#12 QU Women's Basketball Continues With NCAA Second Round Matchup at #4 Miami

2017 NCAA TOURNAMENT SECOND ROUND
#12 Quinnipiac Bobcats (28-6, 17-3 MAAC) at
#4 Miami Hurricanes (24-8, 10-6 ACC)
Date: Monday, March 20, 2017 | 9:00 PM
Location: Watsco Center | Coral Gables, Florida
All-Time Series vs. Miami: 0-2
Last Meeting vs. Miami: L, 93-48 (Dec. 28, 2010 - @ Miami)
Quinnipiac NCAA Tournament Record: 1-2

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THE BIG DANCE
The No. 12 seeded Quinnipiac women's basketball team continued their historic run in the NCAA Tournament with a Second Round matchup at No. 4 seed and host Miami on Monday night at 9:00 PM in a game that can be seen on ESPN2. The Bobcats are fresh off an exhilarating NCAA First Round upset win over No. 5 Marquette, 68-65, earning Quinnipiac their first NCAA Tournament win in program history. Standing as the lowest-seed remaining in the Round of 32, the Bobcats hope to continue their Cinderella story facing a Miami squad that needed a tiebreaking layup with 1.5 seconds remaining to get past No. 13 Florida Gulf Coast, 62-60, on Saturday afternoon.

THE SCHEDULE
Saturday, March 18, 2017 – NCAA First Round (ESPN2)
Game 1: #12 Quinnipiac vs. #5 Marquette                QU, 68-65
Game 2: #13 FGCU at #4 Miami                               MIAMI, 62-60
Monday, March 20, 2017 – NCAA Second Round (ESPN2)
Game 3: #12 Quinnipiac at #4 Miami                         9:00 PM

2017 NCAA WOMEN'S DIVISION I BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT
With its win in the 2017 MAAC Championship game, Quinnipiac earned the MAAC's automatic bid into the 2017 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament. The single-elimination playoff will be played from March 17 through April 2, 2017. There were 32 automatic bids for conference champions and 32 at-large bids – which were selected by the NCAA committee.

THE STOCKTON REGION
The No. 3 nationally-ranked South Carolina women's basketball team has been selected as the No. 1 seed in the Stockton Region of the 2017 NCAA Division I Women's Championships. No. 8 nationally-ranked Oregon State will serve as the No. 2 seed followed by No. 10 Florida State, No. 16 Miami and No. 25 Marquette round out the top five seeds.

FIRST AND SECOND ROUND REGIONS
The NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament First and Second Rounds will take place March 17-20. The sites for the First and Second Round games are Storrs, Los Angeles, College Park, Durham, Waco, Louisville, Seattle, Starkville, South Bend, Lexington, Austin, Manhattan (Kansas), Columbia, Coral Gables, Tallahassee and Corvallis.

ESPN FAMILY OF NETWORKS
ESPN networks will air all 63 games of the 2017 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship for the 12th consecutive year - beginning Friday, March 17 and running through the NCAA National Championship game on Sunday, April 2. ESPN and ESPN2 will present its telecasts in a whip-around format with home market protection through the first two rounds. ESPN3 will offer first and second round games in its entirety as a supplement to ESPN and ESPN2's coverage. The final 15 games, beginning with the Regional Semifinals, will have national telecast windows on ESPN or ESPN2.

