QU Women Win Home Opener

For the second time in her illustrious career, head coach Tricia Fabbri and the Quinnipiac University women’s basketball team are off to a perfect 3-0 start after defeating the University of Rhode Island, 76-60, on Saturday afternoon in their home-opener at the TD Bank Sports Center. Senior Felicia Barron (Springfield, Mass.) led the Bobcats with 17 points and three steals and helped Quinnipiac improve to 4-0 all-time against the Rams.

“We were excited to open up at home tonight and shot the ball extremely well in the first 20 minutes,” said Coach Fabbri, who collected her 246th career win. “It was the best offensive performance we’ve had to date and it really set the tone for the rest of the game.”

The Springfield, Mass. native went 6-of-13 from the floor, collected five rebounds and four assists in the double-digit triumph. Joining her in double-figures was Jasmine Martin (Sicklerville, N.J.) who finished with 17 points and three rebounds and Nikoline Ostergaard (Vedbaek, Denmark) who chipped in with a career-best 10 points - all coming in the first half of play. Camryn Warner (Keene, N.H.) added eight points and six rebounds and Brittany McQuain (Independence, Mo.) had seven points and game-high eight rebounds.

A dream start for the home team, Quinnipiac poured in a season-best 47 points in the first half behind 55.2 percent shooting from the floor; a feat they only accomplished once last season in a big win at Bryant on January 21, 2012. With 7:43 remaining, Martin sparked an 18-4 to close the half which sent the Bobcats into the locker room with an 18-point lead (47-29) at the break.

After the intermission, Quinnipiac just needed to buckle down defensively – a task it was easily able to complete. For the game, the Bobcats forced 18 URI turnovers which resulted in 23 points on the other end of the court. Quinnipiac also mustered a 34-26 edge in the paint, another major factor in the outcome.

Coach Fabbri used 12 Bobcats throughout the game, leading to a significant 30-11 advantage in bench points. Ostergaard, Warner, Shaina Earle (South Orange, N.J.), Ellen Cannon (West Chester, Pa.) and Shelby Sferra (Lagrangeville, N.Y.) each combined for points off the bench. Quinnipiac also registered 13 steals and three blocks in the game.

Emilie Cloutier led the Rams with 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the floor. Tayra Melendez and Brianna Thomas each added 10 in the losing effort.

The Bobcats return to the hardwood next weekend with the Brown Classic in Providence, R.I. QU will take on New Hampshire on December 1, followed by a second game against Brown or Rider depending on which team prevail in the opener.

Fans interested in purchasing season tickets for the 2012-13 campaign can call the QU Ticket Office at 203-582-3905, visit the official website of Quinnipiac athletics,www.QuinnipiacBobcats.com or make a trip to the TD Bank Sports Center Ticket Office. 

Quinnipiac fans should refer to the official website of Quinnipiac Athletics,www.QuinnipiacBobcats.com, for any schedule changes as well as the latest news, scores and highlights. The 2012-13 Women's Basketball Schedule is also available for download atwww.QuinnipiacBobcats.com for all mobile devices, including iPhones and iPads, as well as all desktop computers.