Game One: Quinnipiac Bobcats (2-1)
Quinnipiac will join Queens as the second opponent with the letter Q. The Bobcats of Quinnipiac have not met the Longhorns on the basketball court before. Tricia Fabbri took over as head coach at Quinnipiac in 1995. Since 2011, Quinnipiac has not won less than 21 games and in 2012-13 went 30-3 while going 18-0 in league play. They were also 31-4 in 2014-15 while going undefeated in league play with a record of 20-0. Last season’s 29-7 MAAC champions reached the NCAA Sweet Sixteen for the first time in team history. They return four starters off that team plus one player that started in the first six games before an injury ended her season. This year, Quinnipiac was chosen as the preseason #1 mid major team. Quinnipiac started the season with three road games. They will play the next three games on a neutral court, beginning with Texas with a fourth road game after the Gulf Coast Showcase up before they open at home.
The Bobcats are led in scoring by Jen Fay (#21, 6-0 RS Sr. F) at 16.7 ppg and Aryn McClure (#25, 5-11 Sr. G/F) at 12.3 ppg. Taylor Herd (#2, 5-9 Jr. G) and Paula Strautmane (#4, 6-0 Sr. F) check in at 7.3 and 7.0 ppg, respectively. Those four combine for 43.3 points of the 54.0 ppg that Quinnipiac averages. While the Bobcats have two players that are making over 50% of their FGs, neither of those average more than 8 minutes a game. Fay (17-41; 41.5%), McClure (15-37; 40.5%), Herd (9-27; 33.3%) and Strautmane (9-25; 36.0%) are the top shooters for Quinnipiac. About a third of Quinnipiac’s shots come from BTA. But at 16.9% from BTA, so far, they have not had a lot of success. None of their three main threats from BTA are making more than 17.6%. Fay and Herd are both 3 of 17 from BTA (17.6%) while Edel Thornton (#11, 5-9 Sr. G) has only connected on one of 11 from BTA for 9.1%. However, Fay (38.9%), Herd (32.8%) and Strautmane (40.4%) proved last season that they are quite capable of making those shots from BTA. To date, the Bobcats are doing even worse than the Horns from the FT line, making 24 of 44 for 54.5% in their three games. Fay is averaging getting to the FT line seven times a game but is only converting at a 57.1% clip. McClure is the other threat to get to the FT line, averaging just over five FTs a game. She is only making 46.7% from there, though. No one else is making more than 50% of their FTs.
Fay and McClure double up as the team’s top rebounders at 8.0 and 7.3 rpg, respectively. Strautmare (5.3 rpg) and Herd (4.3 rpg) provide support on the boards. Fay (9 assists), McClure (7 assists) and Strautmane (7 assists) are the top distributors. The top ballhawks are McClure (7 steals) and Fay (6 steals). Strautmane with two blocks leads Quinnipiac in that category.
Although the Bobcats list fifteen players on their roster, only eleven have played. And only ten have seen action in all three games with the eleventh getting into only one game. Fay, Herd, Strautmane, Thornton and McClure have started all three games. Herd, Thornton and Strautmane average over 26 mpg while Fay and McClure both average over 30 minutes. Brittany Martin (#23, 5-6 Sr. G) averages 20.7 mpg. Paige Warfel (#20, 6-0 Jr. F) averages 11.7 mpg. Martin and Warfel are the main players coming off the bench for the Bobcats. Chiara Bacchini (#33, 5-10 Soph. G), Mackenzie DeWees (#22, 5-9 Fr. G) and Jaden Ward (#10, 6-0 Jr. F) are all averaging eight minutes or less in the three games they have played in. Amani Free (#24, 6-0 Fr. G) has played in one game. The tallest player on the roster, Rachael Stovall (#13, 6-3 Fr. C) has not played yet. Vanessa Udoji (#1, 5-11 Jr. G/F) started the first six games last season before a season ending injury. She also has yet to play this year.
TEXAS LONGHORNS (3-0)
After three games, all ten Longhorns that are active are averaging at least 2.7 ppg and all have played in the three games. Still to see the court are Joyner (ankle surgery), Sedona (broken leg) and Shae (unknown).