SCOUTING REPORT: No. 16 MIAMI
- No. 4 seed Miami (24-8, 10-6 ACC) just squeaked by No. 13 FGCU, 62-60, thanks to a last second tiebreaking layup from Keyona Hayes that proved to be the different down the stretch
- Shooting 22-for-52 (42.3 percent) from the floor and only 1-of-14 (7.1 percent) from three, Miami relied on the inside game which led to a massive 17-3 edge in free throw makes for the game against FGCU
- Miami's leading scorer on the season Adrienne Motely (13.4 PPG) also fouled out with just four points in 23 minutes as it marked just the third time in Motely's career she has fouled out in a game
- With the win, Miami is now 14-20 in postseason tournaments, including 6-11 in the NCAA Tournament
- The Hurricanes have three NCAA Tournament wins in the past seven seasons after having three prior in program history
- Miami also upped its record to 7-1 at home in postseason play, including 3-0 in the NCAA Tournament
- Miami is hosting an NCAA Tournament game for the first time since 1993
- Miami is coming off a stellar run to a second consecutive ACC Tournament semifinal. After a bye in the first round, the Hurricanes downed Georgia Tech, 87-71, before knocking off then-No. 8/12 Florida State, 56-54, in the quarterfinals for the second year in a row. Miami fell to then-No. 13/11 Duke, 57-52, in the semifinals
- Miami has a pair of wins over Top-10 teams this year. The Hurricanes won, 94-89 (OT), at No. 9/10 Ohio State on Dec. 1 and beat No. 8/12 Florida State, 56-54, in the ACC Tournament on March 3. Miami, Baylor, UConn, NC State, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas are the lone teams with at least two non-home AP Top-10 victories. Iowa State, Maryland, Oregon State, Stanford, UCLA and USC are the others with an AP Top-10 road triumph
- Jessica Thomas and Adrienne Motley were named Second Team All-ACC by the Blue Ribbon Panel. Miami last had two All-ACC players in 2013 and Motley is the sixth Hurricane with three-plus all-league awards
- Adrienne Motley ranks sixth all-time at Miami with 1,835 points, Jessica Thomas is No. 16 with 1,256 and Keyona Hayes checks in at No. 21 with 1,120. This is the second time in program history, joining the 1998-99 season, Miami has three active 1,000-point scorers on the same team
- With a 79-56 win at Wake Forest on Feb. 2, Katie Meier earned career victory No. 300. One of two coaches with over 200 wins at Miami, she has led the Hurricanes to a 181-81 (.691) mark since 2009-10, including 159-67 (.704) since 2010-11
- Miami shoots well from the floor (44.3 FG% - 33^rd-best in the nation) but struggles from the free throw line (66.7 FT%, 255^th)
- The three-point shot isn't a large part of the Miami offense as the Hurricanes make 6.3 three-pointers while shooting 34.2 percent from behind the arc as a team
- A balanced team, only two Miami players average double figures in scoring led by Adrienne Motely (13.4 PPG) and Jessica Thomas (12.6 PPG)
- Motley is an all-around threat at the point guard position, shooting 42.3 percent overall and 37.7 percent from three while adding 2.7 assists in 30 minutes per game
- Only Motley and Thomas are averaging 30+ minutes per game as the Hurricanes are deep, registering 748 bench points this season (24.4 per game)
- Keyona Hayes dominated the scoring load, going for 16 points and 10 rebounds while shooting 7-for-11 from the floor as the dominating post presence played a huge role in the NCAA First Round win over FGCU

LAST GAME RECAP – NCAA FIRST ROUND (QU 68, MU 65)
Making history certainly was not easy. Facing a Marquette team that came in averaging nearly 80 points per game (79.3, 14^th-highest scoring team in NCAA), the Bobcats stymied a lethal Golden Eagle squad (one that came in winners of eight straight games) throughout and made dynamic plays with the pressure at its highest. Armed with a 19-point lead with just under 16 minutes remaining, the Quinnipiac faithful expected a Marquette run and the Golden Eagles quickly drew back to within three with 6:53 remaining. Both teams then went back-and-forth as the Bobcats held a slim 65-63 lead with under one minute to go. With the ball in the hands of Marquette's dynamic guard Natisha Hiedeman (28 points in BIG EAST Championship), the sophomore pulled up from 18-feet but was met by an emphatic Adily Martucci block. Still with a chance to tie the game with 2.6 seconds left, Hiedeman rose up for a game-tying three that rimmed in and out of the basket, securing the Bobcats' first NCAA Tournament victory in program history.

HISTORIC VICTORY
- 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's basketball, men's ice hockey and men's lacrosse)
- Quinnipiac became the 23^rd 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

STILL DANCING
Quinnipiac heads into the NCAA Second Round as the lowest-seeded team still remaining in the field while standing as one of just two double digit seeds (No. 10 Oregon) left in the NCAA Tournament. The Bobcats also carry the flag as the lone remaining mid-major program still left in the field with a chance at a Sweet 16 berth.

FAY'S FABULOUS DAY
Coming into the 2016-17 season with a career high of 11 points, Fay has blossomed into an elite scorer currently leading the team with 10.5 PPG. Fay broke out in the NCAA First Round with 20 points (9-16 FG) to lead the Bobcats past No. 5 Marquette. Fay's third career 20-point game stands as the second-highest scoring total by a Bobcat in an NCAA Tournament game in program history (Jasmine Martin scored 24 vs. No. 5 Oklahoma in 2015).

