Jan. 15, 2006

- Complete Quinnipiac Game Notes in PDF Format

HEADED NORTH: The Fairleigh Dickinson University women's basketball team travels to Northeast Conference opponent Quinnipiac University for the team's ninth road tilt of the season and fifth conference game. The 1:00 p.m. tip-off on Monday, Jan. 16 concludes a weekend trip in Connecticut, as FDU fell to Central Connecticut State University, 61-55, on Saturday, Jan. 14.

SCOUTING QUINNIPIAC: The Bobcatsare 3-3 at home this season, including a win over Wagner and a loss to Monmouth.

Quinnipiac is led by sophomore forward Monique Lee who averages 16.7 ppg and 9.2 rpg.

Freshman guard Brianna Rooney proves the team's second scoring option averaging 10.0 points per game and 2.1 rebounds per contest. Rooney is shooting 37.5 percent from long range, connecting on 18 shots from behind the arc.

Fellow freshman guard Erin Kerner compliments Rooney in the backcourt, averaging 9.8 ppg and 3.9 rpg. The rookie has dropped in 10 three-pointers on the season in 52 attempts.

Eight players on the 12-woman roster have started at least one game for Quinnipiac, with three Bobcats starting all 13 contests: Kerner, freshman guard Kathleen Neyens and senior forward Charmaine Steele.

THE SERIES: The Bobcats lead the all-time series 13-2, knocking off home-standing FDU, 63-52, on Jan. 7. The Knights' last victory against Quinnipiac was an 81-68 win on Feb. 9, 2002.

NEXT UP: The Knights host St. Francis (NY) on Friday, Jan. 20 at 5:00 p.m. The game will be FDU's only televised contest of the season and can be seen on Fox Sports Network - New York.

OUTLASTED ON JAN. 7: In only the squad's second home court advantage of the season, the Fairleigh Dickinson University women's basketball team lost to Quinnipiac University 62-53 in the Rothman Center on Saturday, Jan. 7.

Senior guard Krissy Suckow (East Brunswick, NJ) found her rhythm from behind the three-point arc, canning two three-balls in the first-half, en route to posting eight points and two steals in the half.

Suckow's back court support, sophomores Megan Kirkland (Glen Allen, VA) and (Laurelton, NY), also contributed two steals each in the opening half. Suckow finished the night with 10 points and two steals, while Kirkland posted a team-high 12 points, with four rebounds and four assists. Freeman netted five points, coupled with three steals.

The contest opened with both defenses playing at high energy levels. Quinnipiac subbed often to support the intensity of its full-court press. Fairleigh Dickinson countered with a half-court zone strategy, as the Knights created 15 turnovers in the opening 20 minutes. The Bobcats ended the game with 25 turnovers, compared to FDU's 22.

Sophomore forward Jen Walkling (Westminster, MD) recorded a season-high 18 minutes of floor time, dropping in eight points and five rebounds. Sophomore Nikki Lockhart (Rochester, NY) turned in a solid effort down low with four points and a team-high seven rebounds.

The Bobcats took a 29-25 lead into halftime, and pushed the advantage to eight points at 41-33 with 14:59 remaining in the game. Fairleigh Dickinson responded with a nine-point run encompassing 3:13 to trail 43-42 at the 11:46 mark.

Freshman forward (Chesterfield, VA) sparked the Knights' comeback, tallying all of her nine minutes in the second-half, posting two points and two assists. However, Quinnipiac closed out the final 3:20 on an 8-0 run.

Quinnipiac cashed in on second chance opportunities, as the Bobcats out-rebounded FDU, 47-37. Sophomore forward Monique Young (Lynn, MA led the charge as the squad's high-scorer, recording a double-double with 23 points and 11 rebounds.

The Knights play their third Northeast Conference game of the season on Monday, Jan. 9 at 7:00 pm hosting St. Francis (PA) at the Rothman Center.

LAST CONTEST: The Fairleigh Dickinson University women's basketball team rallied late, but fell short at Central Connecticut State University, 61-55, on Saturday afternoon at Detrick Gymnasium.

Junior forward Mercedez Walker led FDU in the first-half, shooting 3-for-6 from the field for six points. Walker posted a career-high 12 points, in addition to recording five rebounds.

The Blue Devils took a 33-21 lead into halftime by virtue of 13 assists. The Knights would respond after the break with a full-court press.

