Bobcats dominate Mountaineers at home

Bobcats dominate Mountaineers at home    

By: Dominic Lancella, QBSN Staff Writer

The Quinnipiac women’s basketball team stretched its winning streak to six games after routing Mount St. Mary’s 89-73 at the TD Bank Sports Center. The Bobcats had a balanced effort with 10 different players scoring and six of them in double digits.

The win allowed the Bobcats (16-5, 8-2 NEC) to keep pace with conference leader Sacred Heart (16-5, 9-1 NEC), who beat Wagner on Monday night. Mount St. Mary’s dropped to 4-6 in conference and 8-13 overall.  

The Bobcats were led by junior Felicia Barron’s (Springfield, Mass.) 19 points, who also added to her league leading steal total with five. Freshman Jasmine Martin (Sicklerville, N.J.) scored 11 of her 13 points in the first half. She shot a perfect four-for-four on the night including three from behind the ark, nailing all of them in the left corner.

The team’s 89 total points was the most in a single game since 2009, with many of them coming from high pressure defense that caused turnovers. St. Mary’s had 15 in the first half alone. Assistant coach Mountain MacGillivray was especially happy with the team’s ability to make the most of those turnovers.

“We had steals that turned into points on the first three or four possessions and that really set the tempo, and the other team was frazzled right from the beginning,” MacGillivray said.

The other key to the game for the Bobcats was limiting the offensive production of St. Mary’s leading scorer Sydney Henderson, who is averaging 11.6 points per game. She played all 40 minutes and led all scorers with 23 points.  Her teammate Kayla Grossett added 21 of her own, but it still was not enough as the rest of the team combined for just 29.

The only thing more impressive than the overall defense was the Bobcats bench, which accounted for 46 of the team’s points. After coming into this game averaging five points per game, freshman Samantha Guastella (Red Bank, N.J.) shot six-for-seven from the field and chipped in 14 points. Jacinda Dunbar (Edision, N.J.) had 10 points off the bench in just 10 minutes.

“Any given day, anyone can get hot on this team,” Guastella said.

Starters Kari Goodchild (Van Horne, Iowa) and Brittany McQuain (Independence, Mo.) rounded out the six players to score double digits, putting in 11 and 10 points respectively. The Bobcats were the faster team all night, as nobody on the team played more than 25 minutes and it kept their energy up.

The Mountaineers struggled offensively and were particularly unable to penetrate the defense. They were outscored 44-28 in the paint, and the game was all but over at halftime. Quinnipiac ended the half on a 28-7 run and led by 22 points.

The Mountaineers had a better second half and actually outscored the Bobcats, but it was too late as they could never close the large gap. After starting off the game 5-11 from the field, St. Mary’s missed 14 of their next 18 shots to close the first frame.

Barron has no doubt been the catalyst for the team on both ends of the floor. Her active defense had plagued teams all season.  She’s swiped 96 steals in 21 games this season. She also does a good job of staying out of foul trouble with 57 personal fouls this season.

She also scores frequently after knocking a ball loose to a teammate and taking off on the fast break.  

“When I’m sprinting - just throw it,” Barron said smiling.

Coming into the stretch run before the start of the NEC tournament, it seems the entire Quinnipiac team has hit their stride at the right time, and the team chemistry is better than ever.

“Every day in practice there are 13 kids practicing who can help us win basketball games,” MacGillvray said. “We’ve had teams in the past where the starter had no competition with the player behind them. Right now the person behind them is at the same level and it makes us better.” 

The team is now set to start a three-game road trip, starting with Monmouth on Feb. 4, followed by Farleigh Dickinson and then Central Connecticut State. The Bobcats will gladly welcome the trip, as they have posted a stellar 9-1 road record so far.

Bobcats can't sweep series, fall 3-2

Bobcats can’t sweep series, fall 3-2

By Angelique Fiske, QBSN Web-Editor

In spite of outshooting Syracuse (9-16-3, 0-3-3 CHA) 55-23, the Quinnipiac women’s ice hockey team (15-10-2, 10-4-2 ECAC) lost the second game of the two-game series by a final score of 3-2.  While the score was tied 2-2 going into the final stretch of the game, Syracuse pulled away with the victory on the stick of Nicole Ferrara. 

