Bobcats Battle Broncs on ESPNU Thursday, Host Manhattan Saturday

Thursday, January 9

Lawrenceville, NJ / Alumni Gym

11:00 AM

Quinnipiac University

Rider

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Photo by: Rob Rasmussen / P8Photos.com

Bobcats Battle Broncs on ESPNU Thursday, Host Manhattan Saturday

1/8/2020 1:52:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Nationally Televised Contest Headlines Second Week of MAAC Play for Women's Basketball

By: QU Athletic Communications

HAMDEN, Conn. - Paige Warfel takes consecutive double-doubles into Lawrenceville, New Jersey on Thursday as she and the Quinnipiac women's basketball team visit the Rider Broncs for a nationally-televised Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference matchup. The game, broadcast on ESPNU, will begin at 11:00 a.m. at Rider's Alumni Gymnasium.

Quinnipiac then returns home to begin a three-game homestand with a contest against the Manhattan Jaspers on Saturday afternoon. The Bobcats and Jaspers will tip off at 4:00 p.m. at the People's United Center.

GAME NOTES

THE SERIES WITH RIDER
In 15 total matchups since December 2, 2012, the Bobcats have never lost to the Rider in the all-time series between the two teams. Last season, Quinnipiac outscored Rider 138-116 in two contests.

THE SERIES WITH MANHATTAN
The Jaspers are one of just six MAAC teams that have defeated the Bobcats at least once, with Manhattan's one win coming in December of the 2015-16 season.The Bobcats are 12-1 in the all-time series, including six straight wins dating back to February 23, 2016.

SCOUTING RIDER
Senior Stella Johnson became the all-time leading scorer in Rider women's basketball history thanks to pouring in a game-high 24 points in an 81-37 victory at Iona on Saturday afternoon. The game marked the sixth straight game and the seventh time this season that the Broncs have had three players score in double figures. Rider is 7-0 when three players score 10 or more points in a game.

SCOUTING MANHATTAN
Manhattan ranks second in the MAAC in scoring defense, holding opponents to 61 points per game. The Jaspers are also the conference leaders in three-point field goal percentage defense (.286), while ranking second in blocked shots per game (3.3) and leading the MAAC in steals per game (9.6). Freshman Emily LaPointe (Staten Island, NY / Staten Island Academy) earned her fourth MAAC Rookie of the Week award on January 6 after a career performance against Canisius. It is the most of all MAAC freshmen. LaPointe leads the squad in scoring, averaging 11.3 points per game (18th in the MAAC). She also ranks ninth in the MAAC for three-pointers made (1.8 per game), and 11th for steals per game (1.6).

EARLY TESTS
Quinnipiac's first eight opponents had a combined record of 54-30, which is good for the nation's 43rd-toughest schedule (1st in the MAAC) so far this season.

DOUBLE DIPPING
Taylor Herd and Shaq Edwards both scored 10+ points in each of Quinnipiac's first two games this season. They are the first Bobcats duo since Adily Martucci and Aryn McClure in 2016 to record two double-digit games to open the season.

CAN'T BEAT SHAQ!
In addition to the opening two games, Edwards scored 14 more points in game three against Bucknell, making her the first player in Quinnipiac's Division I history to score 10+ points in her first three games as a Bobcat.

The junior added a career-best 22 points against Rhode Island, 20 at Hartford, 19 against Harvard, and 18 against both GW & UCF, giving her eight double-digit outings for season. She is the only player in the progam's DI history to record double digits in 8 of her first 9 games to start a season.

SHARP SHOOTER
Shaq Edwards is currently second amongst all MAAC players with a 50.5 field goal percentage through nine games this season. She is inside the top 90 players in the nation in the category.

HERD YOU!
Herd scored her 500th career point in the Bobcats' game at Maryland. Herd is the program's active career leading scorer.

MORE MILESTONES
Edwards recorded her 100th career assist against Maryland in just her 31st collegiate contest. Senior forward Paige Warfel reached the 400-rebound mark in Quinnipiac's matchup with Harvard and just played her 100th game in blue and gold last month at Hartford. Warfel also scored her 400th career point against Iona last Thursday.

