Quinnipiac University
Rider
Bobcats Set for MAAC Opener at Rider on Saturday
12/17/2021 9:32:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Quinnipiac vs. Rider
Saturday, Dec. 18, 2021 | 2:00 PM
Alumni Gym | Lawrenceville, N.J.
Game Notes: Quinnipiac | Rider
Watch: ESPN+
Broadcasters: Jon Mozes (PxP), Phyllis Mangina (Color)
Live Statistics: Sidearm Stats
In-Game Updates: @QU_WBB
D1 Era vs. Rider: 16-4
D1 Era (Road) vs. Rider: 7-2
Last Meeting vs. Rider: L, 62-50 (March 10, 2021)
LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. – The Quinnipiac women's basketball team returns to action after a seven-day hiatus with the MAAC opener vs. Rider on Saturday. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. from Alumni Gym on ESPN+.
THE MATCHUP: vs. RIDER
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The Broncs come into the contest at 2-7, with Saturday's contest against the Bobcats being their first MAAC contest of the campaign as well.
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Rider has dropped its last two contests, including a 73-59 home loss against Navy on Dec. 12.
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The Broncs have three players that average double figures in points, led by senior Lenaejha Evans (15.6 ppg) and Makayla Firebaugh (11.7 ppg).• Saturday will mark the 21st meeting between the Bobcats and Broncs, dating back to their first contest in 2012.
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Quinnipiac owns an 16-4 record against Rider and held a 15-game win streak against the Broncs, spanning from 2012-2019.
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The Bobcats were upset by seventh-seeded Rider, 62-50, in the MAAC Quarterfinals to end the 2020-21 season in the last matchup between the squads on March 10, 2021.
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Mikala Morris led the way with 15 points and nine rebounds, while Rose Caverly added 12 points, six boards and four assists in the defeat.
LAST TIME OUT
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Senior guard Mackenzie DeWees led the Quinnipiac women's basketball team with 11 points, eight rebounds and three steals in the Bobcats' 68-50 road loss at Providence on Dec. 11
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Junior forward Mikala Morris contributed 11 points, seven rebounds and two steals.
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The loss snapped Quinnipiac's three-game win streak.
QUEEN OF THE RINGS
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The 2021-22 season marks the 27th year at the helm of the Bobcats' program for Tricia Fabbri.
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With 466 career victories, Fabbri stands alone as the all-time winningest coach in Quinnipiac women's basketball history.
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Fabbri led the 2020-21 Bobcats to a 13-8 mark overall and an 11-5 MAAC record in conference play, notching the program's tenth-straight winning season under her guidance.
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With the win over Fordham in 2020, Fabbri became the 111th coach in DI women's basketball history to reach 450 career wins and the 26th to do it at one progra
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Fabbri's Bobcats reached the 20-win plateau in eight straight seasons (2011-2019)
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She has led Quinnipiac to four conference titles in the last eight seasons and earned five consecutive MAAC Regular Season titles (2015-19).
HOT CATS
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Quinnipiac's offense has exploded onto the scene this season, reaching the 70-point plateau in four of nine games this season.
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The Bobcats are 3-1 in games where they score 70 or more points in a game.
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Quinnipiac is averaging 69.7 points per game and are outscoring opponents by 8.0 points per game, which ranks second and first in the MAAC rankings.
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The Bobcats average margin of victory (8.0 points) is 5.3 points better than the next closest team in the MAAC.
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Quinnipiac is shooting 42.7% from the field and 36.7% from beyond the arc, both tops in the conference rankings.
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The Bobcats' .367 three-point shooting percentage also ranks 30th overall in the nation.
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Quinnipiac is 5-1 in games where they shoot at least 40% from the field.
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The Bobcats lead the MAAC in made three-point field goals (62), while placing second in three-point field goals made per game (6.9)
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Quinnipiac's assist-to-turnover ratio (0.74) ranks third overall in the conference.
LOCKING UP
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Quinnipiac has prided itself on defense, holding its opponents to 69 points or less in seven games this season, going 5-2 in said games.
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The Bobcats are holding opponents to 60.9 points per game, which ranks fourth in the MAAC.
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Quinnipiac is forcing opponents to shoot 36.6% from the field and 27.3% from beyond the arc, which slots the team in first and third in the MAAC, respectively.
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The Bobcats are grabbing 39.0 rebounds per game and are limiting opponents to just 33.8 boards per game, ranking third and second in the conference, respectively.
HOUSE CATS
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Quinnipiac is averaging 75.5 points per game, while shooting 45.1% from the field and 43.8% from beyond the arc in home games.
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The Bobcats are 3-1 this season in games played at the People's United Center.• Quinnipiac is outscoring opponents by 13.5 points per game in games played at home.
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The Bobcats are forcing opponents to shoot 37.4% from the field and 28.2% from beyond the arc.