LET'S GET OFFENSIVE
Quinnipiac picked a great time to turn in one of their best offensive outputs of the season as the Bobcats were incredible in shooting 52.8 percent (28-53 FG) from the floor and 59.4 percent (19-32 FG) in the first half alone. The Bobcats' 26-point first quarter was their highest-scoring opening stanza of the season while the 43-point first half is the highest-scoring first half for Quinnipiac all season. As a team, Quinnipiac dished out 20 assists on 28 made field goals, marking the 10^th 20+ assist game for the Bobcats in 2016-17 who rank 28^th in the nation in assists per game (16.1).

PAULA PUTTIN IN WORK
Strautmane picked the NCAA Tournament to break out of a scoring slump as the sophomore played big, finishing with 15 points (11 in the second half) while shooting 5-of-6 from the floor and 5-of-6 at the free throw line. The 15-point mark tied for Strautmane's second-highest scoring total of the season (32 games played) while it marked her most points scored in the last 14 games (scored 16 vs. Manhattan on Jan. 10, 2017). Her play was crucial down the stretch as she either scored or assisted on 11 of the final 12 points for the Bobcats.

ANOTHER NATIONAL POSTSEASON APPEARANCE
Quinnipiac's third trip to the NCAA Tournament marks 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's first-ever victory in a national postseason tournament.

NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY (2015 – OU 111, QU 84 – First Round – Palo Alto, CA)
Earning a No. 12 seed, Quinnipiac faced No. 5 Oklahoma on the campus of Stanford University and fell in the NCAA First Round, 111-84. The Sooners shot a blistering 55.6 percent (40-for-72) from the floor, including 61.8 percent (21-for-34) in the first half, while hitting 13 three-pointers. On the other hand, Oklahoma's size and speed forced Quinnipiac into 34.8 percent shooting (23-for-66) overall. The Bobcats did still manage to stay true to their identity and play with aggression as Quinnipiac shot a season-high 33 free throws (26 makes) but the hot shooting of the Sooners was just too much to overcome. Jasmine Martin tallied a game high 24 points (8-14 FG, 4-6 3FG) while Gillian Abshire hit a career high four three-pointers but the offensive barrage from the Sooners was just too much to overcome.

NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY (2013 – UMD 72, QU 52 – First Round – College Park, MD)
Despite playing in one of the nation's toughest places to play, Quinnipiac didn't show any nerves early on. Sparked by three triples from Ellen Cannon, Quinnipiac went up early, 15-8, midway through the first half. Brittany McQuain bumped the lead to nine, the largest of the game for the Bobcats, 21-12, with seven minutes remaining, as Quinnipiac held the Terrapins to just 24 percent (5-21) from the floor during the stretch. A quiet Maryland crowd soon came back to life though, as the Terrapins erased the nine-point deficit with a 9-0 run and carried a 27-23 lead into the locker room at halftime. Maryland scored six quick points to start the second half, putting the Terps up by double-digits, 33-23. Lisa Lebak buried a three to cut it to seven, but the Terrapins, spearheaded by Alyssa Thomas, boasted an 8-0 run to extend their lead to 15 points, 41-26, with 13:30 remaining. Quinnipiac wouldn't get closer than 13 points for the remainder of the game. Felicia Barron led the Bobcats with 13 points and seven steals.

MAAC CHAMPIONSHIP RECAP (QU 81, RIDER 73)
Sophomore forward Aryn McClure had a career-high 28 points to lead the top-seeded Quinnipiac women's basketball team to an 81-73 win over second-seeded Rider in the 2017 MAAC Women's Basketball Championship finals from the Times Union Center on Monday, March 6. Quinnipiac appeared to be coasting to the championship, leading by double figures for almost the entire fourth quarter. However, Rider went on a 10-0 run over just 27 seconds to pull within 72-68 with 1:06 remaining, forcing a pair of turnovers in the backcourt with their full court press. McClure was fouled on the next possession and hit a pair of pressure foul shots with 1:05 left to push the lead to six, and sophomore forward Paula Strautmane had two key blocks and a defensive rebound on the other end to prevent the Broncs from getting closer. Quinnipiac was then able to hit its free throws down the stretch to hold on for the 81-73 win and the automatic NCAA berth. McClure's 28-point total is the second-highest scoring postseason game by a Bobcat in program history while she went 12-of-14 from the free throw line which stands as the most free throws made by a Bobcat in over two seasons.

MAAC MVP
Adily Martucci stepped up to the plate in a big way as she earned MAAC Tournament MVP honors after leading the Bobcats to the conference title, the third conference title in Martucci's career. Throughout the three-game tournament, Martucci led all Bobcats in scoring at 16.3 points per game while shooting 43.2 percent (19-for-44) overall, 30 percent (3-for-10) from three and a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line. Her 49 points, solid ball-handling (seven assists against one turnover), workhorse mentality (113 minutes played out of a possible 120) and stellar defensive play (four steals in title game) guided the Bobcats and led the way to Quinnipiac's third NCAA Tournament berth in program history.

