The Quinnipiac women’s basketball team (18-5 overall, 13-0 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) looks to remain undefeated in conference play Friday, as they close this regular season series against Canisius College (8-15 overall, 6-6 MAAC) at Lender Court in Hamden, Connecticut. Traveling to Buffalo, New York, the last meeting ended in a victory for the Bobcats, who defeated the Golden Griffins 84-55 just three weeks ago.
Players to Watch
Quinnipiac – Jen Fay
Not only did junior forward Jen Fay lead the Bobcats with a game-high 17 points the last match against Canisius, but also she did not miss a field goal. Becoming the first player to shoot 100 percent from the field with at least five attempts since Paula Strautmane in 2016. Averaging 12.2 points per game ranks her as the team’s active leading scorer. Moreover, on the boards Fay leads in offensive and defensive, giving her the highest average at 6.9. The focus here lies in Fay continuing to remain consistent on both ends of the floor.
Canisius – Sara Hinkriksdottir
6-foot-1’ junior forward Sara Hinkriksdottir just recently received the honor of MAAC Player of the Week after averaging 23 points and 7.5 rebounds, leading Canisius to a two-game win streak. Not only is she leading the team in offensive production with 14.5 points per game, but also in five other categories: free throws, field goal percentage, assists, rebounds, and blocks. Hinkriksdottir produced 16 points in her last contest against Quinnipiac.
Keys to the Game
Quinnipiac – “Pressure makes diamonds” (or gold)
Head Coach Tricia Fabbri recently brought back the Bobcat “gold rush.” Fundamentally this means five players in, five players out. Although plagued by initial injury at the start of the season, having a deep bench has allowed for consistent fresh legs to be substituted in every couple minutes. Senior point guard Carly Fabbri stated, “I think we wear teams down. It’s hard to play against a team that likes to go up and down.” On the defensive end, they are forcing teams to turnover the ball 18.9 times per game. In the last meeting against the Griffins, their tenacity forced a game high of 27 turnovers. On the flip side, by continuing to move the ball around the perimeter for the extra pass, six players are averaging eight-plus points per game.
Canisius
The two points of concentration for the Golden Griffins comprise of handling the ball more effectively and shooting from downtown more efficiently. Last time against the Bobcats, consistent turnovers allowed Quinnipiac to convert on those mistakes, tallying 37 points. Against a team that plays at such a high level of intensity, Canisius cannot try to match their pace but needs to remain focused on their own. In regards to the three-point line, they went just 2-for-12 from the arc. If they are going to take that many shots from long range, they have to make a few more count when competing against the top MAAC opponent, who is averaging 70-plus points per game.
The Game
To hear live coverage, be sure to tune into @QBSN‘s broadcast of Quinnipiac vs. Princeton at 5 p.m. from the TD Bank Sports Center. On the call will be Ryan Chichester and Robyn Brown, follow them on Twitter: @ryanchichester1 and @RobynNBrown_. Listen to the call at mixlr.com/qbsn.