TURNING OVER THE NEW YEAR
Quinnipiac's offense has committed just 170 turnovers in 11 games, good for 24th in the nation.

OFFENSIVE OPTIMISM
Through five games, the Bobcats scored a total of 384 points. It was the team's highest 5-game point total to open a season since scoring 435 points in 2016-17, the same year that Quinnipiac earned a Sweet 16 berth.

YOU PAIGE'D?
Paige Warfel has been dominant on both ends of the floor for the Bobcats this season, totaling 111 points and 113 rebounds in 11 games. Warfel ranks 19th in the nation in offensive rebounds per game (4.2), which is also first in the MAAC. The Pennsylvania native is also 24th in the nation in rebounds per game (10.3), while ranking first in the conference. The senior has four double-doubles this season, two more than last season in which she scored in double figures eight times.

THAT 70s SHOW
Since the 2007-08 season, Quinnipiac is 165-16 (.915) in games where the Bobcats score 70 or more points, including 88-3 (.977) combined since 2014-15. During 2017-18 (20-0), 2016-17 (16-0), 2012-13 (18-0) and 2010-11 (8-0), the Bobcats compiled undefeated records in each respective season when reaching the 70-point scoring plateau. Quinnipiac had a 57-game win streak in those contests until Thursday's loss to Iona. The last defeat was in overtime to FGCU in 2015-16 - the last regulation loss was to Oklahoma in the 2015 NCAA Tournament).

RETURN OF THE MACK
Mackenzie DeWees returned to her home state of Maryland last month and recorded five assists in front of nearly 300 friends and family at the Xfinity Center in College Park.

MACK ATTACK
DeWees achieved career highs in points and three pointers against Hartford. The sophomore scored 16 points and made two triples, both of which beat the buzzer (one was left-handed). She followed that performance with 14 points against Iona and recorded career bests in steals (6) and assists (6).

GIMME MOR(E)-RIS
First-year forward Mikala Morris scored 12 points against Hartford for her fourth double-digit effort of the season. The performance was good enough to garner MAAC Rookie of the Week honors for the second time this season. The rookie tallied 17 points earlier this season; the most points of any first-year player since Paula Strautmane scored 21 in a WNIT win over Maine in 2016. Morris was 8-13 from the floor and grabbed four rebounds, while Strautmane went 10-10 in her outing.

GOLD RUSH
Quinnipiac had ten players score in the win over Bucknell. The team acheived this feat four times last season. The Bobcats have had eight or more scorers in six of its last seven season-opening games. This year's home opener featured eight different scorers, including three first-year students (Sajada Bonner, Cur'Tiera Haywood, and Cat Almeida) and junior transfer Shaq Edwards.

ALL-MAAC HONORS
Quinnipiac women's basketball senior guard Taylor Herd has been selected to the 2019 Preseason All-MAAC Second Team, as announced by the conference office on Tuesday, Oct. 22 during the Men's and Women's Basketball Preseason Awards Show on ESPN3. Senior forward Paige Warfel and junior Shaq Edwards also earned individual honors, being selected to the 2019 Preseason All-MAAC Third Team.

PRESEASON POLL
The Bobcats were picked to finish second in the Preseason Coaches Poll. Quinnipiac received 104 total points and two first place votes, finishing behind only Marist (119 points, nine first place votes). 4

PERFECTION
Last year marked the second-straight unbeaten season in conference play for the Bobcats. It was the fourth undefeated season in program history and third in the MAAC.

FIVE-TIME, FIVE-TIME, FIVE-TIME
The Bobcats are one of five programs in the nation to have claimed at least a share of the regular season conference title in each the last five seasons. Connecticut, Baylor, Notre Dame, and New Mexico State clinched their fifth-straight as well last season.

LOCK 'EM CATS
Last year, the Bobcats ranked second in the country and first in the MAAC in scoring defense (50.5 opp ppg). Quinnipiac set a new program record last season, allowing just six points to Manhattan in the first half. The Bobcats only allowed one point in the second quarter, tying the program record set on February 23 against Marist. Quinnipiac allowed just 2 points to Siena in the first quarter of each of last season's matchups with the Saints and also played five 4-point quarters (Richmond, Fairfield, Saint Peter's, and Monmouth (x2)).