Three Horns are averaging double figures led by Lashann at 16.3 ppg while our twin towers, Charli and Jatarie, average 10.7 and 10.3 ppg, respectively. Destiny and Jada come in at 8.0 ppg while Danni’s offensive outburst vs McNeese State has her at 7.0 ppg. Horns are hitting 48.5% of their FGs. Six players are hitting over 50% of their shots with Olamide (4-6) at 66.7% and Jada (10-16) at 62.5% at the top. Lashann, Charli and Jatarie are all above 55%. Three games in, Destiny (5-11; 45.5%) and Danni (5-18; 27.8%) have established themselves as the Horns’ main three point threats. Danni did hit 4 of 6 from BTA in the last game after starting off 1-12. Lashann is 2-3 from BTA while Charli joins Sug and Joanne in having made one trey. Texas is shooting a very poor 57.9% from the FT line on an average of 12.7 FTs attempted per game. That’s not a lot of FT attempts in the first place. Audrey (3-3) and Lashann (3-4) are the only players over 67% from the FT line.
Horns are spreading the rebounding wealth around. They are a plus 15.7 in rebounding margin. Jatarie has a team leading 7.7 rpg average. Charli (5.7 rpg), Olamida (5.3 rpg), Lashann (5.0 rpg), Jada (4.7 rpg) and Sug (4.3 rpg) provide support on the boards. Sug (19 assists) and Lashann (13 assists) are the first Horns to reach double digit assists for the season. Charli and Sug top the team in a negative category with ten TOs each. Sug has a 1.9 A/TO ratio while Lashann carries a 13.0 A/TO ratio. That places Lashann on top of the league standings in A/TO ratio. Charli is fourth in the league in bpg at 2.3, a total of seven blocks in three games. Danni is second on the team with three blocks. Lashann leads Texas in steals with 8 (7th in the league at 2.7 spg) while Jada (5 steals) and Jatarie (4 steals) contribute to the Horns’ 5.7 spg.
All ten available Horns have played in all three games. Only Joanne’s 9.7 mpg are under double digits. Danni’s 29.0 mpg lead the team while Sug (25.0 mpg), Lashann (23.7 mpg), Jada (23.0 mpg) and Jatarie (22.7 mpg) all average in the 20s. Lashann, Sug, Danni and Jada have started all four games with Jatarie (2 starts) and Charli (1 start) have split the fifth position. It’s going to be interesting to see how the minutes shake out as the competition becomes tougher. Although with three games in three days in the Gulf Coast Showcase next weekend, all ten players should get plenty of playing time.
LINEUPS
Projected lineups are based on the previous game’s starting lineups.
No question that Horns will have a height advantage inside in this game, especially when they play two of Charli, Jatarie or Olamide. Quinnipiac’s only player that is over six feet is frosh Stovall at 6-3. She has yet to play in the first three games. McClure and Fay, both first team All MAAC selections last season and Strautmane, a second team All MAAC selecton in 2017-18, headline the players that the Horns will be looking to shut down. It will be interesting to see how our posts match up with Strautmane and Fay or whether one of our guards will be responsible for them. Strautmane and Fay will certainly have their hands full on the defensive end.
For Quinnipiac, aside from trying to defend the Horns’ length inside, the additional problem will in stopping the 3pt shooting of Texas. Destiny has been shooting very well and Danni seems to have found her groove from BTA in the game versus McNeese State. Quinnipiac’s problems stopping the three (they allow 40% from BTA) could result in a rainbow of threes lighting up the court by the Horns.
STATS COMPARISON
It would appear from looking at the PPG that these are two contrasting styles of play. But Quinnipiac only plays a bit slower than Texas does. The Bobcats average 1.5 shots a minute while the Horns average 1.7 shots a minute. The Bobcats average three more treys a game. The difference is that Texas is making more of their shots from the field and from BTA. Neither team is really getting to the FT line nor doing much once there—Texas is averaging 57.9% on 12.7 FTs a game while Quinnipiac averages 14.7 FTs a game and makes 54.5% of them.
It should be as tough as game, if not more so, than the North Texas game. Still, Texas has the talent to win this game. What Quinnipiac has going for them is experience playing together (four starters return from last season) and playing against top Division 1 teams. Our three frosh will need to continue to provide solid play against a quality opponent. The preseason #1 mid major should provide a stiff challenge to the Horns as they seek their fourth win to start off the season.
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