The Quinnipiac women’s basketball team (20-6 overall, 15-0 MAAC) extended its MAAC win streak to an astonishing 48 games as senior forward Jen Fay and the Bobcats took care of the Marist Red Foxes (19-9 overall, 11-5 MAAC) by a score of 78-66.

Fay led the way for Quinnipiac with 20 points, seven rebounds and three assists, while many other Bobcats contributed depth scoring.

Despite many Bobcats having an impact and getting on the stat sheet, that didn’t happen from the get-go. Marist got out to a hot start as sophomore forward Alana Gilmer came out shooting, finishing with a game-high 21 points. Gilmer found many different ways to the basket and was one of few Red Foxes able to get to the free throw line. Junior forward Lovisa Henningsdottir shot extremely well from deep for Marist, going 5-for-7 rom downtown and finishing with a respectable 19 points.

[media-credit name=”Rhea Ghosh” align=”alignright” width=”200″][/media-credit]After falling behind 12-6 start to the game, the Bobcats responded well after talking it over with head coach Tricia Fabbri during a timeout. That is when sophomore guard Taylor Herd was able to hit back-to-back threes, quickly making it 14-12. Once Herd got going her teammates followed, including Fay, as she was incredibly effective going 7-for-13 from the field.

“Being aggressive on offense is going to open the passing lanes for us, so I was looking for my shot but also driving to the basket and looking for the open pass which is equally as important,” Fay said.

Junior guard Aryn McClure followed Fay’s lead with 16 points, but potentially could have had more if it weren’t for an injury. McClure did spun and bumped her head into the nose of Marist freshman guard Sarah Barcello, whose nose was bleeding as a result of the play.

“I don’t feel too good. I have a sinus infection and then I got hit in the head,” McClure said.” They looked into if I needed stitches, but there was no way I was getting stitches since I am not that type of person.”

McClure not only lucked out avoiding stitches under her eye, but she also returned to the game just minutes after not being able to walk off the floor under her own power. She then got right back to her scoring ways, getting back-to-back buckets following her injury.

Quinnipiac senior guard Edel Thornton remained one of the MAAC’s most efficient players, going 50 percent from the field, missing only one free throw, and making this her fifth straight game with zero turnovers.

“I liked Edel Thornton for sure,” Fabbri said. “When they went to the zone she stayed composed the whole game and knocked down shots.”

Thornton, who finished with 12 points, has been rock solid for the Bobcats in her career.

One player that is usually always solid for the Bobcats is Senior forward Paula Strautmane, however she struggled to get things going today. Strautmane, who celebrated her 1,000-point milestone with her family from Latvia before the game, was an uncharacteristic 4-for-12 from the field and missed three close layups in a row at the start of the second half. Strautmane will be a crucial aspect to the Bobcats in the postseason if they want to make a run, so her figuring out her game at the right time would be beneficial.

Once the fourth quarter came around it was all but over, as a Quinnipiac extended its lead to double digits. Marist flirted with a few comebacks cutting the lead to single digits, but never found the runs that Quinnipiac did. The Bobcats had a 16-point scoring run in the third quarter, however Marist’s longest run was seven points. It is a game of runs, and that was proven with Quinnipiac being more consistent, and defeating Marist 78-66.

The Bobcats look forward to Thursday, Feb. 28 when Manhattan comes to town for their next game. Until then, they will try to rest after two wins in the last three days.