December 4, 2010

Women's Basketball Defeats Wagner, 85-72

HAMDEN, Conn. - The Quinnipiac University women's basketball team beat Wagner College, 85-72, in its first Northeast Conference match-up of the season. With the home victory, the Bobcats improve to 2-5 overall and 1-0 in conference play, while the Seahawks fall to 3-3 on the season and 0-1 in the NEC.

Sophomore guard Felicia Barron (Springfield, Mass.) led the Bobcats with 14 points and a career-high eight assists, while collecting four rebounds in the win. In addition, three Quinnipiac players scored in double-figures including Shelby Sferra (LaGrangeville, N.Y.) (12), Alyssa Jann (Westford, Mass.) (11) and Brittany McQuain (Independence, Mo.) (10). Sferra posted a team-high seven rebounds and posted three assists and three steals in the contest. Ashley Olsen led the Seahawks with a team-high 18 points and nine rebounds.

Overall, the Bobcats shot 46.6 percent from the floor, while holding Wagner to 37.5 percent. Also, Quinnipiac posted a .833 free throw percentage in the game, as it went 25-30, from the line. For the second game in a row, the Bobcats outrebounded its opponent, 45-32.

Quinnipiac ended the first half ahead by 22 points, 53-31, after shooting 54.1 percent from the field. The score read 7-2 with 18:18 on the clock, as Jann made her first of four three-pointers in the game. The Bobcats went on a 13-5 run followed by a 12-2 run capped off by another Jann three-pointer that gave Quinnipiac its biggest lead of the half, 26 points, 50-24. Overall, Quinnipiac benefited from Wagner's 13 turnovers, as they converted 21 points off of Seahawks' miscues.

In addition, the Bobcats' bench added 21 points in the half, led by senior Courtney Kaminski's (Dudley, Mass.) and freshman Camryn Warner's (Keene, N.H.) six points apiece, and Ellen Cannon's (West Chester, Pa.) five points.

Wagner opened the second half outscoring Quinnipiac, 16-4, over the first seven minutes of the half, powered by a pair of three-pointers by Stephanie McBride that pulled the Seahawks within 12 points, 59-47, with 12:59 remaining in the game. It was the closest they would come for the remainder of the game as Quinnipiac pushed their lead as high as 20 points with Barron scoring nine of her 14 points down the stretch.

A late 8-1 run by Wagner over the final two minutes of the game pulled them within 13 points to end the game, 85-72.

Bobcats return to action on Saturday, Dec. 11 when they host Army at 12 p.m. at the TD Bank Sports Center in Hamden, Conn.