WBB opens up NEC slate at Quinnipiac

GAME NOTES

SMITHFIELD, R.I. - The Bryant University women's basketball team opens up Northeast Conference action against Quinnipiac, looking to match a previous season-high winning streak of two consecutive games.  The Bulldogs and Bobcats enter today's affair with identical 4-2 records.

THE SERIES

This will be the sixth meeting between the Bulldogs and Bobcats.  Bryant trails in the all-time series, posting a 2-3 mark against Quinnipiac in five tries.  The Bobcats won the first-ever matchup on Feb. 7, 2009, but Bryant swept Quinnipiac in the 2009-10 season.  Last year, however, Quinnipiac returned the favor, taking both contests against the Bulldogs.

LAST TIME OUT

The Bryant University women's basketball team started hot and never looked back, as Meredith Soper and Katie Whittington combined for 36 points in a 75-62 victory over the University of Rhode Island on Nov. 30.

Soper became the first Bryant player to record a double-double this season, finishing with 20 points and 10 boards to ignite the Bulldogs from off the bench.    Whittington, meanwhile, was on fire early on for the Bulldogs, scoring 11 of the team's first 12 points by means of three long balls and a layup to push the home team in front early.

Bryant finished the game setting new season highs in field goals made (27) and field-goal percentage (40.9), as the home team shot 27-for-66 from the floor over the course of the game.  Bench players were pivotal again for the Black and Gold, combining for 38 of the team's 75 points (50.67 percent).  URI finished with 45 rebounds over Bryant's 38, while the Bulldogs were dominant off turnovers, committing a season-low 12 giveaways and scoring 32 points off the Rams' turnovers.  Bryant finished with 32 points in the paint over URI's 22. 

SCOUTING THE BOBCATS

Quinnipiac is fresh off a 66-63 victory over UMass in its most recent outing.  Three Bobcats posted double figures, including Brittany McQuain who registered a team-high 14 points and 10 rebounds, Camryn Warner who tallied a career-high 13 points, and Jasmine Martin who scored 11 points on the night. 

Junior guard Felicia Barron was named National Mid-Major Women's Basketball Player of the Week by College Sports Madness this week after receiving Most Valuable Player honors at the Saint Mary's Concord Hilton Classic Championship, which the Bobcats won.  Barron currently leads Quinnipiac with 13.8 ppg,, and also leads in steals (31) and assists (22).

Martin, meanwhile, was named Choice Hotels/Northeast Conference Rookie of the Week after turning in back-to-back 13-point performances in two-point victories over Minnesota and Saint Mary's.  McQuain has collected five double-doubles this season for 12 career double-doubles in total, and leads the Bobcats with 10.7 rebounds per game.

The Bobcats were tabbed to finish in sixth place in the league, according to the Preseason Coaches' Poll, but have won four straight after dropping their first two games of the season.  That four-game unbeaten streak is tied with Long Island for the most in the conference.

OCEAN STATE ELITE

By virtue of its 4-2 overall record and with one of those three victories coming against in-state rival Brown, the Bulldogs boast the best Division I women's basketball record in the state of Rhode Island in the early goings of the season.  Providence College - who the Bulldogs have never faced and will not play this year - are even at 3-3 on the season, while Bryant has picked up wins over both Brown (3-4) and URI (1-6).

SOPER STEALS THE SHOW

After seeing her scoring figures dip a bit over the first five games of the year, Meredith Soper came off the bench and ignited the home crowd at the 13-minute mark of the first half.
The Bay State native reeled off 11 straight points en route to a phenomenal 14-point first half, during which she hauled down an astounding eight rebounds and went a perfect 6-for-6 from the field.  She would finish the game with 20 points and 10 boards, becoming the first Bulldog to hit a double-double this year.

CAN'T CATCH KATIE

Over the last three games, Katie Whittington has been one of the key factors in Bryant's success.  In that stretch, she leads the team in scoring (12.7 ppg), assists (11), field-goal percentage (41.9 percent), three-point shooting (6-of-14, 42.9 percent) and free-throw percentage (75.0 percent).

BULLDOGS ON THE BIG SCREEN

Fans will have the chance to watch Bryant's victory over Rhode Island from Nov. 30 live on Cox Sports in the coming days.  The network will be broadcasting a tape-delayed showing of the Bulldogs' 75-62 win over the Rams.  

Broadcast Dates 

Dec. 3 - 3 p.m.
Dec. 4 - 4:30 p.m.
Dec. 7 - 3 p.m.

UP NEXT

Bryant travels to Dartmouth on Wednesday, Dec. 7, for a non-league tilt slated to begin at 7 p.m.  Four days later, Bryant takes on Lafayette College in its only home contest in the month of December on Sunday, Dec. 11.

CAN'T MAKE IT TO THE GAME?

Bryant University Athletics offers more ways than ever before to watch, listen or follow your Bulldogs during all the action even when you can't make it to the court!

Head to www.bryantbulldogs.tv for information about single-game and season broadcasting packages, where you can watch state-of-the-art webcasts of the Bulldogs for most home games.  Live stats can be found at www.bryantbulldogs.com for every contest, and you can follow @BryantGameday on Twitter for live, in-game scoring updates throughout the season.