MAAC WIN STREAK
Last year's MAAC Championship win vs. Marist was the 52nd-straight MAAC victory for Quinnipiac, the longest in the history of the conference. Until Thursday's loss to Iona, the streak was the second-longest active streak in the nation, behind only Connecticut. Historically, the streak is the 10th-longest in the history of Division I women's basketball.

RUNNING AWAY WITH IT
Last January's victory over Niagara was Quinnipiac's eighth win of 40+ points since the beginning of the 2015-16 season. The Bobcats have 120 conference victories (regular season and playoffs) since joining the MAAC in 2013-14.

MAAC-TO-BACK
Quinnipiac finished the 2018-19 regular season as five-time defending MAAC regular season champions, earning the top record in conference play at 18-0 for each of the last two seasons. Quinnipiac has dominated the league since joining in 2013-14, going 120-15 in conference play (including postseason).

FREE FOR ALL
Last season, Paige Warfel knocked down 27 free throws over the course of 13 games. The streak ranks in the top-five longest in Quinnipiac history. Warfel and Brittany Martin both went 9-9 from the free throw line last season at Marist and vs. Ball State, respectively. 9-9 is the third most free throws in a game without a miss in Quinnipiac's history.

LEADER OF THE PACK
Head coach Tricia Fabbri enters her 25th season leading the Bobcats in 2019-20, as the five-time Coach of the Year (three in five MAAC seasons) and all-time winningest coach in program history has totaled 437 career victories, thus far. Fabbri's Bobcats have reached the 20- win plateau in eight straight seasons, won four conference titles in the last six seasons and earned five consecutive MAAC Regular Season titles. She is currently 49th on the list of active DI coaching victories.

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 55-5 (.923) at home in league games since joining the conference in 2013-14. That prominence is only magnified when looking a since 2014-15, as the Bobcats are 49-2 (.977) at the People's United Center in conference games, with the only loss coming three years ago to Manhattan. The Bobcats saw a 36-game unbeaten streak in home MAAC games come to an end against Iona on Thursday.

HITTING THAT MAGIC NUMBER
Quinnipiac's win at Rider last season marked yet another 20- win campaign for Head Coach Tricia Fabbri in 2018-19. The 13th 20-win season in program history made it eight in-a-row as well as the tenth in Fabbri's 24-year coaching career at Quinnipiac. Quinnipiac is one of just 19 teams across the nation and one of six mid-major programs to record eight straight 20+ win seasons. Over those last eight seasons (not including 19-20), Quinnipiac has compiled a record of 212-59 for a .785 win percentage which ranks as the tenth-best overall mark in the nation.

THE ULTIMATE CLOSERS
Quinnipiac has enjoyed a great deal of success over the past four seasons when building a first half lead. After starting 2016-17 with a mark of 2-0 when owning a halftime lead, the Bobcats saw one of their most impressive streaks in program history come to an end in a 71-68 loss at Temple. The undefeated streak, which lasted over the course of three seasons, came to an end at 46 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 and 19-0 in 2017- 18 to give Quinnipiac a mark of 107-5 since the start of 2014-15 in games in which Quinnipiac leads at the half.

SMARTY CATS
Quinnipiac earned a spot on the 2018-19 WBCA Division I Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll, as announced by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA). The Bobcats recorded a 3.535 team GPA to rank 21st of all Division I women's basketball programs. Quinnipiac is the only school from New England and the only Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference member to finish in the Top 25. Only six of the Academic Top 25 also made appearances in the 2019 NCAA Tournament.

TICKETS
To see Quinnipiac's full schedule for the 2019-20 season, CLICK HERE. For more information about tickets, please contact the Quinnipiac Ticket Office at (203) 582-3905 or visit qutickets.com.

FOLLOW US
For more updates regarding Quinnipiac women's basketball, follow the program on Twitter and Instagram at @QU_WBB.