After the Bobcats shut down the Orange offense completely Friday night, Syracuse put immediate pressure on the Quinnipiac defense scoring two goals in the first period causing head coach Rick Seeley to pull his veteran goaltender, junior Victoria Vigilanti (Woodbridge, Ontario) before the opening frame concluded.  Vigilanti was replaced by freshman Chelsea Laden (Lakeville, Minn.) after she posted her first career shut-out in Friday’s 3-0 victory. 

Syracuse netted both goals within the last seven minutes of the period. Margot Scharfe put the first goal in on a solo effort.  After taking an initial shot that was deflected by Vigilanti, Scharfe followed through and pushed the puck to the right corner.  The second Syracuse goal came three and a half minutes later off of the stick of Caitlin Roach.  Assists were credited to Lisa Mullan and Taylor Metcalfe.

Sandwiched a minute after Syracuse’s first goal and just over two minutes before its second, Breann Frykas (East St. Paul, Manitoba) notched a power play goal with the assist from Regan Boulton (Brandon, Manitoba) to, at the time, tie the game 1-1. 

Despite the quick start by Syracuse, the second period saw Quinnipiac regain its composure, tying the game 2-2.  Senior Melissa Perry (Chelsea, Michigan) took a shot that was deflected by Syracuse goaltender Kallie Billdeau.  Unfortunately for the Syracuse defense, junior Brittany Lyons (Canton, Mass.) was skating off the bench into perfect positioning for the rebound and knocked it in for her seventh of the year.  Captain Jordan Elkins (Wasilla, Ala.) was also credited a helper on the play.

About halfway through the third period, Ferrara and Holly Carrie-Mattimoe put the pressure on Laden when the two went two-against-one, drawing Laden out of the net.  Carrie-Mattimoe sent a pass to Ferrara who took no mercy, sending a laser behind Laden.  Scharfe skated away with her second point of the day, as she was also credited with the assist. 

Despite their efforts, the Bobcats failed in their search for an equalizer.  However, it was not the offensive efforts that proved to be the issue.

“Scoring doesn’t matter if you don’t pay attention to defense,” Seeley said. 

As the Bobcats head into a major ECAC run that could define their season, taking on six different conference opponents to close out the season, one of the most daunting problems is who will start between the pipes.

“I thought all three goals were pretty weak, so we have to figure out the goaltending situation.  We’ve got a real important conference stretch coming up,” Seeley said.  “I’d say at this point Laden’s won the starting job.”

Billadeau managed to put away 53 saves.  Vigilanti had three saves in her 17 minutes of action, and Laden had 17 stops of her own.

Quinnipiac begins this stretch when the head to Harvard and Dartmouth on Feb. 3 at 7 p.m. and Feb. 4 at 4 p.m. respectively.

Women's basketball gets fifth straight win

Women’s basketball gets fifth straight win 

By Ben Dias, QBSN Staff Writer

After overpowering Sacred Heart Monday night, behind Felicia Barron’s (Springfield, Mass.) career-high 26 points and sophomore Brittany McQuain’s (Independence, Mo.) nine points and 11 rebounds, the Quinnipiac women’s basketball team followed a similar blueprint, routing Wagner College (2-18, 1-8 NEC), 77-60 for its fifth consecutive win.

Quinnipiac (15-5, 7-2 NEC) extends its lead in the all-time series to 21-6. The Bobcats have won 16 of their last 17 games against Wagner, with their only loss in that span a 72-58 defeat on Jan. 28, 2010.

This afternoon, the Bobcats were led by three starters with double figures scoring, combining for 42 points. Junior guard, Barron led all teams with 17 points, on five-of-12 shooting including two-of-five from three-point range. Senior sharpshooter, Kari Goodchild (Van Horne, Iowa) chipped in with 15 points, connecting on three-of-six shots from beyond the arc.

McQuain recorded her ninth double-double of the season, posting 10 points to go along with a game-high 13 rebounds.

The Bobcats aggressive defense forced Wagner to commit 15 first half turnovers and 24 for the game. Quinnipiac also limited Wagner’s dribble drive offense, as the Bobcats posted 14 steals with 10 coming in the first 20 minutes of action. The Bobcats recorded 21 points off of 24 Wagner turnovers.