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. 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.

THE 2016-17 SEASON
Quinnipiac finished 24-6 overall and 17-3 in league play to earn the 2016-17 MAAC Regular Season Championship and the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament. Quinnipiac clinched its third straight MAAC Regular Season title, winning seven straight games down the stretch to edge out Rider (16-4 MAAC) for the top spot in the standings. The regular season title is the Bobcats' fourth in the five years dating back to the 2012-13 campaign where Quinnipiac was crowned the NEC Regular Season Champions. The Bobcats join 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. Earlier this season, the Bobcats clinched their sixth straight 20-win season, an accomplishment only 19 teams in the nation can currently boast.

BIG TIME OPPONENT
The Bobcats are 1-9 all-time against nationally-ranked competition and own an all-time mark of 7-31 against teams in high-major conferences (ACC, BIG EAST, Big 12, B1G, Pac-12 and SEC). Quinnipiac's NCAA First Round victory over a Marquette squad that came in ranked No. 25 in the most-recent USA Today Coaches' Poll signaled the first win over a nationally-ranked foe in program history. The Bobcats have six remaining wins over high-major foes coming against Alabama, Minnesota, Providence (twice), St. John's (NY) and Syracuse. Quinnipiac stands with an all-time mark of 0-9 against ACC competition.

ALL-TEAM-FIRST MENTALITY
Quinnipiac has long preached the mantra of team-first and this 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 the second 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 three seasons, 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.

DEFENSE LOOKING GOOD
Quinnipiac's defense has led the MAAC all season as the Bobcats are allowing 56.9 points per game (26^th-best mark in the nation). If that average were to stand through the end of the season, that would signal a new program record for fewest points allowed per game in a single-season. Quinnipiac has allowed fewer than 60 points per game just three times 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 35.9 percent (22^nd-best in the nation) while also ranking 16^th in the nation in steals per game (11.1). Allowing 0.767 points per possession (best in the MAAC), Quinnipiac has held opponents to fewer than 70 points in 29 of 34 games this season including 20 of the last 21 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).

11 STRAIGHT
Quinnipiac broke out of the two-game losing streak and turned into a simply dominant team in the current 11-game win streak. In that span, Quinnipiac scrapped the five-in, five-out "Gold Rush" subbing pattern and is averaging 69.0 PPG (42.0 FG%) while outscoring the opposition by an average margin of +14.0. The most noteworthy stat in that span is from the three-point line as the Bobcats are hitting 34.7 percent (82-236 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 the season. Aryn McClure (12.9 PPG, Adily Martucci (12.5 PPG and Jen Fay (10.7 PPG) are spearheading the revival averaging over the 10+ PPG average.

HITTING THAT MAGIC NUMBER
Quinnipiac's 76-60 win over Siena (2/12) clinched yet another 20-win campaign for Head Coach Tricia Fabbri. The 11^th20-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. Currently, 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 157-45 for a .777 win percentage which ranks as the 15^th-best overall mark in the nation.

RPI REPORT
Through 34 games in 2016-17, Quinnipiac continues to get tons of respect in the RPI ranking list as the Bobcats check in at No. 32 in the most-recent report. Out of the 31 teams ranked ahead of Quinnipiac, 28 of those are high-major programs as the Bobcats are fourth-highest among mid-majors. Quinnipiac also owns easily the highest RPI among MAAC teams as the next-closest squad Rider comes in ranked No. 109 while Iona is third at No. 148 (349 teams ranked).

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 (80 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.

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 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 four seasons and stand 58-22 (.725) in regular season MAAC play.

TOP SPOT IN THE MAAC
Through 34 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 (68.2), scoring defense (56.9), scoring margin (+11.3), field goal percentage defense (35.9), blocked shots (4.9), assists (16.1), steals (11.1), turnover margin (+5.47) and assist/turnover ratio (1.10).

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 64-7 (.901) in games played at home. In just the last three seasons (since 2014-15), Quinnipiac owns a mark of 39-3 (.929). That mark easily ranks as the best in the MAAC while it also places them with the 10th-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 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 are 21-2 in the 2016-17 season to give Quinnipiac a mark of 66-2 (.971) 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 +186 advantage (+5.47 per game; 21^st in the nation) in turnover margin. The Bobcats have turned the ball over just 498 times while forcing the opposition into 698 turnovers (20.5 per game) which ranks 17^th in the nation. Just 16 of the Bobcats' 34 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 34 opponents 662-431 (+231) in points-off-turnovers.

