come in winners of three straight conference games
With still plenty to play for, the Red Foxes could work their way into the regular season title conversation with a win over the MAAC-leading Bobcats on Thursday
A solid all-around team in many aspects, the Red Foxes are ranked lower than sixth in just three of the 21 major statistical categories in MAAC-only games
The three-ball and free throw line are significant advantages for Marist as the Red Foxes lead the league in three-pointers made per game (8.9) as well as free throw percentage (80.4) in conference games
Sitting fifth in the MAAC in both scoring offense (62.6) and scoring defense (63.3), Marist has the tools to prove to be a tough out for anyone in the conference
Even though Marist relies heavily on the three-point shot, the Red Foxes don't hit at a great rate as the team shoots 31.5 percent on the season from behind the arc
Marist's defense also isn't dynamic as the Red Foxes rank in the lower portion of the MAAC in both steals (5.5) and blocks (2.6) per game but their field goal percentage defense (39.4) is respectable
A much different team from in year's past, gone are Sydney Coffey and Tori Jarosz, two All-MAAC First Team performers that carried Marist for the better part of the last three seasons in the conference
Expected to contribute heavily at the guard position, junior Allie Clement went down with a season-ending knee injury after just three games played this season, shortening the Marist bench even more
Starting five underclassmen, Marist plays their starting lineup (Rebekah Hand 35.4, Maura Fitzpatrick 36.3, Claire Oberdorf 37.3, Hannah Hand 32.9 and Lovi Henningsdottir 27.6) all at least 27 minutes per game while just two bench players (Kendall Baab 14.6, Morgan Bartner 11.3) average double digit minutes per game
All five of those consistent starting members have hit at least 22 three-pointers on the season, posing a great threat for any opposition
Despite the ultra-short bench, Marist has still performed very well in the MAAC as the Red Foxes currently sit fifth in the standings at 8-5
Six-time MAAC Rookie of the Week Rebekah Hand is the player to watch for the Red Foxes as the MAAC's Rookie of the Year frontrunner comes in averaging 13.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game
Hand's all-around numbers are impressive but her shooting percentages leave something to be desired as she is just 33.2 percent from the floor and 21.7 percent from behind the arc this season
Maura Fitzpatrick is a fantastic all-around player for Marist as the Cheshire, CT native makes her return home averaging 12.5 points while shooting 40.2 percent overall to go along with 5.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game
Filling out the backcourt rotation is the dynamic combination of Claire Oberdorf (11.1 PPG, 39 3FG%, 5.3 RPG) and Hannah Hand (10.7 PPG, 45.9 FG%, 44 3FG%, 4.8 RPG)
Playing out of the guard position, Oberdorf and Hannah Hand are the main three-point threats for the Red Foxes and can certainly stretch the defense

ALL-TIME AGAINST MARIST

Quinnipiac owns the slight edge in the all-time series with a 5-4 record against the Red Foxes
These two programs are quite familiar with one another as this will be the eighth meeting between both sides in just four seasons in the MAAC together
Prior to 2013-14, these two sides hadn't met since 1985
Fast forward to 2016-17 and these teams have played one another in the 2014 and 2015 MAAC Championship game, with the Red Foxes winning in 2014 and Quinnipiac taking the title in 2015
In the 2014-15 season, Quinnipiac became the first school since Siena in 2003-04 to sweep the Red Foxes in the regular season
These two sides split the season series in 2015-16, with each side winning their home game against the other

SPLASH DOWN
In the midst of the recent two-game losing streak, Quinnipiac suffered through two of their worst offensive outings of the season as the Bobcats shot a combined 36-for-108 (33.3 percent) overall and 6-for-47 (12.8 percent) from three in a pair of losses to Iona (58-44) and Fairfield (65-52) away from home. Returning home where Quinnipiac is 7-0 against MAAC competition this season, proved the right antidote as the Bobcats finished with their most made three-pointers (13) in a game since burying the same amount in a 2014 MAAC Quarterfinal victory over Monmouth on March 6, 2015 (60 games ago). The 13 made three-pointers was more than the Bobcats had hit in the previous three games combined (12) while Quinnipiac finished at least 50 percent from three (13-26 3FG) for just the second time this season.

