MAAC Basketball Championship Spotlights: Quinnipiac Bobcats
MAAC Sports
EDISON, N.J. – With the 2015 MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships quickly approaching, the league will begin to spotlight each of its 11 member institutions’ men’s and women’s programs leading up to championship week. Today’s school scheduled to be featured is Quinnipiac University.
Quinnipiac Men’s Basketball
Preseason Poll Pick vs. Current Standing (as of Feb. 24):
Picked to finish fifth in the preseason coaches’ poll, Quinnipiac is currently sixth in the conference standings with an 8-10 league mark, and a 14-13 overall record. The Bobcats opened league play at 0-4 before winning the next six of seven conference games from Jan. 9-23. Quinnipiac continues its national dominance in rebounding, leading the country in defensive rebounds per game, rebound margin, total rebounds, and total rebounds per game, while ranking second nationally in offensive rebounds per game.
Player to Watch: Ousmane Drame
6-9 senior forward, Ousmane Drame, is averaging 14.7 points per game, eighth in the league, and a MAAC-leading 10.6 rebounds per contest. The Boston, Massachusetts, native currently leads the nation in double-doubles, registering 18 in his 27 appearances this season. Additionally, Drame’s 2.78 blocks per game leads the conference and he ranks in the top 10 in the NCAA in defensive rebounds per game, rebounds per game, and total rebounds.
Top Play of 2014-15 (as of Feb. 24): Watch Here
Breakthrough Performance(s) (as of Feb. 24):
In nonconference action, the Bobcats took down Pac-12 foe, Oregon State, by a score of 60-52 at the TD Bank Sports Center (Dec. 21). The victory marked the first time Quinnipiac has ever hosted and defeated a high major program. Seniors Zaid Hearst and Evan Conti combined for more than half of the Bobcats' points, as they finished with 24 and 14, respectively. The Beavers managed to take an eight-point lead eight minutes into the first frame, but Quinnipiac formed a 15-1 run over the next seven minutes to establish a lead it would never relinquish.
Quinnipiac Women’s Basketball
Preseason Poll Pick vs. Current Standing (as of Feb. 24):
Selected as the co-preseason favorite along with defending league champion, Marist, Quinnipiac owns sole possession of first place in the standings with a perfect 17-0 mark. The Bobcats secured their role as the No. 1 seed at the upcoming championships and were crowed the regular season MAAC Champions on Feb. 19, after topping Saint Peter’s at the TD Bank Sports Center. Quinnipiac has received votes in the Associated Press (AP) Top 25 Poll the last two weeks. Overall, the Bobcats sport a 25-3 record, highlighted by a perfect 14-0 home mark.
Player to Watch: Val Driscoll
A Michigan graduate who played three years for the Wolverines, Val Driscoll has played a vital role in Quinnipiac’s success this season. Averaging just 23.3 minutes per game, the forward is second on the Bobcats in scoring, averaging 12.4 points per game, which is good for 11th in the MAAC. Driscoll leads the league leaders in rebounding, pulling down 7.7 boards per game which ranks third in the conference, while her 55.8 field goal percentage is also the top mark in the MAAC. On the year, the graduate student has recorded four double-doubles.
Top Play of 2014-15 (as of Feb. 24): Watch Here
Breakthrough Performance(s) (as of Feb. 24):
On Feb. 12, Quinnipiac accomplished a feat that no other MAAC team has done in over a decade. The Bobcats took down Marist, 80-62, in Poughkeepsie, New York, to become first MAAC school to sweep a regular season series from the Red Foxes since Siena took two against the league powerhouse during the 2003-04 campaign. The 18-point margin of victory for Quinnipiac also represents the largest margin of defeat for Marist to a MAAC opponent at home since falling to Siena, 69-38, on Feb. 9, 2003.
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The next spotlight, set to be released on Wednesday, Feb. 25, will feature the Rider men’s and women’s programs.
The 2015 season culminates at the 2015 MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships at the Times Union Center in Albany, New York, March 5-9. Tickets for the championships are available online at ticketmaster.com.
For the full men’s basketball schedule, visits maacsports.com and remember to follow the conversation on twitter using #MAACHoops and #MAACHoops15.