STOP #4: TD Bank Sports Center, Hamden, CT
Saturday, January 26, 2013 – 2:30pm
Fairleigh Dickinson Knights (8-9, 3-3) at Quinnipiac Bobcats (15-2, 6-0)
PRE-GAME NOTES
ALL
TIME SERIES
The
Bobcats have dominated the all-time series 21-5. However, the Knights have
taken two out of the last three encounters. Last February, in their only meeting, FDU derailed Quinnipiac 74-65 in Hackensack. Erika Livermore
recorded a monster double-double, with 23 points and 14 rebounds, in 35 minutes
of action off the bench. The Knights made up a 14 point halftime deficit by
outscoring QU 50-27 in the second half. In series history, the Bobcats have never lost on
their home court to FDU, going a perfect 11-0. On two prior occasions, the Knights and
Bobcats have crossed paths in the postseason. In the 2001 first round, second seeded Quinnipiac upended the seventh
seeded Knights, 81-73. The second showdown, in 2004, was one of the all time
great games in NEC Tournament history. Matched up in the 4-5 game in the
quarterfinal round, the Bobcats and Knights would take it to not just one, but two
overtimes, with a semi-final berth on the line. Bobcat senior Ashlee Kelly
rewrote the record books, recording 38 points and 28 rebounds in the Quinnipiac
80-76 double overtime win.
THEN
THERE WAS ONE…
The
Quinnipiac Bobcats come in at 6-0 in NEC play, the lone remaining unblemished
team in the conference standings. Over the last 10 seasons, the last remaining conference
unbeaten has gone on to achieve mixed results in that year’s postseason.
Five times
the last unbeaten has gone on to win that season’s tournament championship,
most recently, last year’s Sacred Heart Pioneers. However, twice the last
unbeaten has lost in the final, twice has lost in the semis, and once didn’t
even win a playoff game, with a loss in the quarterfinal round. The Bobcats,
with a win against FDU on Saturday, can equal their 7-0 start to the 2008
season. In that season QU would go on to clinch the regular season title, but
fell in the semi-finals to LIU-Brooklyn. It should be noted that in 2008, the
quarters and semis were hosted by LIU. While the Bobcats were the higher
seed and the regular season champs, they did not hold a home court advantage.
NEC
“PERFECTVILLE” – POPULATION: 4
While only
one third of the conference schedule has been played, and while there’s still
plenty of basketball to go, with the way this year's group of Bobcats have played, it wouldn’t exactly be a stretch to look ahead and
have some stats ready regarding some of the elite teams in NEC history.
There have
been four “perfect” teams in the previous 26 seasons of NEC women’s basketball
(running the table in the conference regular season and NEC playoffs): the
inaugural 1987 champion Monmouth Hawks, the 1994 Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers,
the 2004 St. Francis Red Flash, and the 2009 Sacred Heart Pioneers.
The ’87
Hawks went 16-0 in the NEC regular season. Their roster was led by three of the
top five scorers in program history: Linda Wilson (#1 – 1,947), Michelle Allen
(#2 – 1,912), and Sue Shea (#5 – 1,329). It should also be mentioned that the
Hawks also ran the table during the 1988 regular season, only to be defeated in
the championship game against Robert Morris, 63-60.
The ’94
Mount team went 18-0 and defeated St. Francis in the title match to cap off their
perfect year. They were led by NEC Player of the Year, Susie Rowlyk. Ten years
later, in 2004, the Red Flash reigned supreme with perhaps their deepest and
most talented group out of their eleven championship teams. Beth Swink and
Tonjee Ward led the Red Flash to a 70-55 win over Monmouth in the 2004 title
game.
Most
recently, the Sacred Heart Pioneers went 18-0 in 2009 to join the NEC ‘perfect
club.’ This was Callan Taylor’s freshman year. Taylor served as a perfect
complement to Kaitlin Sowinski, while Alisa Apo claimed Player of the
Year, leading the team in scoring.
The 2012
Bobcats have already completed a strong non-conference showing, including a win over St. John's. In NEC play, they have knocked off the reigning champions and have gone on the
road and swept the Pennsylvania road trip, something that’s been a tough task for
even the greatest teams to do, over the years . Of the 12 remaining regular season
conference games on the Bobcats schedule, six are at home and six are away. ‘On
paper’ the toughest stretch seems to be a string of four games starting
February 11th at home vs. Monmouth (their only regular season meeting against
the team that’s knocked them out of the playoffs the last two years),
continuing with home rematches against St. Francis and Robert Morris, and
finishing up with a road game at Sacred Heart.
BOBCAT
DEPTH
One of the
Bobcat strengths coming into the season was their depth, having returned 12 letterwinners and four starters from last season. That depth has already
played a major advantage for them so far this the season. Sophomore guard Shaina
Earle and sophomore forward Samantha Guastella have both missed time recently
due to injuries. Guastella, a Red Bank, NJ native, started the first 13 games
of the season before missing the last four. Guestella had been averaging 8.7
points and 5.8 rebounds per game. In her absence, Camryn Warner has stepped in
and rejoined the starting lineup, averaging 8.0 points and 4.5 rebounds in her four
starts. Last season, Warner started all 32 games, with perhaps her breakout
game coming against Sacred Heart. She was matched up against the eventual
Player of the Year Callan Taylor, and held Taylor to just 10 points, while
scoring 8 points with 8 rebounds, 3 steals, and 3 assists of her own. At the
conclusion of last season, Warner’s Keene, NH hometown newspaper wrote a
terrific article about her fantastic personality, as well as her drive as a
basketball player. The article is definitely worth a look and includes some
fine quotes from her, her family, and her coaches. http://www.sentinelsource.com/sports/local_sports/former-keene-high-basketball-star-helps-division-quinnipiac-to-near/article_ae134c9f-9799-5d5a-a6ab-36ed2c732763.html
REGISTER’S
GARDEN STATE RETURN
In her
high school days, FDU’s Miah Register was one of the Garden State’s greats. Playing
for one of the best teams in the state, Register was a part of a Trenton
Catholic team that won two Mercer County titles and the 2011 NJ Tournament of
Champions title. In the 2011 state final, Trenton Catholic took down Neptune
54-49 at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford. Register would go off to play
college ball in the A-10 at Richmond. However, after starting the first seven
games as a freshman, averaging 7.4 points per night, Register transferred.
