The Fairleigh Dickinson University women's basketball team lost 68-56 to Quinnipiac University, Saturday, Dec. 9 at Burt Kahn Court in Hamden, CT. Junior guard Shanay Freeman (Laurelton, NY/Towsend Harris) (Laurelton, NY) scored 13 points in the second-half, en route to 15 points and seven rebounds, as the Knights slipped to 2-5 on the year and dropped their 2006-07 Northeast Conference opener.
Senior guard Gayle Coats (Richmond, VA/Gertrude) (Richmond, VA) put FDU ahead, 3-0, at the foul line, after being hacked on two drives down the lane. Freshman forward Christy Altamirano (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) (Bayonne, NJ) ? the team's leading rebounder with 11 ? finished off a lay-in at the 18:11 mark, pushing the lead to 5-0. Freeman followed with a jumper just inside the arc on the Knights' next possession.
Sophomore forward Katie Warehime (Littlestown, PA/Littlestown) (Littlestown, PA) connected on an attempt from the baseline with 8:08 remaining, ending a 6:50 scoring drought, maintaining the lead at 13-10. However, QU guard Erin Kerner (Erie, PA) splashed home the afternoon's first three-pointer at the 6:07 mark and Quinnipiac (7-1, 2-0 NEC) jumped ahead, 17-13.
Coats ? who scored a career-high nine points ? canned a trey with 4:38 remaining, ending a 15-3 run by the Bobcats. Freshman guard Jordan Sykes (Avalon, NJ/Holy Spirit) (Avalon, NJ) swiped the ensuing in-bounds pass and went the length of the floor for an easy deuce, drawing the Knights to a 21-19 deficit.
Fairleigh Dickinson railed 29-22 at the break and were out-rebounded 30-18 in the initial 20 minutes. Coats tallied six points and dished out five assists, while QU's Brianna Rooney (Guilford, CT) went 6-for-6 from the charity stripe, en route to eight points, four boards and four assists in the first-half.
"We did a lot of good things ? I told my girls in my tenure that we've never been in a game at halftime up here," Head Coach Sandy Gordon said. "We came out with good intensity, but they're one of the top two teams in the league. We shut down one of their options and another would emerge."
Warehime (11 points) popped a pull-up from the elbow despite being fouled and cashed-in on the three-point play opportunity with 16:08 remaining in the second-half, creating a 36-27 contest. Freeman hit an off-balance runner in the paint before the Knights beat a half-court press with a Warehime lay-up. The sophomore then hit the offensive glass for another bucket and FDU trailed, 40-33.
Freeman nailed a three-ball at the 9:19 mark, drawing the Knights to an eight-point hole, 46-38, and connected again from downtown less than two minutes later. Coats followed suit from long-range with 7:08 left, cutting Quinnipiac's lead to 52-44.
Kerner paced all scorers with 22 points and Rooney chipped in 16.
"We had plenty of good looks, so we have to make shots ? especially if we're going to take 31 three's," said Gordon.
The Knights return to the Rothman Center at 7:00 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 12, hosting NJIT.