THAT 70+ SHOW
Since the 2007-08 season, Quinnipiac is 132-15 (.898) in games wherein the Bobcats score 70 or more points, including a 13-1 mark in 2015-16 and 56-2 (.966) 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 and are currently 15-0 when scoring 70+ points in the 2016-17 campaign.

Quinnipiac's Record in Games Scoring 70+ Points Since 2007-08
Season                                                                 Record
2016-17 15-0
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)                                                132-15 (.898

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 34 games in 2016-17, the pattern is showing through as the Bobcats lead the MAAC and rank 47^th in the nation in assist/turnover ratio (1.10).

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	34	28-6	549	16.1	498	14.6	1.10	47th	1st (MAAC)
Total	170	135-35	2868	16.9	2393	14.1	1.20

WAR OF ATTRITION
Quinnipiac has outscored the opposition 2318-1933 (+3853, +11.6 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 33 games in every quarter but in the second (534-397, +137), third (622-496, +126) and fourth (640-548, +92) quarters are where the advantages really jump out compared to the first stanza (522-492, +30).

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 eight players are averaging at least five 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 (68.2) and have the second-fewest 10+ PPG scorers in the conference as Adily Martucci (10.6) and Jen Fay (10.2) are the lone Quinnipiac players averaging double figures in points. Saint Peter's is the only 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 ranks first on the team in scoring (10.5 PPG). Credit Fay's production in MAAC play as a leading indication to her spike in scoring as she led the team averaging 10.9 points in 21.1 minutes per contest in 20 conference games. Fay shot 47.2 percent (77-163 FG) overall and 37.9 percent (25-66 3FG) from three. She posted 12 double digit outings in 20 league games and scored at least seven points in all but one MAAC contest this season.

SHE GOT GAME
Jen Fay continues to dominate on the offensive end for the Bobcats as she tallied 16 points (5-9 FG, 3-5 3FG) in the title win over Rider (3/6). After scoring 10+ points just once in her freshman season, Fay has notched 18 double digit outings for the Bobcats. In those 18 games, Fay is averaging 14.1 PPG while shooting a blistering 52.0 percent (93-179 FG) overall, 42.5 percent (31-73 3FG) from behind the arc and 83.3 percent (35-42 FT) from the charity stripe.

PAULA POWERING THROUGH THE MAAC
Conference play marked the beginning of Paula Strautmane's dominance this season as the sophomore averaged 9.4 points (40.8 FG%), 6.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.3 blocks in 19.8 minutes over 18 league appearances (missed final two MAAC games due to injury). Her production in the conference was a big key to success as she has compiled nine of her 12 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 3.6 fouls per game in 10 non-conference games but has lowered that average to 2.9 fouls per game in 18 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 28 games the Bobcats have won this season, Strautmane averages 9.2 PPG (44.2 FG%), 5.6 RPG, 2.2 APG, SPG and 1.6 BPG in 20.0 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 has reached double figures 13 times this season and the Bobcats are 12-1 (.923) in those contests.

POINTS FOR HER ARE A SHEWAN
Sarah Shewan is beginning to find her niche on the offensive end across the Bobcats' 11-game win streak as she is posting 9.0 PPG while adding 7.0 RPG in 21.5 MPG. Within the 11-game win streak, Shewan has tallied five of her nine double digit scoring games on the season while her field goal percentage (40.2 FG%, 33-82 FG) has improved drastically from where it stood through the first 23 games of the season (32.1 FG%, 50-156 FG).

DOUBLE-DOUBLE MACHINE
Sarah Shewan has picked up her play considerably in the win streak and even more in the five most-recent games. After posting just one double-double in her first 98 career appearances, Shewan went off for back-to-back double-doubles in wins over Marist (10 points, career high 14 rebounds) and Canisius (16 points, 12 rebounds) to finish the regular season. She nearly notched her third straight with nine points and eight rebounds in the MAAC Quarterfinal win over Canisius and followed that up with five points and eight rebounds against Iona in the MAAC Semifinals and finished with seven points and five rebounds in the MAAC title game against Rider. Out of Shewan's 48 rebounds (9.6 RPG) in that span, 22 have come on the offensive end (45.8 percent) as she is averaging 4.4 offensive rebounds in the last five games.