“Defense needs to be our identity and really set the tone for what we do on the offensive end,” Quinnipiac head coach Tricia Fabbri said. “We’re really opportunistic on defense when we have Felicia [Barron] getting the steals and getting easy buckets. Kari [Goodchild] really provided the separation in the second half making the threes.” 

Quinnipiac came out clicking on all cylinders, as the Bobcats raced out to an 8-0 run in the first two minutes after the Seahawks committed four consecutive turnovers off of four Bobcat steals. Barron had two steals in the opening two minutes and raced down the court for uncontested layups each time. She continues to lead the Bobcats on the defensive end, swiping four steals in today’s action. She currently remains to be the nation’s leader in steals with 4.7 per game.

“I know defense is our key for us to win games,” Barron said. “When I pressure the ball, it’s harder for the other team to run their plays.

Kelly Clark led Wagner with 15 points and nine rebounds, while Stephanie Blais and Jacqui Thompson added 14 and 10 points, respectively.

After Wagner called a timeout after the 8-0 spurt by the Bobcats, Wagner’s Laura Amorosa sank two free-throws to cut the lead to 8-2. Once Quinnipiac missed a tough shot, the Seahawks found Blais for a corner three. This cut the lead to 8-5 and the Bobcats went on a 9-0 run to extend the lead to 17-5 with just over 12 minutes left in the opening half.

Over the course of the first half, Quinnipiac would increase the lead to 29-17 at the 4:55 mark as Barron netted a three pointer near the top of the key. The Bobcats would lead by as many as 14 points in the first 20 minutes as freshman Jasmine Martin (Sicklerville, N.J.) buried a three pointer from the left wing as time expired to extend the lead to 14 points at 38-24.

The Bobcats extended their lead in the first three minutes of the second half once Goodchild hit back-to-back threes to spark a 20-0 run, bringing the lead to 48-28.  Quinnipiac led by as many as 29 points, when McQuain sank two free throws with less than ten minutes left to play.

Wagner answered with 13 unanswered points over the next five minutes to narrow the gap, 69-52, and 17 points would be as close as Wagner would get.

Quinnipiac outscored Wagner by an astounding 22-2 in points in the paint and 27-2 in bench points. Martin led all Bobcats scorers with seven points off the bench.

The Bobcats return to the court when they host Mount St. Mary’s on Monday, Jan. 30 at 7 p.m. at Lender Court at the TD Bank Sports Center.

Women's Hockey vs. Syracuse Live Blog

Women's Basketball vs. Wagner Live Blog

Uden Johansson leads Bobcats to 3-0 win

Uden Johansson leads Bobcats to 3-0 win

By Marty Joseph, QBSN Staff Writer

The Quinnipiac women’s ice hockey team (15-9-2, 10-4-2 ECAC) defeated the Syracuse Orange (8-16-3, 0-3-3 CHA) 3-0 Friday night at High Point Solutions Arena at the TD Bank Sports Center in a non-conference match-up.

Erica Uden Johansson (Sundsvall, Sweden) carried the offense factoring in on all three of the Bobcats’ goals with a goal and two assists. Nicole Kosta (Mississauga, Ontario) and Kate Wheeler (Oakville, Ontario) each added goals in the third period to seal the win. Kelly Babstock (Mississauga, Ontario) and Breann Frykas (East St. Paul, Manitoba) also added assists and Chelsea Laden (Lakeville, Minn.) made 18 saves for the shutout.

The Bobcats dominated the puck in the first period, outshooting Syracuse 12-4 and controlling play in the offensive zone. Uden Johansson netted her fifth goal of the season with the assist coming from Frykas. Uden Johansson now has points in five of the last six games. The team went into the locker room with the 1-0 lead after the opening frame.

 “She’s really picked up where she left off from last season,” head coach Rick Seeley said of Uden Johansson’s recent play.  “Since coming back from injury, she has played really well for us and she is getting better and better every game. Two weeks ago, there were elements of her game she wanted to improve upon, and she did it in two weeks.”

The two teams skated in a scoreless second period and each put seven shots on goal. Both net-minders Laden and Jenesica Drinkwater made key saves in the period to keep the score 1-0.

