Bobcats Advance! Big Fourth Leads QU Women's Basketball Past Miami, Into Matchup with UConn

Saturday, March 17

Storrs, CT / Gampel Pavilion

1:17 PM

Quinnipiac University

28-5

Miami (FL)

21-11

Team	1	2	3	4	F
Quinnipiac	14	18	21	33	86
Miami	17	18	19	18	72

Bobcats Advance! Big Fourth Leads QU Women's Basketball Past Miami, Into Matchup with UConn

3/17/2018 3:01:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

By: QU Athletic Communications

STORRS, Conn. - The No. 9-seeded Quinnipiac women's basketball team scored 33 points in the fourth quarter to break open a close game and capture an 86-72 win over No. 8 Miami in the opening round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament on Saturday afternoon at Gampel Pavilion on the campus of the University of Connecticut.

The game was close for the entire first three quarters, and then the Bobcats used an 8-0 run to turn a 60-59 deficit into a 67-60 lead with 5:18 to play. Junior guard Edel Thornton contributed the final five points during the run on her way to 14 points, one of six Bobcats to score in double figures, the first time this season that the Bobcats have had six players with 10 or more..Junior guard Aryn McClure just missed a triple-double with 13 points, nine rebounds and nine assists

Quinnipiac (28-5) won its 23rd game in a row and knocked out Miami for the second straight NCAA Tournament, after also beating the Hurricanes in Miami last year to advance to the Sweet 16. This year's win moves the Bobcats into the Round of 32, where they will meet No. 1 UConn on Monday night in only the second-ever meeting between the in-state rivals. The first was way back in 1998-99, Quinnipiac's first season in Division I.

SCORE
No. 9 Quinnipiac 86 / No. 8 Miami 72
RECORDS
Quinnipiac (28-5) | Miami (21-11)
LOCATION
Harry A. Gampel Pavilion / Storrs, Conn.

BOBCATS STATISTICAL LEADERS

Points: Fay 19, Strautmane 15, Fabbri 14, Thornton 14, McClure 13, Martin 11
Rebounds: McClure 9, Strautmane 6, Fay 6, Martin 4
Assists: McClure 9, Three tied with 2
Steals: McClure 3, Fabbri 2, Three tied with 1
Blocks: McClure 3, Strautmane 1

NOTES

With the win over Miami, Quinnipiac has now advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the second season in a row.
It is also the second season in a row where Quinnipiac has defeated Miami in the NCAA Tournament, as last season the No. 12 seeded Bobcats upset the No. 4 seeded Hurricanes, 85-78, in the second round of the tournament.
The victory is Quinnipiac's third NCAA Tournament win in two seasons.
The win improves Quinnipiac's all-time record in the NCAA Tournament to 3-3.
The victory is Quinnipiac's 23rd in a row.
The Bobcats' 23-game win streak is the fourth longest active streak in the nation.
Quinnipiac's 23 consecutive wins sets a new program record, surpassing the previous record of 22 wins in a row which was set during the 2013-14 season.
Six different players scored in double-figures with Jen Fay leading the way with 19 points and added six rebounds.
It is the first time this season where six different players scored in double-figures.
Paula Strautmane added 15 points and six rebounds in the win, Carly Fabbri scored 14 points on 4-6 shooting from beyond the arc and Edel Thornton added 14 points.
Aryn McClure narrowly missed a triple-double by scoring 13 points, dishing out nine assists and grabbing nine rebounds.
Brittany Martin scored all 11 of her points in the second half.
Quinnipiac and Miami played a close first quarter, with the Hurricanes taking a slim 17-14 lead into the second quarter.
Thornton scored seven of Quinnipiac's 14 points in the first quarter.
The Bobcats opened the second quarter with a 10-6 run to take a 24-23 lead with 6:50 remaining in the first half.
Miami outscored Quinnipiac 12-9 the remainder of the quarter and took a 35-32 lead into the half.
Thornton lead an Quinnipiac scorers at the half with nine points, while Fay added eight.
After Quinnipiac fell behind 47-41 with 5:14 remaining in the third quarter, the Bobcats outscored Miami 12-7 to close the quarter trailing the the Hurricanes 54-53.
Strautmane scored seven of Quinnipiac's 12 points during the run.
Strautmane scored 10 of her 15 points in the third quarter.
The Bobcats opened the fourth quarter with a 21-7 run over a span of 6:12 to take a 74-61 lead with 4:25 remaining.
Martin, Fay, Strautmane and Thornton combined to score all 21 points for the Bobcats with Martin leading the way with seven points.
The run was sparked after the Bobcats took their first lead of the second half after Martin drilled a mid-range jumper to put Quinnipiac up 55-54 with 8:59 remaining in the fourth quarter.
The Bobcats took a 65-60 lead with 5:53 remaining in the fourth after Thornton was fouled and scored on a layup. Thornton nailed the free throw after.
Thornton followed that with another layup on a foul on the next possession to put the Bobcats up 67-60.
The run was capped after Fay put the Bobcats up 72-61 after nailing a three-pointer with 4:19 remaining in the fourth.
The game was essentially put out of reach after Fabbri drilled a three-pointer to put Quinnipiac 80-65 with 1:48 to go.

NEXT UP
The No. 9 seeded Quinnipiac women's basketball team will be back in action on Monday, March 19 when they take on in-state rival and No. 1 seeded UConn at 6:30 p.m. at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Connecticut.