The Quinnipiac Bobcats are set to take on the Monmouth Hawks when they travel to the TD Bank Sports Center on Feb. 4. The Bobcats are looking to rebound after getting embarrassed on ESPN3 against Fairfield while Monmouth has lost three of their last four. Here are three storylines going into this pivotal Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game:
Brittany Johnson
Quinnipiac Bobcats junior guard Brittany Johnson was declared out for the season during the ESPN broadcast of the Fairfield game. Johnson, who isn’t the first player that comes to mind when the team is talked about, has proved to be a bigger loss than most thought. Johnson finished the year with only 111 points in 17 games. However, in the five games that Johnson has missed, Quinnipiac has only won three of them. The Bobcats will need to try to find a replacement for Johnson down the stretch if they want to get back to consistently winning.
Quinnipiac’s Revenge
Monmouth handed Quinnipiac its first loss of the season when the Bobcats traveled to New Jersey on Jan. 19. The loss was the Bobcats’ first game without Johnson in the lineup. However, history is on the Bobcats side in the rematch at Lender Court, as Quinnipiac hasn’t lost to the same opponent twice in a season since dropping both games against Fairfield in 2013.
Quinnipiac’s Struggles
Quinnipiac’s last two games have featured some of their worst three point shooting in program history. The team is shooting 12 percent from behind the arc while tossing up 47 shots. Quinnipiac has been able to get great looks and wide-open shots, but for whatever reason they aren’t falling and it has to change, now. Quinnipiac can’t afford to keep shooting like this. The best defense in the conference can’t overcome a shooting percentage that bad when you chuck up that many shots.
Quinnipiac needs to right the ship against Monmouth. If it fails to do so, it is facing an uphill battle to secure the number one seed in the conference. After Monmouth they play Marist, Siena and Iona. All three teams have at least seven wins and Quinnipiac has already lost to Iona. Quinnipiac needs a victory.