She would go on to return back home to New Jersey, playing for Pete Cinella and
the FDU Knights. Register had to sit out the first semester of 2012-13, missing
the first nine games of the season. Since her debut in a Knights uniform,
Register has looked increasingly comfortable with her new team, averaging six
points per contest as one of the first off the bench. Her breakthrough game may
have just taken place last Monday when she netted a career high 16 points in
only 20 minutes of action, with 13 of those points scored during the first
half. The emergence of Register finding her rhythm as of late can only serve as
an added boost for the Knights as they continue their push forward toward the
postseason. Also of note, her uncle Terrance Baily, is a NEC Hall of Famer.
Bailey is Wagner’s all-time leading scorer with 2,591 career points.
ODDS
& ENDS
Saturday’s
game will be Quinnipiac’s “Play 4 Kay” game. The Bobcats will be raising
awareness for breast cancer and funds for cancer research...Quinnipiac’s current seven game win streak has moved them up to #10 in the College Insider Top 25 Mid-Major Poll,
their highest showing since joining Division 1…Led by guards who are experts at
dishing the basketball (Boo Abshire has recorded seven straight games with five
or more assists, and has 25 assists to only five turnovers in her last 3 games),
and guards who are experts at pickpocketing the basketball (Felicia Barron
sits seventh in the nation in steals per game), it's no surprise that Quinnipiac leads the NEC in
assist to turnover ratio (16.9 assists to 15.6 turnovers = +1.08)…Sophomore
guard Jasmine Martin has scored in double figures 12 straight games since a
December 2nd game against Rider. In her last outing, Martin tied her career
high with 21 points…Two of the top five scorers in the NEC will be on display
in Hamden, CT as Barron (16.2) currently sits 4th in the league while FDU’s Danielle Pankey (16.0)
is 5th...Over her last 13 games, Pankey is averaging 17.1 points…While the
Knights have been to the NEC Tournament four out of the last five years under
Pete Cinella, the program is in a two decade drought since the last time they
tasted a post-season victory. FDU’s last NEC Tournament win came in the 1992
NEC Women’s Basketball Championship Game…Despite the lost weekend against the
NEC’s Brooklyn based schools last week, one positive the Knights can pull out
was their three point shooting. In the two games against SFC and LIU-Brooklyn,
FDU shot 16-34 (47.7%) from downtown...This game will air at 2:30pm on FCS and ESPN3 with
Matt Harmon and Phyllis Mangina on the call.
LAST
TIME OUT
The
Quinnipiac Bobcats equaled their 15-2 start from their 2008 regular season
championship team with an 85-69 victory in Loretto last Monday night against
the Red Flash. In the first half, QU forced 22 turnovers, holding the Flash to
37% shooting. Midway through the first half the Bobcats pulled away with an
18-1 run, and were able to bring a 42-25 lead into the locker room for
intermission. Things got interesting real fast out of the break, as St. Francis
stormed back with a 19-1 run to cut the deficit to as little as five. However
QU finished the contest on a 19-9 run to seal the victory 85-69, their first in
Loretto since 2007-08. Senior guard Felicia Barron recorded a career high 28
points with seven steals, while Jasmin Martin added 21. The NEC’s leading
scorer, Alli Williams, tallied her 12th double-double of the year with 29
points and 13 rebounds.
As for
Fairleigh Dickinson, after a 2-0 start in conference play, the Knights have
dropped three of their last four and their last two straight. Last Monday, in a Martin
Luther King Jr. Day matinee, the Knights were upset at home by the previously
winless in-conference LIU-Brooklyn Blackbirds, 70-62. FDU was in the driver’s
seat early, but it was the Blackbirds who would hold a 35-34 lead at the break.
The Knights would shoot only 30% from the field in the second half. Erika
Livermore recorded yet another double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds.
However, it was sophomore transfer guard Miah Register who served as the silver
lining for FDU. Register recorded a career high 16 points in 20 minutes off of
the bench.
AROUND
THE NEC
Down the
Merritt from Quinnipiac University, another nationally televised women’s
basketball game will take place, as the Sacred Heart Pioneers host the Monmouth
Hawks in a 2012 NEC Championship Game rematch in Fairfield. Last March, the
Pioneers cut down the nets in celebration of their third tournament title in
program history, after a 58-48 win over MU in the championship game. It marked
Monmouth’s second straight championship game defeat. In their first meeting
since, the Pioneers come in 3-3 following an impressive PA road trip sweep last
weekend, while the Hawks are a game better at 4-2, sweeping the NEC’s Brooklyn
based institutions last weekend. The game will air at 4pm on FCS and ESPN3 with the NEC's longtime WBB dynamic announcing duo, Paul Dottino and Pam Roecker on the call.
Elsewhere,
the Red Flash will look to shake a two game slide when they host Wagner, Bryant
and LIU-Brooklyn will battle for their second NEC win of the season, the 4-2
CCSU Blue Devils will meet the 3-3 St. Francis Brooklyn Terriers, and Mount St.
Mary’s will look to build on their impressive 4-2 start, when they square off with Robert Morris.
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