Quinnipiac
Quinnipiac captured its first-ever basketball crown of any kind when it won a share of the NEC regular season title (16-2 NEC record) and made the program's first WNIT postseason appearance. Do the Bobcats have enough to make it back to the postseason? A first glance at veteran head coach Tricia Fabbri's roster reveals the return of four starters who produced nearly 70 percent of the NEC's second-ranked scoring offense (69.0 ppg). The Bobcats' defensive effort was amongst the league's best as well, ranking first in field-goal percentage defense (.360) and third in scoring defense (58.7 ppg).
It all starts in the backcourt with all-NEC guard Erin Kerner and NEC Defensive Player of the Year Brianna Rooney. The former was the league's fifth-leading scorer (17.1 ppg) while remaining lethal from long distance (61 3FG). Kerner poses a legitimate scoring threat from anywhere on the floor. No performance could validate that more than her 37-point effort on 14-of-26 shooting (5-7 3FG) against Long Island in the NEC semifinals. Primarily an off-guard, Kerner can create her own shot or one for a teammate as evidenced by a sixth-place rank amongst league's assists leaders (3.41 apg). Rooney owned the team lead in steals (61) and assists (102) on her way to posting the NEC's top assist-turnover ratio (1.85). Her ball-handling ability and defensive instincts make her as coveted as anyone in QU's starting five. Second-leading scorer Mandy Pennewell (13.6 ppg) returns more potency to a team that averaged in excess of 70 points per game during NEC play.
The loss of former all-NEC forward Monique Lee (9.7 ppg, 7.7 rpg) calls for another player to step up on the boards. Junior Courtney Kaminski (8.7 ppg, 5.0 rpg), a 6-foot-3 center, won't let Quinnipiac slip very much in the rebounding department where they finished second (+4.3 rebounding margin) in the league last season. The Bobcats will certainly miss the leadership, experience and gutsy play Lee brought to the table, but had an early opportunity to begin coping with the loss when their star missed five games after suffering a torn knee ligament last January.
Quinnipiac by the Numbers
Quick Facts
Starters Returning/Lost: 4/1
Letterwinners R/L: 10/5
2007-08 Record: 25-6
NEC Record/Place: 16-2/T-1st
NEC Tournament: Lost SF to No. 4 Long Island, 67-63
Overall Record (Past Four Years)
Last Year: 25-6
Last Two Years: 41-18
Last Three Years: 63-26
Last Four Years: 79-39
NEC Record (Past Four Years)
Last Year: 16-2
Last Two Years: 26-10
Last Three Years: 41-13
Last Four Years: 53-19
RPI Nat'l Rank/Conf. Standing
2007-08: 131/3rd
2006-07: 156/4th
Leading Returning Scorers
Erin Kerner: 17.0 ppg
Mandy Pennewell: 13.6 ppg
Courtney Kaminski: 8.7 ppg
Leading Returning Rebounders
Courtney Kaminski: 5.0 rpg
Kathleen Neyens: 3.7 rpg
Brianna Rooney: 3.6 rpg