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Quinnipiac has four players that are averaging double-figure points in home games in Cur'Tiera Haywood (11.5 ppg), Mackenzie DeWees (11.0 ppg), Sajada Bonner (10.8 ppg) and Mikala Morris (10.3 ppg).
MACK ATTACK
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DeWees' 38 total steals and 4.2 steals per game ranks fifth and second in the nation, respectively.
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The reigning MAAC POTY has recorded five or more steals in four of Quinnipiac's nine contests to open the season.
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An offensive threat, she ranks eighth in the MAAC in points per game (13.2) and seventh in field goal percentage (45.2%).
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The reigning MAAC Player of the Year, DeWees, nearly posted a triple-double recording 12 points, 12 rebounds and a career-high seven steals in a win over Northeastern on Dec. 7.
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She tallied her first double-double of the season against CCSU on Nov. 13, posting 19 points and 11 boards in the win.
MORE MORRIS
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Through the first nine contests of the season, junior forward Mikala Morris is averaging 12.3 points and a team-best 9.4 rebounds per game.
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The reigning MAAC Defensive Player of the Year, Morris' 9.4 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game ranks third and MAAC in the conference.
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The Bobcats are 4-1 in games where Mikala Morris wins the opening tip-off.
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Morris tallied her third double-double of the season after posting team-highs of 14 points and 13 rebounds in a victory over Northeastern on Dec. 7.
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She registered 12 points and 16 rebounds for her second double-double of the season in a road matchup with A-10 foe George Washington on Nov. 22.
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Her performance marked the first time a Quinnipiac player grabbed 15 or more rebounds in a game since Morris snagged 23 boards against Niagara on Feb. 26, 2021.
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She registered her first double-double of the season in the home-opener against No. 4 Indiana, posting 13 points and 10 rebounds in the contest.
ROSE KNOWS
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Senior guard Rose Caverly ranks sixth in the conference in three-point field goals made (13) and seventh in three-point field goals per game (1.4), respectively.
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She led the Bobcats in scoring in the season-opener at Fordham with 16 points on 4-for-6 shooting from beyond the arc.
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On the season, Caverly is averaging 8.0 points per game, while shooting 36.1% from beyond the arc.
HAYWOOD IS ALL GOOD
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Junior forward Cur'Tiera Haywood is averaging 12.0 points and 4.3 rebounds per game over her last four games.
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A native of Yukon, Okla., she has shot 17-for-30 (.567) from the field and 6-for-15 (.400) from beyond the arc in those contests.
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Haywood was named the MAAC Student-Athlete of the Week as announced by the organization on Dec. 8.
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In the two games she played during that week, she shot 12-for-14 (.857) from the field and 5-for-7 (.714) from beyond the arc.
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Haywood scored a season-best 17 points against Hartford, going a perfect 7-for-7 from the field, including 3-for-3 from three.
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She followed that performance with a game-high 15-point showing against Yale.
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Haywood is averaging 7.8 points and 4.0 rebounds per game on the season.
JADA, JADA BUCKET GETTER
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Junior guard Sajada Bonner is averaging 11.3 points and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 15-for-21 (.714) from the field and 10-for-14 (.714) from beyond the arc over her last four appearances.
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She scored a career-high 18 points off the bench, going 6-for-6 from the floor and 4-for-4 from three in a win over Hartford, adding two steals as well.
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Bonner followed that performance with 14 points and three steals off the pine in a 61-59 victory over Yale.
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On the season, she is averaging a career-best 6.8 points per game, while shooting 58.8% from the field and 54.5% from three.
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Bonner's .545 three-point shooting percentage is tops in the MAAC, while her 12 made three-pointers is tied for eighth-most in the conference.
RIGHT AT HOME
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A native of East Haven, Conn., junior guard Makenzie Helms has found her footing with the Bobcats.
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A transfer from Big Ten powerhouse Nebraska, Helms is averaging career-highs in points (7.9), rebounds (2.8), assists (1.9) and steals (1.0) per game in eight appearances for the Bobcats.
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She is shooting 44.3% from the field on the campaign, which slots her eighth among the leaders in the MAAC.
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The junior scored a career-high 15 points in a victory over Northeastern on Dec. 7.
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She grabbed a career-high seven rebounds against George Washington on Nov. 22.
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Helms scored 10 points in the season-opener at Fordham on Nov. 9.
HISTORIC OUTING
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It was a total team effort as the Quinnipiac women's basketball team set a new Div. I program-record for points in a game in its 113-64 home victory over Hartford on Nov. 28.
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The Bobcats reached 100 points for the first time since posting 109 points against Mount St. Mary's on Jan. 14, 2008.
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Quinnipiac saw five players reach double-figure scoring in the victory.
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Quinnipiac outscored Hartford by 49 points, marking the largest margin of victory in the program's Div. I era.
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The Bobcats' 16 made three-pointers tied the program-record for most made three's in a contest and marked the most they made in a contest since nailing 15 in the upset over fourth-seeded Miami in the second round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament.