Fairleigh Dickinson (3-9, 0-4 NEC) opened the second-half on an 11-2 run, including seven points by senior guard Krissy Suckow in a span of 4:26. The Knights' lone senior recorded 12 points, four assists and four rebounds in the contest.

FDU's intensity on defense created 11 second-half turnovers, as Head Coach Sandy Gordon's squad held the Blue Devils to 28 points in the final 20 minutes.

However, the Knights trailed 45-35 at the 11:13 mark, and forced CCSU to the free throw line. Fairleigh Dickinson pressed on to close the gap to 50-48 with 5:05 remaining in the game.

The Blue Devils (4-10, 1-3 NEC) went on a 6-0 run to hold a 58-52 advantage when sophomore point guard drained a three-pointer with 1:09 remaining to cut the deficit to 58-55. Kirkland netted 10 points, four assists and three steals in the contest.

CCSU then connected on 3-of-4 shots from the charity stripe to seal a 61-55 victory.

HOME STATE HOT STREAK: Junior forward Mercedez Walker returned home to Connecticut on Jan. 14 against Central Connecticut State University and impressed Fairleigh Dickinson fans with the best offensive performance of her career.

The 6-foot-3 forward dropped in six field goals for a new career-high, to notch a personal best 12 points. Walker's 12 shots also marked a new high, in addition to her career-high 26 minutes.

ON THE RISE: The Knights posted five new team-highs versus St. Francis (PA) on Jan. 9, hard evidence of the strides the team has made over its first 11 games.

FDU's ball movement was superb, as the team dropped in 32 field goals in 75 attempts. The open shots were a direct result of 24 assists and a season-low 15 turnovers.

The defense stepped up with 22 steals, however could not slow down the Red Flash's 56.4 field goal percentage, 63.6 percent from long range and 80 percent from the foul line.

SHOOTER'S TOUCH: Sophomore guard Shanay Freeman zoned in versus St. Francis (PA) on Jan. 9, taking her game to a new level. The Laurelton, NY-native found her stroke from the outside, as well as successfully penetrated the lane to get to the charity stripe, en route to draining 7-of-10 field goals in the first-half.

The sophomore's 17 first-half points matched her previous career high versus Wagner last Feb. 2. Freeman hit 5-of-7 free throws and connected on 8-of-13 field goals for 21 points in 32 minutes of floor time. The guard also grabbed three rebounds, dished out three assists and pilfered two steals.

POST POWER: Fairleigh Dickinson's inside game caught fire when the Knights hosted St. Francis (PA) on Jan. 9. The starting front court - junior Mercedez Walker and sophomore Nikki Lockhart - combined for 15 points and 13 boards. Walker notched eight points, seven rebounds and a career-high three steals. Lockhart tallied seven points and six rebounds.

The Knights success down low continued when Head Coach Sandy Gordon substituted fresh legs into the game in sophomore Jennifer Walkling and freshman Katie Warehime. Walkling played a season-high 20 minutes, recording 14 points and eight boards, while Warehime contributed nine points, three rebounds and four steals.

When the final buzzer sounded, the foursome posted a combined 38 points, 24 rebounds, and nine steals in 80 minutes.

DIRECTING THE FLOW: Sophomore point guard Megan Kirkland truly embodied the role of her position versus St. Francis (PA) on Jan. 9, looking to pass first and score second. The sophomore recorded a 2-to-1 assist to turnover ratio, on her way to posting two career highs and Knight season highs. FDU's floor general notched eight assists, in addition to six steals versus the Red Flash.

Kirkland also splashed in two three-pointers in four attempts, en route to eight points during a team-high 37 minutes.

NEC ELITE: Defensively, FDU leads the NEC in blocked shots with 4.64 per game and steals (12.91). The Knights also own the boards, standing third in the conference in rebounding offense (40.2), and second and fourthin offensive and defensive boards with 16.09 and 24.09, respectively.

OWNING THE LANE: Junior forward Mercedez Walker proved one of the Knights' strong points in a physical contest versus Princeton University. The 6-foot-3 intimidator put forth a season-and-career-high 25 minutes en route to single-handedly defending All-Ivy League center Becky Brown.

Walker stepped up versus a dominating trio of Tigers' post players, recording a game-high five blocks on the evening, in addition to ripping down a team-high seven rebounds. The defensive stalwart also chipped in a team-leading nine points, two steals and two assists.

Walker capped off her evening by draining her first-ever collegiate three-pointer.