MARTUCCI MAKING HER MARK
Adily Martucci posted another strong performance with 16 points while adding four rebounds and three assists in a win over Rider (3/6). Martucci has been a key player in the recent nine-game win streak as she is averaging a team-leading 13.6 PPG while reaching the 10-point plateau nine times in the stretch. Martucci's team-leading 19^th double-digit outing of the season continues a season-long trend that has the guard producing career highs in scoring (10.6 PPG), free throw percentage (90.9) and steals (1.7).

FABBRI FINDING HER WAY
Coming off a breakout 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 6.8 PPG on a much-improved 40.3 percent (32-80 3FG) shooting from long range in the last 24 games. With just four three-point makes through the opening 10 games, Fabbri has since made 32 over the last 24 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 8.8 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 2.8 APG, 1.6 BPG and 1.5 SPG. The 2015-16 MAAC Rookie of the Year is having another solid season in multiple statistical categories as she leads the Bobcats in rebounds (203), assists (94) and blocks (54). Of all the players in the MAAC, McClure is the only one leading her respective team in all three aforementioned categories.

FINDING HER IRISH GROOVE
Edel Thornton has picked up the pace and carved out a larger role as the sophomore point guard is averaging 3.9 PPG while shooting 44.2 percent (19-43 FG) from the floor and 37.9 percent (11-29 3FG) from behind the arc over the last 15 games. Thornton has also fine-tuned her playmaking abilities as she has also dished out 39 assists against 19 turnovers (2.05 assist/turnover ratio) in those 15 contests.

McCLURE'S MOMENT
A key lynchpin in two dominating wins over Marist (79-57) and Siena (76-60), Aryn McClure picked up her second MAAC Player of the Week honor of the season last Monday. The sophomore dominated early and often, notching consecutive season high point totals as she scored 16 against Marist and went for 21 in the win over Siena. Averaging 18.5 points over the 2-0 week, McClure was efficient from the floor going 16-for-33 (48.5 percent) overall while hitting on the first three-pointer of her career (missed first 22 career attempts). Her primetime performance came in the win over Siena as she tallied 13 of her 21 points in the fourth quarter as she scored 13 of the Bobcats' 16 points in a span of 6:33 in the final quarter.

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.

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.

MASTERING MARIST
In one of the all-time greatest defensive performances in program history, Quinnipiac dominated Marist 70-36 in a 34-point road drubbing of the traditional MAAC power Red Foxes. Combined with the Bobcats' 79-57 home win over Marist back on February 9, Quinnipiac has handed the Red Foxes their two most lopsided losses to MAAC foes in the last 13 seasons. The last time Marist lost to a MAAC foe by more than 22 points came back on February 14, 2003 in a 90-56 road loss to Niagara (296 games ago).

PRETTY NOTEWORTHY DEFENSIVE EFFORT

The list of noteworthy defensive stats is quite extensive but none more impressive than Quinnipiac allowing traditional MAAC power Marist to score their fewest points in a conference game ever (program started 1981-82).
The 36 Marist points scored is the fourth-fewest allowed by Quinnipiac since the program joined the NCAA Division I ranks in 1998-99 and stands as just the seventh time allowing less than 40 points in a game in the program's Div. I history.
In addition, Quinnipiac allowed Marist to score just 10 points in the first half (Bobcats led 26-10 at the halftime break) which equates to the fewest points allowed in a half by the Bobcats in QU's Div. I history (previous low of 12 twice – at CCSU 1-14-10, vs. RMU 2-27-06).
Marist was held to just one point in the second quarter, a total that easily stands as the fewest points allowed in a single-quarter in program history (prev. low of 4 twice).
Marist's 36 points is their second-fewest scored at home (record-low of 32 scored in a loss to Hartford on Dec. 12, 2007) in program history and the 34-point margin of defeat is their second-largest ever to a conference foe (record losing margin of 44 in a 90-56 loss to Niagara on Feb. 14, 2003).

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 8-0 against MAAC competition this season, proved the right antidote as the Bobcats finished with their most single-game made three-pointer totals of the season in wins over Monmouth (13) and Marist (14). Shooting 27-for-60 from long range in the last two games, Quinnipiac has tallied their most triples (27) in a two-game span since hitting on 27 in a span between March 1 and March 6 of the 2014-15 season (60 games ago). The 27 made three-pointers is more than the Bobcats had hit in the previous five games combined (23).

THAT'S NO SMALL FEAT
In one of the most astonishing single-game trends seen in recent memory, after Niagara attempted a season high 33 free throws in the first meeting between these two teams this season (QU won 71-64), the Bobcats held the Purple Eagles without a single free throw attempt in the 40-minute contest. That accomplishment marks the first time in the program's Div. I history (since 1998-99) that Quinnipiac has held their opponent without a free throw make or attempt in a single-game. The previous program record came when the Bobcats held Saint Joseph's to just 1-of-2 shooting from the line in an 84-69 loss to the Hawks on Dec. 1, 2013.