SHAKING OFF THE STREAK
Quinnipiac broke through a two-game losing streak, defeating Monmouth at home, 74-54, on Saturday. Since joining the MAAC in 2013-14, Quinnipiac is unaccustomed to losing streaks as the Bobcats have experienced a losing streak of two or more games just three times now in the last four seasons (74 MAAC games). Quinnipiac went undefeated (20-0) in 2014-15 and also ripped off a 17-game MAAC winning streak in 2015-16 (both of which ended with MAAC Regular Season titles). During 2013-14, Quinnipiac did suffer back-to-back losses to Fairfield and Iona but that and the three-game losing streak from last season are the only two spans (other than the two-game skid from this season) in which the Bobcats have lost two straight in MAAC play.

RPI REPORT
Through 24 games in 2016-17, Quinnipiac continues to get tons of respect in the RPI ranking list as the Bobcats check in at No. 49 in the most-recent report. Out of the 48 teams ranked ahead of Quinnipiac, 40 of those are high-major programs as the Bobcats are ninth-highest among mid-majors. Quinnipiac also owns easily the highest RPI among MAAC teams as the next-closest squad Rider comes in ranked No. 128 while Iona is third at No. 147 (349 teams ranked).

MAAC WIN STREAK
Quinnipiac saw its streak of 25 consecutive MAAC conference victories end in a 61-58 loss at Monmouth (1/19). An impressive streak nevertheless, the Bobcats strung together 17 straight wins to end the 2015-16 regular season and eight straight 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 69-14 (.829) in all games against MAAC opponents and 62-12 (.838) 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 60-20 (.750) in games against conference foes over the last four seasons and stand 56-18 (.757) in regular season MAAC play.

TOP SPOT IN THE MAAC
Through 24 games this season, Quinnipiac holds the lead in nine different statistical categories while the Bobcats are ranked no worse than third out of 11 MAAC teams in 17 out of 21 major team statistics. Quinnipiac leads the MAAC in scoring offense (68.0), scoring defense (57.6), scoring margin (+10.5), field goal percentage defense (36.3), blocked shots (4.8), assists (16.4), steals (11.8), turnover margin (+6.39) and assist/turnover ratio (1.06).

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 61-7 (.897) in games played at home. In just the last three seasons (since 2014-15), Quinnipiac owns a mark of 36-3 (.923). That mark easily ranks as the best in the MAAC while it also places them with the 13th-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.

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 33-4 (.892) 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 26-1 (.963) at the TD Bank Sports Center in conference games since 2014-15 and are currently riding a 16-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. Since then, the Bobcats are 14-2 in the 2016-17 season to give Quinnipiac a mark of 59-2 (.967) since the start of 2014-15 in games in which Quinnipiac leads at the half.

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 +156 advantage (+6.50 per game; 12^th in the nation) in turnover margin. The Bobcats have turned the ball over just 363 times while forcing the opposition into 519 turnovers (21.6 per game) which ranks 13^th in the nation. Just eight of the Bobcats' 24 opponents this season have committed less than 20 turnovers in a single-game. The pressure-packed team defensive approach has translated directly into points as the Bobcats have outscored their 24 opponents 493-307 (+186) in points-off-turnovers for a per-game average of 20.5 compared to 12.8 for the opposition.

THAT 70+ SHOW
Since the 2007-08 season, Quinnipiac is 128-15 (.895) in games wherein the Bobcats score 70 or more points, including a 13-1 mark in 2015-16 and 52-2 (.963) 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 10-0
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)                                                128-15 (.895)

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 24 games in 2016-17, the pattern is already showing through as the Bobcats lead the MAAC and rank 53^rd in the nation in assist/turnover ratio (1.08).

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	24	18-6	393	16.4	363	15.1	1.08	53rd	1st (MAAC)
Total	160	125-35	2712	17.0	2258	14.1	1.20

WAR OF ATTRITION
Quinnipiac has outscored the opposition 1633-1382 (+251, +10.5 per game) this season but a closer look at the box scores will show the Bobcats' depth has played a large role in the points discrepancy. The Bobcats have outscored opponents combined through 24 games in every quarter but in the second (383-286, +97), third (443-366, +77) and fourth (444-378, +66) quarters are where the advantages really jump out compared to the first stanza (363-352, +11). Leaning on 10+ players per game and a frenetic offensive pace helps lead to the massive advantages in the second stage of each half.