A TOUGH WALK: The return of physical forward Jennifer Walkling to the Knights' lineup sparked FDU's post game versus Lafayette College, as the sophomore dropped in five points on 2-2 shooting in the first-half. Walkling finished the contest with 13 minutes of floor time, notching seven points, two rebounds and one block.

Through four games this season, Walkling has posted season-highs of 14 points, eight rebounds, three assists and three steals.

FAST TIMES AT FDU: The Knights have begun three of their last six games with a bang. After running out to a 24-18 lead at Mount St. Mary's, Fairleigh Dickinson took a 17-5 advantage in the game's opening 10 minutes at Lafayette College. Hosting St. Francis (PA), FDU jumped out to a 22-9 advantage.

In those three match-ups, Head Coach Sandy Gordon's squad made two runs for a combined for 63-24 scoring outburst.

STILL ROLLING: Freshman forward Katie Warehime continues to build on her early season success, racking up a career-high 19 points in 27 minutes at Barry University on Dec. 4. In her NEC debut at Mount St. Mary's, the post player poured in a team-high 18 points.

On Dec. 11, the forward was named Choice Hotels NEC Rookie of the Week, marking the second occasion this season.

In FDU's 11 games, Warehime leads the squad with 11.0 ppg and has proven the Knights' leading scorer in four outings this season. Her 18.3 minutes per game top the Knights 11-player bench.

FRESHMEN FLOOR TIME: A youthful Knights squad made significant strides versus the University of Miami, with five freshmen seeing double-digit minutes versus the home-standing Hurricanes.

Forward Katie Warehime sparked FDU with 13 points off the bench, including a 6-6 performance from the foul line.

Forwards Ashley Hayes and Jessica Naquin recorded career-high point totals with four and five points, respectively. The tandem also tallied career-highs in minutes, with Hayes playing 18 and Naquin 21.

Forward Heather Coombs matched her career-high minutes with 12, while setting a rebounding high with three.

SNEAKY SHANAY: Sophomore guard Shanay Freeman set a career-high in steals with five versus The University of Miami on Dec. 2. Freeman's new personal best came only two days after matching her previous career-high of four steals at St. John's University on Nov. 30.

ROLE PLAYER: Katie Warehime was named the Northeast Conference Choice Hotels NEC Rookie of the Week, announced by the league on Monday, November, 28.

The 6-1 freshman forward came off the bench to score double-figure points in the Knights' 75-64 win over Binghamton last Wednesday. The Littlestown, PA native dropped in 14 points, posted a team-high eight rebounds, registered four steals, while shooting 4-of-9 from the field and 6-of-7 from the free-throw line in 23 minutes.

Her performance marked the second occasion the freshman dropped in 10-straight points to spark the Knights this season, en route to her second double-digit scoring effort.

PLAYING BIG: Megan Kirkland notched her first career double-double versus Columbia with 15 points and 13 rebounds. The sophomore has proven more than just Coach Sandy Gordon's floor general, averaging a 5.0 rpg and an NEC-best 3.2 steals per contest.

Kirkland also averages 9.5 ppg. The 5-6 point guard is registering 29.6 minutes per game, shooting 39.4 percent from three-point land on 33 attempts, and dishing out 4.0 assists.

BREAKOUT PERFORMANCE: In her collegiate debut at University of Maryland - Baltimore County's Retriever Classic, forward Rachel Ormsby turned some heads in her sixth-man role, averaging 15.5 minutes per game. The freshman scored a team-high 15 points versus Columbia University on Saturday, November 19, in addition to notching six rebounds. The following day in the championship game, Ormsby contributed seven points and three rebounds in the Knights' loss to UMBC.

At 6-2 she has proven an outside threat, posting a 68.3 shooting percentage (7-12) from behind the arc and is 11-for-26 from the field.

Her exceptional tournament performance garnered NEC Choice Hotels Rookie of the Week honors in the first week of the season.

SETTING THE BAR: Junior forward Mercedez Walker shattered her previous career-high of two blocks versus Columbia. The junior tallied six stuffs in the contest to accompany her seven points and five rebounds. Her 11-point performance against UMBC the following day also set a career-high.

Walker continued her defensive dominance at Barry University on Dec. 4, notching four blocks, then again on Dec. 30 at Princeton, the forward tallied five.

The junior averages an NEC-leading 2.9 swats per game.