RIFLING PAST RIDER
Coming off a 61-58 loss to Monmouth on Thursday in a game in which the Bobcats shot a season-low 25.3 percent from the floor, Quinnipiac finished the battle between the two top teams in the MAAC with their third-highest field goal percentage (43.9, 29-66 FG) through 20 games on the season on their way to a 79-53 win over Rider (1/21).

MAAC LEADER LOCKING DOWN
Quinnipiac's MAAC-leading scoring defense (58 points allowed per game) proved too much for the Broncs as the game-deciding 16-minute stretch saw the Bobcats hold Rider to just seven points on 2-for-23 (8.7 FG%) shooting with 12 turnovers. Igniting the +26 swing was a string of 15 straight missed shots for the Broncs from the 8:48 mark of the second quarter to the 5:16 mark of the third (span of 13:32) during which the Bobcats outscored Rider, 18-2. Keying the resounding victory over a Rider team that had come in winners of five out of six, including a home win over Iona and road wins over Siena and Marist, was a standout defensive effort that held the top-shooting team in the MAAC to their third-lowest field goal percentage (34.6) of the season and their worst single-game shooting performance in 10 MAAC games.

REBOUNDING RATE THROUGH THE ROOF
Despite a 61-58 loss at Monmouth (1/19), Quinnipiac cleaned up on the glass grabbing a season high 58 rebounds (25 offensive) in the losing effort. The single-game total stands as the most in a game since Quinnipiac totaled 64 in the 2014-15 season against Monmouth at home (Jan. 4, 2015 – 73 games ago). Morgan Manz was the primary beneficiary as she tallied a new career high 10 rebounds while Aryn McClure picked up 11 rebounds for her fourth double digit rebounding effort of the season.

JUST A FEW NOTES ON THAT MANHATTAN WIN

Quinnipiac's unbeaten streak hitting six games was a mere side note in this one-sided affair as the Jaspers' 38 points signal the fewest points allowed by the Bobcats to a MAAC opponent since joining the league in 2013-14 (77 games). The last time Quinnipiac allowed fewer points in a league game back on Jan. 23, 2012 in a 71-34 road win over Sacred Heart.
Now a member of the NCAA Division I ranks for 19 seasons (since 1998-99), the 81-38 score marked just the fifth time in 559 games as a Div. I program that the Bobcats have allowed fewer than 40 points to an opponent.
The 38 points allowed stands as the fewest point scored by a Bobcat opponent since defeating Saint Francis (PA), 72-33, in the 2013 Northeast Conference Championship (March 17, 2013 – 120 games ago).
The stifling defensive effort, combined with steady offensive play throughout, led to what became the fourth-largest victory for Quinnipiac since joining Div. I. The 43-point victory falls three short of the Bobcats' 90-44 WNIT First Round win over Maine last season for the largest win in the program's Div. I history.
The margin does stand as the largest to a MAAC foe and the most in a conference game since defeating Wagner 79-35 (Feb. 9, 2008 – 163 games ago) as a member of the NEC.

GETTING AFTER THE GLASS
A significant edge in rebounding also helped aid in the Bobcats overcoming a poor shooting night as Quinnipiac owned a massive 54-35 (+19) edge in the rebounding department including a sizeable +17 advantage (26-9) on the offensive glass in a 64-53 win at Canisius (1/7). That +19 advantage is the largest single-game margin for the Bobcats since finishing +20 in a 96-54 win over Rider back on Feb. 7, 2015 (61 games ago). Quinnipiac's 26 offensive rebounds are the most for the Bobcats since totaling 30 against Manhattan on Dec. 6, 2015 (41 games ago) while the 54 team rebounds is the largest total grabbing 55 at Monmouth on March 1, 2015 (53 games ago).

NOTHING GOOD DOWNTOWN…NO WORRIES
Typically one of the strongest three-point shooting teams in the MAAC, Quinnipiac struggled mightily in their 71-64 win over Niagara (1/5) as the Bobcats finished just 2-for-23 (8.7 percent) from the three-point line for the game. That single-game total of two three-point field goal makes marks the fewest three-pointers made by the Bobcats in a winning effort since finishing just 1-for-11 in a 71-59 win at Rider back on Jan. 3, 2014 (102 games ago). On a percentage basis, the last time Quinnipiac shot worse than 8.7 percent from three in a win was all the way back on Jan. 7, 2012 when the Bobcats finished just 1-for-12 (8.3 percent) in a 59-43 victory over St. Francis Brooklyn.