Kosta extended the Bobcats' lead with her fourth goal of the season just over five minutes into the third period. Uden Johansson assisted on the play as she hit an open Kosta in the high slot before Kosta ripped a shot passed Drinkwater for the goal. Wheeler rounded up the scoring putting the Bobcats up 3-0 just over four minutes later with her fifth goal of the season assisted by Babstock and Uden Johansson. Babstock threw the puck towards the net and it deflected right onto the stick of Wheeler who quickly capitalized on the opportunity, putting a shot high glove side passed Drinkwater. The Bobcats outshot Syracuse 14-7 in the final frame.

The Bobcats are back in action tomorrow afternoon at 4 p.m. with the second game of the weekend series against Syracuse at High Point Solutions Arena.

QU WHOK v Syracuse Live Blog

Scrappy Bobcats beat Mountaineers for OT win

Scrappy Bobcats beat Mountaineers for OT win

By Gilbert A. Celaya, QBSN Staff Writer

The Quinnipiac Bobcats (11-9, 4-5 NEC) fought a hard and scrappy game on Thursday night defeating the Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers (4-16, 2-7 NEC) 69-66 in overtime.

In a tough battle that saw the end of regulation tied at 61, James Johnson (Queens, N.Y.) missed a half court shot trying to win the game for the Bobcats.  The missed attempt sent the game into overtime.

To start overtime, Ike Azotam (Boston, Mass.) rocked the bank for the first points of OT as he rattled the rim with a two-handed jam.  Azotam lead the Bobcats in scoring with 20 points as he was 8-for-17 from the field and 4-for-6 from the free throw line on Thursday night.

Overtime seesawed back and forth between QU and Mount St. Mary’s as the Mountaineers seemed to be back on their heels.  Julian Norfleet put up a three-point attempt to try and send the game to a second overtime as time ran off the clock.  But the shot fell short and time ran out on Mount St. Mary’s.  The fans at the TD Bank Sports Center cheered their Bobcats as QU evened up the all-time series at 13-13 versus the Mountaineers.  Norfleet lead all scorers with 26 points.

However the game was a tale of two different halves for QU.  The Bobcats were outscored 43-28 in the first half.  QU also seemed to lack intensity during the first half, as they were out rebounded 20-17.

“We were shocked and down going into the locker room at halftime.  I think we came out very nonchalant, I know I did, and it took us awhile to get going,” Azotam said after the game.

Led by the speed of Josh Castellanos, the high scoring Norfleet and with Kristijan Krajina dominating the inside, the Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers seemed to have an answer for everything that the Bobcats threw at them.  Norfleet led all scorers with 12 points in the first half.

Most of the first half, the Bobcats seemed to hang in with the Mountaineers fast-paced offense.  However, the inability to convert lay-ups and grab rebounds hindered QU as they tried to stay in the game.

Quinnipiac Head Coach Tom Moore expressed his displeasure with way his team played in the first half.

“I was shocked and disappointed with our performance.  We looked sluggish and we allowed Mount St. Mary’s to dictate the tempo in the first half,” said Moore.

The Mountaineers always seemed to have an answer to QU’s full court press as Mount St. Mary’s easily handled the QU’s full court defense.  Mount St. Mary’s scored willfully as if the Bobcat defense seemed to not even stand in its way.

“I think I stayed with the full court press a little too long in the first half, and this allowed Mount St. Mary’s to get 10 offensive rebounds in the first half,” Moore said.

The big contributor for the Bobcats in the first half was Azotam, who was 4-for-6 from the field leading the Bobcats in scoring during the first half.  Halfway through the first half, Azotam was able to receive a pass underneath the basket for a thunder dunk that excited the QU fans.

“Ike’s had a lot thrown at him this year.  I think he spoiled us with all those double-doubles he had at the beginning of the season, and now we want him to keep doing it.  But he’s responded very well to the pressures that the team has faced this season,” said Moore.

Early in the second half, however, the tables seemed to turn and favor the Bobcats as they picked up their intensity and hustle.  While the Mountaineers only scored two points in the first six minutes of the second half, the Bobcats scored 14 points cutting the lead to 45-42.  Mount St. Mary’s did not score another basket until less than 11 minutes left in the game.

The Bobcat defense tightened their pressure in the second half, as they were able to slow down the Mountaineers and begin to out rebound Mount St. Mary’s.