WHO'S GONNA GO OFF THIS GAME?
Quinnipiac has long preached team depth as one of its biggest strengths and the 2016-17 season is certainly no different as seven players are averaging at least six points per game. No other team in the MAAC has that many as Marist is the second-closest with six. That depth has shown through on a consistent basis as the Bobcats have seen nine different players post a single-game team-leading scoring total on the season, easily the most in the conference. Another key note is the Bobcats lead the MAAC in scoring offense (68.0) and have the fewest 10+ PPG scorers in the conference as Jen Fay (10.3) is the lone Quinnipiac player averaging double figures in points. Saint Peter's is the only other team in the MAAC to have a just one player averaging 10+ PPG.

PUTTING IN A GOOD FAY'S WORK
Jen Fay's return to the court in 2016-17 after a missed 2015-16 season has provided a huge boost to the Bobcats as she now leads the team in scoring (10.3 PPG). Credit Fay's production since the start of MAAC play as a leading indication to her spike in scoring as she leads the team averaging 11.2 points in just 20.6 minutes per contest through 14 conference games. Fay is shooting 46.2 percent (55-119 FG) overall and is 31-of-40 (77.5 percent) from the free throw line while adding 1.6 steals per game. She has posted nine double digit outings in 14 league games and has scored less than seven points in all but one MAAC contest this season.

PAULA POWERING THROUGH THE MAAC
The opening of conference play has marked the beginning of Paula Strautmane's dominance this season as the sophomore is averaging 9.9 points (42.3 FG%), 6.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.3 blocks in just 19 minutes over 14 league games. Her production in the conference has been a big key to success as she has compiled eight of her 11 double digit scoring games on the season in MAAC play. Strautmane has also done a much better job controlling her foul trouble as she averaged 3.7 fouls per game in 10 non-conference games but has lowered that average to 3.0 fouls per game in 14 conference games.

PAULA = PIVITAL PLAYER
The play of Paula Strautmane has been one of the biggest indicators to the Bobcats' team success this season. In the 18 games the Bobcats have won this season, Strautmane averages 10.3 PPG (46.3 FG%, 76.3 FT%), 5.8 RPG, 2.1 APG, 1.9 SPG and 1.7 BPG in 19.2 MPG. Compare those stats to Strautmane's averages in the six Bobcat losses, 3.8 PPG (18.4 FG%, 66.7 FT%), 4.7 RPG, 1.2 APG, 0.7 SPG and 0.3 BPG, and the difference is clear. Strautmane is tied with Jen Fay for the team-lead with 12 double digit scoring outputs this season and the Bobcats own a mark of 11-1 (.917) in those 12 contests.

POINTS FOR HER ARE A SHEWAN
Sarah Shewan is beginning to find her niche on the offensive end as she pumped in a 19-point effort against No. 25/15 Oregon State (12/20) in the Play4Kay Shootout where she shot 7-of-13 overall and 3-for-3 from three-point range. Just one game removed from the breakout performance, Shewan exploded for a season high 20 points (6-8 FG, 8-9 FT) at Rider (12/30). All of this is coming directly after a three-game span wherein Shewan posted just three points.

MARTUCCI MAKING HER MARK
Adily Martucci broke through with 15 points to lead all scorers as she finished 5-of-12 from the floor while adding five rebounds and matching her career high with five steals in a home win over Monmouth (2/4). Martucci broke a five-game streak in which she failed to reach double figures with her third-highest output of the season and her most points in a single-game since notching 15 back on Dec. 30 in a win at Rider (nine games ago).Martucci's 11^th double-digit outing of the season continues a season-long trend that has the guard producing career highs in scoring (9.6 PPG), free throw percentage (87.5) and steals (1.7).

FABBRI FINDING HER WAY
Coming off a breakthrough sophomore season wherein she averaged 6.3 PPG on 36.4 3FG%, Carly Fabbri struggled with her shooting in the early going of 2016-17 as she contributed 2.6 PPG while shooting just 17.4 percent (4-23 3FG) from long range through the first 10 games of the new season. Fabbri has since broke through averaging 5.5 PPG on a much-improved 37.8 percent (14-37 3FG) shooting from long range in the last 14 games. In that span she tallied a season high 12 points (4-6 3FG) against Long Beach State and followed with eight (2-2 3FG) points at Rider. With just four three-point makes through the opening 10 games, Fabbri has since made 14 over the last 14 games alone.