NEAR UPSET
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Despite leading for 28 minutes in the contest, the Bobcats fell just short of upsetting No. 4 Indiana , 67-59, in the home-opener on Nov. 20
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Mackenzie DeWees registered 15 points, seven rebounds and three steals to lead the Bobcats, while junior forward Mikala Morris added 15 points and 10 rebounds for her first double-double of the season.
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Indiana's 67 points stands as its fourth-lowest total this season and the first time it was held below 70 points in a contest.
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The Bobcats held the Hoosiers to 10 points in the first quarter, their lowest output in the opening quarter and second lowest in a frame this season.
THAT 70s SHOW
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Since the start of the 2014-15 campaign the Bobcats are 101-36 (.737) in games where they score at least 70 points.
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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.
JUST WIN BABY, WIN!!!!
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The People's United 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 105-22 (.826) in games played at home.
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In that same span, the Bobcats own a mark of 74-11 (.871) in conference play (NEC & MAAC) at home.
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Quinnipiac owns an 86-36 (.705) mark since November 22, 2017.
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Quinnipiac's extended home dominance is particularly impressive when looking at games against MAAC opponents, as the Bobcats stand with a mark of 65-11 (.855) at home in league games since joining the conference in 2013-14.
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The Bobcats are 58-8 (.878) at the People's United Center in conference games since the start of the 2014-15 campaign.
CLOSING TIME
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Overall, the Bobcats own a mark of 127-10 (.927) since the start of 2014-15 in games in which Quinnipiac leads at the half.
WHAT'S THE WORD?
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There has been a lot of buzz around the Quinnipiac women's basketball program leading into the 2021-22 season.
Women's Hoops Tabbed First in Preseason MAAC Poll
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Facing lofty expectations, the Bobcats were selected No. 1 in the MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, earning 115 total votes and six first place votes.
ESPN: Women's college basketball 2021-22: Predictions for all 32 conferences
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Elsewhere in Connecticut, ESPN.com unanimously predicted Quinnipiac to win the MAAC Championship to earn a berth in its sixth NCAA Tournament.Women's Hoops Ranked No. 16 in Mid-Major Top-25
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The Quinnipiac women's basketball team entered the 2021-22 season ranked No. 16 in the Women's Mid-Major Top 25 rankings, earning 292 points, as announced by the College Insider committee on Nov. 9.
ALL-MAAC HONORS
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Quinnipiac women's basketball senior guard Mackenzie DeWees and junior forward Mikala Morris were both named to the Preseason All-MAAC First Team unanimously, while senior guard Rose Caverly earned preseason Third Team honors, as announced by the MAAC office during the 2021-22 Basketball Preseason Awards Show.
FRESH FACES
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Makenzie Helms: Transferred to Quinnipiac after two seasons at Nebraska... Ranked by ESPN as the No. 27 Point Guard in the Nation in 2019... Averaged 26.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 4.3 steals as a senior... 2019 Gatorade Connecticut High School Player of the Year... 2019 New Haven Register/GameTime Connecticut Player of the Year... 2019 USA Today Player of the Year... Two-time USA Today First Team All-Connecticut selection...
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Grace LaBarge: Four year letter-winner at William Fremd High School... IBCA All-State selection in 2021... Earned All-Area and All-Conference honors as a senior... Led William Fremd to a State Championship in 2020...
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Jackie Grisdale: Graduated as Poland's all-time leading scorer across boy's and girl's basketball 1,530 points... Own's school record for career three-point field goals (221), three-point field goals in a season (71) and three-point field goals in a single game (10)... Six-time All-Ohio First Team selection across numerous sports…
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Reiven Douglas: Four year starter at Millbrook High School... Two-time All-Conference selection... First Team All-District honoree...
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Rose Caso: Four year letter-winner at Suffield Academy... Averaged 16 points per game over four seasons...
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Korin Mereste: Four year starter at Nauset Regional High School... Three-time Cape and Islands League All-Star selection... Played AAU for the Cape Cod Bulls...
THE 2020-21 SEASON
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Quinnipiac went 13-8 overall and 11-5 in league play to earn the No. 2 seed in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament.
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The Bobcats clinched a first-round bye in the tournament for the eighth-straight season.
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The Bobcats were upset by seventh-seeded Rider, 62-50, in the MAAC Quarterfinals to end the season.
NEXT TIME OUT
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The Bobcats will be back in action on Monday, Dec. 20, when Quinnipiac plays host to Fairfield in its MAAC home-opener
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Tip-off from the People's United Center is set for 6 p.m. on ESPN3.
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It is Quinnipiac's Holiday Game, if you wear a holiday attire to the contest then you will receive free admission into the game
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The first 500 guests in attendance will receive a free Quinnipiac University scarf
To stay up to date with all Quinnipiac women's basketball news, follow the program on Twitter/Instagram @QU_WBB or visit www.gobobcats.com/wbb.
