Indiana women’s basketball: Quinnipiac

Nov 20, 2022 - 3:51 PM

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No. 12 Indiana will look to move to 5-0 on the year this afternoon when they host the Quinnipiac Bobcats in Assembly Hall. Tip is set for 1pm. Here’s a little background info on the Bobcats, the history between these teams, and the day’s theme:

Who are the Bobcats?

Quinnipiac holds a 2-1 record through three games. They dropped their opener at No. 10 NC State on 11/7 but have since picked up wins over Central Connecticut State and Hartford. All three games have been blowouts.

The Bobcats are led by head coach Tricia Fabbri. She is the program’s all-time winningest coach and the 2022-23 season is her 28th in Hamden. Last year, Fabbri’s Bobcats went 21-12 and finished second in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. They were eliminated from the MAAC tournament in the semifinals, but qualified for the WNIT. They defeated Rhode Island before falling to Boston College in said tournament.

The rest of the MAAC expects a lot from Fabbri and Co. this season. Quinnipiac was voted to finish first in the conference’s preseason coaches’ poll, and three Bobcats received preseason honors:

Mackenzie DeWees - The graduate student guard was a unanimous selection to the Preseason All-MAAC First Team. She was the conference’s Player of the Year in 2020-21 and is the sixth Bobcat to ever receive first-team conference accolades twice. DeWees is on the 2023 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award Watchlist, but she has yet to play this season due to a knee injury. It does not seem like she’ll make her season debut today.

Mikala Morris - The Senior forward/center was also a preseason All-MAAC first teamer. Morris was the MAAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2020-21, and finished second in the conference in double-doubles last year with 13. She currently leads the Bobcats in rebounds, averaging 7.3 per game.

Rose Caverly - Caverly, a graduate student guard, was selected to the preseason All-MAAC third team. She started all 33 games for the Bobcats last season, and has a team-high 14 assists through three games this year.

Last year

These two teams last faced each other exactly one year ago today. The 11/20/2021 matchup resulted in a 67-59 Hoosier victory, but the Bobcats gave then No. 4 Indiana a bit of a scare in Connecticut that day.

Quinnipiac jumped ahead early, and led by six after the first and second quarters. The Hoosiers woke up at intermission, and went on a 17-2 run in the second half. Indiana took the lead 0:50 left in third and never looked back.Grace Berger was the catalyst on said run, and she led the Hoosiers in scoring with 17 points on the night. Quinnipiac’s top three scorers were the aforementioned DeWees, Morris, and Caverly.

Last year’s box score is very telling when it comes to how different the current Indiana offense is compared to a season ago. The Hoosiers attempted only eight three-pointers against QU last year... they’re averaging 23.75 per game this season. That’s a nearly 200% increase!!! Ahhhhh!! Steph Curry ruined basketball!!

The Bobcats have some players, and are a step up compared to the mid-majors Indiana has played so far this year. Given the Hoosiers’ newfound offensive versatility and QU’s lack of their best player in DeWees, however, Indiana should win today.

Wear Red

Any fans planning to attend the game are being encouraged to wear red, as today is ALS Awareness Day at Assembly Hall. Indiana head coach Teri Moren’s late mother, Barbara, passed away from the disease in 2014. The Hoosiers will be wearing their road red jerseys too.