SENIOR SHOW: Lone senior Krissy Suckow was named to the UMBC Retriever Classic All-Tournament team following an impressive two-game performance. The guard averaged 11.0 points, 5.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds en route to the Knights' runner-up finish.

COACH QUOTES:

Columbia:

· "She's our floor general and it all starts with the point guard," Coach Sandy Gordon said. "Megan (Kirkland) got us going and put forth a solid all-around performance at both ends of the court."

· "We got some big minutes off the bench from our freshmen," Gordon said. "I'm going to play a lot of freshmen because we're so young and it's good to see different people step up at various times."

· "Coming off a season like last year, the win is huge," Gordon said. "The team has worked so hard and notching this win as a result of that diligence provides a huge confidence builder."

Binghamton:

· "This is a lot of firsts, winning at home and winning the home opener," Head Coach Sandy Gordon said. "This is a huge win going into a tough stretch. We knew they were going to be good, so this is a good win going into the holiday."

· "The difference between last year and this year is our depth and our tempo," Gordon said. "We try to push the ball in transition. From day one we've been harping on intensity and solid defense."

St. John's:

· "Tonight was a great effort - a great effort for 30 minutes," Gordon said. "Unfortunately, games are 40 minutes long and we got killed on the boards. As young as we are, to play with a team like that, it's a positive."

· "They had a ton of points off put backs," Gordon said. "They made their run off the offensive boards. Regardless, we'll take this experience and build from here."

Mount St. Mary's:

· "Katie (Warehime) had a big game," Gordon said. "For her to come in and leave an impact the way she has in seven games has been a huge lift."

· "That's NEC basketball," Gordon said. "Every game is close. We got down 14 points but we still competed and didn't quit. The bottom line is 32 turnovers won't get it done."

Quinnipiac:

· "It's a disappointing loss," Head Coach Sandy Gordon said. "It was a game of runs and we had too many mistakes at key points, particularly turnovers at critical times. We missed too many lay-ups and in NEC basketball the team that makes the fewest mistakes will win the game."

RULE OF 10: FDU remained close in nearly every contest last season, but couldn't seem to catch a break. How close were they? A total of 18 of their school-record 25 losses were by 10 or fewer points.

PRESEASON POLL: The Knights were chosen to finish tenth in the NEC preseason coaches poll, according to a vote of the league's head coaches. The rankings and preseason all-conference team were announced during a media teleconference with coaches.

The Knights, who ended last season 2-25 overall with a 1-17 mark in league action, finished ahead of only ahead of Staten Island's Wagner College.

The squad ended the season short of the conference tournament for only the second time in Coach Gordon's six seasons as Fairleigh Dickinson.

THE COACHES: Head Coach Sandy Gordon enters her seventh season with the Knights. She has led her team to the NEC Tournament in four of her six seasons manning the bench, with the team bowing out in the first round in each of those tournaments. Gordon expects her squad of 13 underclassmen to be competitive in every game.

Tricia Sacca-Fabbri enters her 11th season as head coach of the Quinnipiac University women's basketball team and is the winningest women's basketball coach in the school's history. She became the program's first full-time coach in July of 1995 and became the only coach in school history to win 100 games during the 2004-05 campaign.

Over the past ten seasons, Sacca-Fabbri has overseen the transition of Quinnipiac from the Division II level to the Northeast Conference's Division I stature. In each of the last two seasons, Sacca-Fabbri guided her Bobcats to the Northeast Conference semifinals.

In 2004-05, her team entered the playoffs as the No. 5 seed and upset fourth-seeded Monmouth in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament, before falling to eventual champion and No. 1 seed St. Francis (PA).

Under Sacca-Fabbri's tutelage, the Bobcats have boasted one player on the All-NEC first team in each of the past three seasons.

In 2000-01, Sacca-Fabbri guided the team to its most successful season in 15 years. Quinnipiac finished the year with a record of 16-13, including a 12-6 regular season mark in the Northeast Conference.

Before her time at Quinnipiac, Sacca-Fabbri was an assistant coach at Fairfield University. A four-year letter winner for the Stags, Sacca-Fabbri tallied 1,622 points and 1,037 rebounds in her career, currently ranking her fifth and third all-time.

Sacca-Fabbri earned first-team All-Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) honors in each of her final three seasons while leading her team to two MAAC titles, two MAAC regular season championships and two NCAA tournament appearances in 1989 and 1991.