New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
Caverly leads QU to win in season opener
When the members of the Quinnipiac women’s basketball team woke up on Wednesday morning, all they could do was hope they would indeed have the honor of being the first Connecticut team to play on the opening day of the college basketball season.
Schedules have been changing at a fast and furious pace around the country. Even the Bobcats have not been immune to the COVID-related changes taking place. Thankfully, a few minutes after 1 p.m. playing at People’s United Center, there was once again basketball being played.
“You really can’t take anything for granted,” said Vermont transfer Rose Caverly whose 20 points led Quinnipiac to the 71-65 win over visiting Providence. “Until the tip goes
off, you don’t know if you are going to be playing that day. Today, I am thankful that we got to play that game because I know a lot of teams that didn’t get to play today that were expecting to play. It is an annoying process but it is necessary for these times, it is so unpredictable. Just coming to practice every day, hope that everybody tests negative, everybody gets the negative results, the team we are playing against tests negative and we get to play a game.
Caverly also had five assists and no turnovers in her Quinnipiac debut, sophomore Mikala Morris finished with 17 points and Mackenzie DeWees pulled down 14 rebounds as the Bobcats built a 15-point lead in the first half.
After the Friars rallied to briefly take the lead, Sajada Bonner had a 3-pointer as Quinnipiac regained the lead, then Caverly went 6 for 6 from the foul line and Providence failed to score in the final 1:54 to give the Bobcats the victory.
“There was no fear, one possession at a time,” Quinnipiac coach Tricia Fabbri said. “We got the turnover, I think Mik Morris broke it up when they were trying to go inside again. There is an (intensity) with this team but not an uptightness and maybe that does come with going through some really challenging times. It is not a, ‘oh my gosh what is going on.’ It was just keep one possession at a time, let’s control what is in front of us. They really stayed truly in that moment of what needed to get done, it did not overwhelm them.”
Alyssa Geary led Providence with 17 points, while Enfield’s Mary Baskerville finished with 15 points and nine rebounds. A highlight for Quinnipiac was senior Vanessa Udoji playing in her first game since Dec. 1, 2017. Injuries forced her to miss the rest of the 2017-18 season and each of the next two campaigns. She had two points, two rebounds and an assist in seven minutes of action.
“To see that layup go in, I literally had a moment to myself to watch her get back on the floor and to contribute to today’s win,” Fabbri said. “It really was a moment and I am really excited for her journey this year with us.”
The Providence game came together after Quinnipiac’s original seasonopening game against Central Connecticut State was called off. A pair of games at Mohegan Sun Arena, including a highly anticipated matchup with
UConn also fell victim to COVID-related issues.
“I think they have been so focused and truly prioritize in their time away and their time on campus,” Fabbri said. “Their devotion and love for not only the game but for each other ... was clearly evident with their ability to get to today and compete because we know the challenges that are out there.”
Perhaps nobody better summed up the adjusting on a fly mentality more than Jay Young shortly after his second season at the helm of the Fairfield men’s basketball program ended with the Stags being on the wrong side of a
97-56 score at the hands of host Providence.
His words could barely be heard as the video conference call he was on had major issues. After briefly losing connection, Young returned to the call and deadpanned, “it says my internet connection is unstable so that pretty much sums up the day.”
Fairfield led by five points early before Providence took over.
Jalen Leach and Taj Benning had 10 points each to lead the Stags. While the lopsided loss was a tough way to open the season, Young is thankful that the Stags were able to get onto the court.
“We faced many challenges, as did every single team in the country,”
Young said. “I am fortunate that our campus has done a great job of keeping us safe, but I am proud of our guys, the way we responded to adversity. We did not play well today, obviously a lot of that had to do with Providence. We have to get back in the gym and get better.”
Nate Watson had 23 points and 10 rebounds to lead Providence.
“I am so glad I was able to get a game in,” said Providence coach Ed Cooley, Fairfield’s head coach from 2006-11. “I was really proud with how we performed. I thought there were some mistakes, but I really credit our guys. I thought we started slow, I think we had some jitters early, I thought we utilized our size.”
Quinnipiac men’s basketball team was home against Fairleigh Dickinson, Sacred Heart men’s squad played at Rutgers and the five Connecticut games ended with former UConn star Donyell Marshall leading Central Connecticut against UConn at Gampel Pavilion.
The first Sacred HeartFairfield women’s basketball game since 2016 was among the games recently postponed, while Yale will join the rest of the Ivy League in not playing this season.