ALL-AROUND ARYN
Aryn McClure's all-around play has been one of the keys behind the Bobcats' success as she comes in with averages of 7.0 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.5 SPG and 1.5 BPG. The 2015-16 MAAC Rookie of the Year is having another solid season in multiple statistical categories as she leads the Bobcats in rebounds (150), assists (65), blocks (36) and minutes (557). Of all the players in the MAAC, McClure is the only one leading her respective team in all four aforementioned categories.

BIG NIGHT FOR SHEWAN
Sarah Shewan had herself a night against No. 25/15 Oregon State as she came up with 19 points, including 11 in the first quarter, as she accounted for nearly one-third of the Bobcats' total 60 points scored on the evening. For Shewan, the 19-point effort signaled her second double digit outing of the season while her 3-of-3 shooting from downtown gives her a new single-game career best for makes from three-point range. In her previous three games, Shewan had recorded just three points combined while she also came in with just two makes from behind the arc all season prior to finishing with three makes in her 20-minute scoring barrage.

BIG GAME PERFORMER
Adily Martucci continues to enjoy a breakout redshirt senior season for the Bobcats as she put together another solid outing against No. 25/15 Oregon State, tallying 12 points (5-12 FG) in 22 minutes while playing great defensively against All-American candidate Sydney Wiese. Martucci has shown a tendency to play her best against the best competition as she averaged a team-leading 13.3 points per game while shooting 43.8 percent (14-32 FG) in the three games the Bobcats played against high-major foes (Temple, Michigan State, Oregon State) this season. She went for eight points against the Owls, a career high 20-point night against the Spartans and most-recently 12 against the Beavers. For the season, Martucci leads the team with nine double digit point performances.

SHE GOT GAME
Jen Fay continues to dominate on the offensive end for the Bobcats as she tallied 21 points (7-10 FG, 6-6 FT) in a 79-53 win over Rider. After scoring 10+ points just once in her freshman season, Fay has notched 12 double digit outings for the Bobcats. In those 12 games, Fay is averaging 14.1 PPG while shooting a blistering 52.5 percent (62-118 FG) overall, 34.0 percent (17-50 3FG) from behind the arc and 93.3 percent (28-30 FT) from the charity stripe.

FRESHMAN FITS RIGHT IN
Given a chance at more playing time thanks to injuries in the normal Gold Rush rotation, freshman Vanessa Udoji has responded with solid outings in the 10 games in which she plays at least 10 minutes. Starting with a season high 16 points (4-7 FG, 2-5 3FG, 6-6 FT) and seven rebounds at Saint Peter's (12/1), Udoji followed that up with 13 points (6-9 FG) and five steals against Siena (12/6). A recent outing saw her finish with a solid all-around line of 12 points and four rebounds against Rider. In the 10 games where Udoji has played at least 10 minutes the rookie is averaging 7.0 PPG (41.3 FG%, 90.0 FT%), 3.0 RPG and 1.2 SPG in 16.4 MPG.

TURNING THE PAIGE
Another rookie deserving of praise for making the most of her opportunity is Paige Warfel as the freshman forward has excelled in her two games with more than 10 minutes played this season. With injuries in the consistent Gold Rush rotation, Warfel was given the chance to play major minutes in two games and she responded with 11 points (3-7 FG, 5-7 FT), seven rebounds and three steals in 19 minutes at Saint Peter's (12/1). She came back and tallied nine points (9-10 FT) with three rebounds and two steals in 20 minutes against the Peacocks at home (1/2). In those two games of significant minutes (15+), Warfel averaged 10.0 PPG (37.5 FG%, 91.7 FT%), 5.0 RPG (all offensive) and 2.5 SPG in 19.5 MPG. For the season, Warfel has grabbed 23 total rebounds, 17 of which (73.9 percent) have come on the offensive end.

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 career 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).

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.

Schedule

QU Women's Basketball Hosts MAAC Rival Marist on Thursday (ESPN3)

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Players Mentioned

Carly Fabbri

Jen Fay

Adily Martucci

Aryn McClure

Sarah Shewan

Paula Strautmane

Edel Thornton

Vanessa Udoji

Paige Warfel

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QU Women's Basketball Hosts MAAC Rival Marist on Thursday (ESPN3)

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Carly Fabbri

Jen Fay

Adily Martucci

Aryn McClure

Sarah Shewan

Paula Strautmane

Edel Thornton

Vanessa Udoji

Paige Warfel

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