HAMDEN, Conn – Five days ago, the Quinnipiac women’s basketball team beat Marist by 28 in its most dominating performance of the year. The team surpassed it as the Bobcats took down the Canisius Golden Griffins 73-36 Thursday morning.

With the win, the Bobcats extended their winning streak to seven games and improved to 16-7 on the season. This win is also win No. 498 for Quinnipiac head coach Tricia Fabbri, as the legendary coach only needs two more for the milestone 500th.

 An unusual 11 a.m. start time didn’t prevent any possible future Bobcats from showing up. It was College Experience Day at M&T Bank Arena, with local high schools and middle schools attending the matchup. This game actually was the highest-attended home game for the Bobcats all season (2,877 fans total attendance).

Quinnipiac senior forward Cur‘Tiera Haywood banked in the first bucket and the place erupted. The noise of the kids’ screams actually masked out the PA announcements of who scored.

“I know that they were really, really loud at points,” sophomore guard Jackie Grisdale said. “The screaming got a little up there, but it was great to have them here.” 

Led by Grisdale’s 20 points, the Bobcats did not disappoint. The Ohio native went 3-7 from beyond the arc in the game, as well as adding four rebounds and a steal.

“It’s really fun to be playing in front of fans like that, just to have the arena packed,” Grisdale said. 

Graduate forward Mary Baskerville shot a perfect 4-4 from the field going, scoring nine points in the win.

“I think the question should be why is she not shooting 12 times in a game,” Fabbri said. “The game is challenging, she makes it look super easy.”

This game marks the seventh game this season where Baskerville hasn’t missed from the field. Throughout this season, the Providence transfer has shot below 50% only once, an impressive showing for her final collegiate season.

The team looked very strong from the free-throw line, shooting 15-24 at the charity stripe. Graduate student guard Rose Caverly contributed with five of those 15 points.

The home team enjoyed the enthusiasm given by the crowd. Junior forward Tiera White made a note to stand up from the bench and hype up the crowd, which got the place even rowdier.

Grisdale and Fabbri spoke after the game about how much chemistry and trust that the team has with one another. Grisdale mentioned that “trust is such a big thing” and believes that it is the most important thing to have on a team with so many talented players.

It’s important to note that Fabbri mentioned that most of her players were under the weather coming into the game, showing how much depth played a role in the game. She also praised her team’s defensive effort in the game, talking about the amount of great plays her team made in the game that led to good offensive possessions.

This result continued the unbeaten streak that the Bobcats have against the Griffins, as Quinnipiac has never lost to Canisius in every matchup the two teams have had.

The Bobcats will take their seven-game winning streak on the road as they look ahead to face the Fairfield Stags. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday in Fairfield, Connecticut.