“All we wanted to do was get pressure on the ball,” said Azotam of the Bobcats’ defense in the second half.

As the Bobcats applied pressure on the Mountaineers in the second half, Ousmane Drame (Boston, Mass), who was on the court for most of the first half for QU but did not make his presence felt, was able to throw down a dunk with nine minute and 37 seconds left in the game.  Less than a minute later, Azotam again skied over everyone for another thunder jam.  Azotam’s dunk put the Bobcats ahead of Mount St. Mary’s as both teams began to battle for the lead.  This sequence set up the game for the last minute shot taken by Johnson in the final seconds leading into overtime.

Drame finished the night with 13 points going 5-for-9 from the field and 3-for-4 from the charity stripe.  However, it was Drame’s second half rebounding that help lift the Bobcats to the overtime victory as he lead all rebounders with 15 boards.

“Ouse is not too strong, but he’s good with his hands, knows how to use his body, and he’s got a great basketball I.Q.  He knows what he has and he’s using that to help us get the boards that we need,” said Moore of Drame.

As the Bobcats now look past Mount St. Mary’s, Azotam expressed his excitement of beating the Mountaineers after the game.  But he also knows what’s at stake for the team.

“We can’t afford to lose at this point.  We’re battling to get into the tournament at the end of the season.  Our moral went up after this win.  I think we can beat any team in the conference now,” Azotam said.

The next game for the Bobcats is on Saturday, Jan. 28 at 2 p.m. versus the Wagner Seahawks at the TD Bank Sports Center.

Athlete of the Week: Felicia Barron

Athlete of the Week: Felicia Barron

Courtesy: quinnipiacbobcats.com

By Ben Dias, QBSN Staff Writer

This week’s QBSN athlete of the week honors are awarded to Felicia Barron (Springfield, Mass.) of the women’s basketball team. 

Barron, a junior guard is having herself a career year. She currently leads the Bobcats with 18 points-per-game. Barron also leads the team with three assists-per-game and five steals per game. Barron is also the leading Bobcats in minutes played per game with 29 minutes per game. 

The 5-7 point guard has received some prestigious accolades this season. So far this season, Barron has been named the Choice Hotels Northeast Conference Basketball player of the week two times. Barron received her first honor for the week of Jan. 17. 

Barron received her first NEC weekly award of the 2011-12 season after leading the Bobcats to consecutive conference road wins at the hands of Saint Francis (Pa.) by a score of 85-73 and defeating the Robert Morris Colonials, 82-74. 

Barron led the team in scoring, combining for 50 points, dishing out three assists and adding nearly three steals per game. Barron shot 56 percent from the field including 9-of-16 beyond the arc. She also converted 13-of-15 from the charity stripe, including 9-of-11 free throws against RMU. Barron scored a career high 26 points against the Colonials of Robert Morris to go along with three steals. Against Saint Francis, she scored 24 points and had five assists. 

The Bobcats leading scorer, Barron was also named the Choice Hotels NEC player of the week for the week of Jan. 24. It is Barron’s second consecutive NEC player of the week honors as she led the Quinnipiac to two consecutive road wins for the second week in a row.

The Springfield, Mass. native registered 10 points in an 84-47 win at Bryant. Facing previously unbeaten and first place Sacred Heart on the road, the junior guard tied her career high with 26 points on 10-of-20 shooting including 4-of-8 from three-point range. Barron also chipped in with three assists, three rebounds and two steals. 

While continuing to help the Bobcats against the tough NEC schedule, Barron continues to lead the nation with just under five steals per game while ranking first in scoring in the conference   with 22 points per game. Quinnipiac currently ranks second in the conference in steals per game with 10.5. Barron’s aggressive nature on defense and 4.7 steals per game has helped Quinnipiac’s defense achieve just fewer than 11 steals per game. 

The Bobcats will look to Barron to keep up her stellar play and continue to be an integral part of a team looking to make a deep run in the NEC playoffs and cement their name as a team to beat.

Men's Basketball vs. Mount St. Mary's Live Blog

Bobcats return home to face Mount St. Mary's

Bobcats return home to face Mount St. Mary’s

By Kevin Noonan, QBSN Staff Writer

The Quinnipiac men’s basketball team finally returns home Thursday night after a four game road trip to take on the Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers at 7 p.m. in the TD Bank Sports Center.  The Bobcats (10-9, 3-5 NEC) come into the game after going 2-2 on the road trip.  The Mountaineers (4-15, 2-6 NEC) are in the midst of a four game road trip of their own and have dropped the first two games.

