There’s nothing that players and coaches dislike more than inconsistency, especially when your reputation is nothing but winning.

This season for the Quinnipiac women’s basketball team has been just that.  Inconsistent, after years of pure dominance.  Starting the season losing six-of-seven and having to claw out of that hole to get to a win within .500 does not fit the Tricia Fabbri model.

The Bobcats opened play on Saturday coming off a double-digit loss to Marist, facing in-state rival Fairfield, the second-best team in the MAAC and undefeated in conference play.  But the Bobcats bounced back, trouncing the Stags 76-62.  Here is what we learned about the Bobcats during their statement win.

The team is at its best when Shaq Edwards is at HER best

Taylor Herd assumed the role of go-to scorer after the team graduated five starters last year.  Early in the season, she was forcing a lot of shots that otherwise would have been ill-advised.  Not getting the quality looks opened up opportunities for the younger players to shine, one of them being Edwards.

A ball-dominant guard, Edwards has attempted more shots than anyone on the team, but has been efficient, sinking 44% from the field, and 41% from deep, both best on the team.  However, poor ball handling plagued the junior guard early in the season.  During the Bobcats’ 1-7 start, Edwards committed 17 turnovers including five against Drexel and UCF.  After the UCF game, Edwards was able to get a better grip on the ball and has been able to cut down on her turnover rate by nearly half.  In games where she commits one or less turnover, the Bobcats are 4-1.

Paige Warfel likes to… stat pad?

In her post-game press conference following the win against Fairfield, first-year Mikala Morris shared a story that got a few laughs the media.

“We came out of the time out, Paige is like ‘Mick, no matter what, let me get this rebound.’ [I said] ‘I’m going to try Paige I’m going to try!’ So when the girl shot it, I was going up because I didn’t see Paige behind me, and she’s like ‘Mick!  Let me have it!’ and I was like ‘go ahead!  That’s you!’ and so that’s how Paige got her double-double.”

It was Warfel’s fifth double-double of the season, tallying 10 points and 10 rebounds in the win.  When she records a double-double, the Bobcats are 3-2, and 2-1 in conference.

Bobcats are faster than Stags

The Stags entered Saturday’s contest on a six-game winning streak, so the Bobcats were going to have to play hard on defense if they wanted to stop a lethal inside shooting attack and take time off the shot clock.  Fairfield is second in the MAAC in assists, teaming up 15.1 times per game on average, while owning an elite assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.1.  Putting pressure on the Stags before they crossed the half-court line, the Bobcats forced more passes under pressure, resulting in less time for Fairfield to set up their inside attack.  Only after Quinnipiac had nearly doubled their opponents’ points at the end of the first half did they lay off on the full-court press.

“We like doing that to slow teams down, take time off the shot clock.  I think we’ll probably do that more in the future,” Mikala Morris said.

The Stags committed 14 turnovers against the Bobcats, a crucial stat in the Bobcats victory.

Up next, the Bobcats take their momentum into Jersey City for a matchup against Saint Peter’s.  The Bobcats have never lost to the Peacocks in program history, with the last win coming on Jan 9, 2019, in a 90-45 romping.  The Stags head to top-seeded Rider for a telling game against the Broncs, who are winners of 11 straight.