By Nick Dench, QBSN Staff Writer
The Quinnipiac women’s basketball team extended its winning streak to eight games after holding the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights (8-10, 3-4 NEC) to a season low 39 points in the 66-39 win. The win improved Quinnipiac’s record to 16-2 (7-0 NEC) matching a program record for the best start to a season.
The Bobcats were led by sophomore guard Jasmine Martin with 16 points and junior forward Camryn Warner, who recorded her second career double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds.
Warner scored eleven of her fifteen points in the second half attributing her success on offense to the team’s defense and teamwork on both sides of the floor.
Martin scored 13 of her 16 points in the first half to help Quinnipiac take a five-point lead into halftime after hitting a 30-foot three-point jumper to beat the shot clock with eight seconds left in the first half.
FDU’s Stephanie Isaacs helped get the Knights a lead in the first half scoring five of her seven points in a 13-second span. FDU was able to capitalize on Quinnipiac’s poor second chance execution in the first half to keep them in the game going into halftime.
“This could be one of my favorite wins of the year because of what we were able to do on the defensive side,” head coach Tricia Fabbri said.
The second half showcased a completely different Bobcat team holding the Knights to 13 total points and had a stretch of eight minutes and 24 seconds, where FDU did not score a point.
The Bobcats forced 25 turnovers in the game and held the Knights to 25 percent shooting in the game.
“Even though our offense wasn’t really hitting in the second half our defense really gave us that 20-30 point lead.” Martin said. “At the end of the day defense wins games.”
The Bobcats offense featured three players in double digit scoring Martin, Warner and Felicia Barron with 10 of her own. The rest of the team struggled from the floor going a combined 8-of-34 from the field.
“You’re going to have nights where it’s not going to be as easy to score, and you don’t want your offense to dictate how the game is going to go,” Fabbri said. “You can always play defense and defense wins championships so that’s really what I’m excited about with today’s performance.”
The Bobcats look to extend this record-tying season on Monday when they take on Central Connecticut State at 7 p.m. on Lender Court at the TD Bank Sports Center.