Quinnipiac last played on a snowy afternoon in Smithfield, R.I., defeating the Bryant Bulldogs 78-71 in overtime.  The Bobcats were lead by senior guard James Johnson (Queens, N.Y.) with 23 points, three rebounds and three assists.  At halftime, Quinnipiac lead Bryant 34-29. The game continued to be a battle through the second half with the Bobcats slightly on top until Bryant tied the game with 16 seconds remaining.  Raphael Jordan was fouled on a three-point attempt, which he then made two-of-three free throws to tie the game at 63.  Quinnipiac had more energy in the overtime session, outscoring Bryant 15-8 to secure the victory.  Sophomore Ike Azotam (Boston, Mass.) also had a solid game scoring 19 points and grabbing seven rebounds while junior Dave Johnson (Jackson, N.J.) tied his career high once again with 18 points and five rebounds.  Quinnipiac only knocked down two three-pointers compared to Bryant’s seven, but the Bobcats outshot the Bulldogs from the floor 39.4 percent to 36.4 percent.  Quinnipiac once again won the battle of the boards, 51-34.

Mount St. Mary’s last game was 79-60 loss to the St. Francis (N.Y.) Terriers.  The Mountaineers never led in the game, despite shooting 42.9 percent from the floor.  Julian Norfleet lead Mount St. Mary’s in scoring with 14 points while Josh Castellanos notched 10 points and five steals.  Xavier Owens and Chad Holley combined for 21 points off the bench for the Mountaineers, providing a spark that was desperately needed.  Mount St. Mary’s was unable to shut down the Terrier offense.  St. Francis (N.Y.) went off for nine three-pointers and shot 55.3 percent from the field.  The Mountaineers were also outrebounded 33-24.  Mount St. Mary’s could not recover from their awful first half, trailing 35-17.  In the second half, the Mountaineers were only beaten by one point, but ultimately lost by 19 points.

Keys for the Bobcats:

Quinnipiac needs the bench to step up big time.  Although they have won two of their last four games, the bench players have not been productive.  The Bobcats are relying too much on the starters.  Freshmen Evan Conti (Bayside, N.Y.) and Marquis Barnett (Bronx, N.Y.) combined for the only six bench points against Bryant.  If the bench can score 15 points, along with the starters usual contributions, the Bobcats will have no problem beating Mount St. Mary’s.  Quinnipiac also needs to play solid defense.  The Mountaineers are only averaging 57.7 points per game, and if the Bobcats can keep this average, their 71.8 points per game will give them a solid victory. 

Keys for the Mountaineers:

Defense will be the key of the game for Mount St. Mary’s.  Forcing Quinnipiac to take bad shots, along with boxing out to prevent offensive rebounds will go along way.  Quinnipiac is first in the nation in offensive rebounds per game with 17.1.  If the Mountaineers simply box out, they will limit the second chance opportunities.  Mount St. Mary’s can defend the three-pointer well, only allowing three-pointers at a rate of 30.7 percent.  The Mountaineers will have their best chance to win in a low scoring game.  Look out for Norfleet on the offensive end, as he is the go-to outside shooter.  Danny Thompson is the main inside threat for the Mountaineers, averaging nearly nine points and eight rebounds per game. 

Previous Matchup:

Quinnipiac and Mount St. Mary’s last played in the Quarterfinals of the NEC Tournament on March 3 at the TD Bank Sports Center.  The Bobcats won the matchup 78-59 to head on to the Semifinals.  Justin Rutty lead the way for the Bobcats with 22 points and 16 rebounds.  Rutty passed the 1,000 career rebound mark in the game.  James Johnson scored 13 points, and Deontay Twyman and Dave Johnson each chimed in 10 points apiece on the way to victory.  For Mount St. Mary’s, Shawn Aputem scored a team high 20 points while Norfleet scored nine points and added five helpers.  Quinnipiac outshot Mount St. Mary’s 50 percent to 42 percent and held an astounding edge in points in the paint at 48-20.