HOW BOUT THAT COMEBACK THOUGH
Trailing by eight to start the fourth quarter, Quinnipiac stormed back with a 29-14 run in the final 10 minutes of play to claim a 71-64 road win over Niagara (1/5). Significant on many levels, Quinnipiac's eight-point deficit is the largest fourth quarter deficit overcome since the move to quarters over halves prior to the start of the 2015-16 season. The largest deficit overcome prior to the eight-point comeback was a six-point margin overcome in a 62-61 home win over Iona back on Feb. 12, 2016.

STILL GOTTA EARN 'EM EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE FREE
An absolute monstrous day at the free throw line for the Bobcats against Saint Peter's (1/2) led to a 28-for-36 performance for the game. The 28 made free throws was significant for the Bobcats in that Quinnipiac had not reached such a total in a single-game since going 32-for-39 back on Nov. 16, 2012 (149 games ago). Even just the 36 attempts from the free throw line stands out as the Bobcats hadn't attempted that many in the same 149-game span.

GOOD POINT
Quinnipiac went for a season high 91 points in a road win over Rider (12/30) that included season-bests in field goals made (31), field goal percentage (53.4) and free throws made (24). The 91-point night is tied for the eighth-most points scored in a single-game since Quinnipiac joined the NCAA Div. I ranks (1998-99) while it also marks the first time the Bobcats have gone over 90 points in a game this season as the previous season-high was in a 84-51 win at Saint Peter's (12/1). In the last four seasons (since 2013-14), Quinnipiac has scored 90+ points eight times, in the previous 15 seasons the Bobcats scored 90+ points just three times since joining Div. I.

I'LL TAKE A MCCLURE-Y WITH THAT
Finishing with her first double-double of the season at Rider (12/30), McClure stuffed the stat sheet with 14 points (5-11 FG) and 11 rebounds to go along with four assists and four steals in 27 minutes. McClure notched the first double-double for a Bobcat on the season and the fifth of her career. Eight of McClure's 14 points came in the fourth quarter including a pair of buckets early in the frame to fight off a pesky Rider squad threatening to reclaim the lead.

PLAY4KAY RECAP
Quinnipiac closed its run in the inaugural Play4Kay Shootout with a third place finish and 2-1 record playing against one of the most talented in-season tournament fields the Bobcats have ever seen. In a field that included two nationally-ranked teams (Oregon State, South Florida) as well as high-major Oklahoma State and several consistent mid-major powers (UNLV, New Mexico State, Long Beach State, Santa Clara), Quinnipiac managed two thrilling victories and a closely played loss to No. 25/15 Oregon State. The Bobcats began the tournament with a 49-46 victory over preseason WAC favorite New Mexico State. In the second round, Quinnipiac trailed the nationally-ranked Beavers by just six points at the start of the fourth quarter before ultimately falling, 75-60. The third place game was an epic back-and-forth duel as Quinnipiac pulled out the 63-60 victory over Long Beach State, an opponent who had defeated nationally-ranked South Florida in the first round. Adily Martucci earned All-Tournament honors after leading the Bobcats with 26 points across the three-game tournament.

THE RAREST OF FEATS
In a 49-46 win over New Mexico State to open the Play4Kay Shootout, Quinnipiac accomplished a feat seen before just once in the program's all-time history. Scoring just 49 points and defeating the Aggies by three, for just the second time in program history and first in the Div. I era (since 1998-99), the Bobcats won a game in which they scored less than 50 points. Incredibly, the Bobcats' last victory coming with less than 50 points scored came in the program's first-ever game, a 48-34 win over Hartford back on Jan. 27, 1975 (1,117 games ago).

IN THEIR DEFENSE
Quinnipiac's stellar defensive play carried the Bobcats in a 49-46 win over New Mexico State in the Play4Kay Shootout. The 46 points scored for the Aggies is the lowest total for a Bobcat opponent since allowing Fairfield to score 43 back on Jan. 15, 2015 (60 games ago). Turnovers loomed large as New Mexico State was forced into 28 while dishing out just four assists (0.14 assist/turnover ratio). New Mexico State came in leading the WAC in assist/turnover ratio (0.96) and hadn't coughed the ball up that many times since committing 31 turnovers on Nov. 19, 2015.

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.

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.

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.

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#12 QU Women's Basketball Continues With NCAA Second Round Matchup at #4 Miami

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Players Mentioned

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