POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. — Fight, foundation and freshman forward Anna Foley led Quinnipiac women’s basketball to a game with no “F’s,” a 64-62 overtime win over Marist Thursday evening. 

The highlight of the night was the battle between Red Foxes senior forward Zaria Shazer and Foley. 

One was a 2022-23 All-MAAC Second Teamer and a preseason All-MAAC First Teamer this season and leads her team in scoring and rebounds. The other is third in scoring as a freshman for a young Bobcats team trying to prove itself.

One has pedigree, the other is earning it, but both were the best for their respective teams tonight, notching double-doubles and leading their team in points. 

Foley was better overall, with 24 points and 14 rebounds, career highs in both statistics.

“She would not be denied,” head coach Tricia Fabbri said. 

“I haven’t gotten to this level since the first game (of the season),” Foley said. “It means a lot to be able to contribute in this way.”

In the first quarter, Foley worked the post well, receiving and making layups and pulling off her usual fadeaways and mid-range jumpers. Shazer established herself as a passing threat and fueled the offense. 

For the second, Shazer was dominant on both ends of the court. She stole the ball from sophomore forward Bri Bowen then received a pass from sophomore guard Jackie Piddock and laid the ball up for two for Marist. 

She was dominant on defense, holding freshman guard Karson Martin to a dismal 2-17 from the field.

“(Shazer) made her night a little tough until the very end,” Fabbri said. 

Foley kept the Bobcats in the game, burying a two with 3:30 left following a three from freshman forward Ava Sollenne. The Andover, Massachusetts, native outscored the Red Foxes 6-5 at the end of the second quarter. 

With one half complete, the Red Foxes led 29-24. 

The start of the third quarter was all Shazer. For the first four minutes of action, her four points were all that either side scored.

Then both sides started getting more involved. The bank opened in a game where both squads struggled from downtown — Marist shooting 23.3% and Quinnipiac 20%.

Despite the dismal shooting,  three-pointers from Bowen and Bobcats senior guard Jillian Casey kept Quinnipiac in the game.  

But a circus three from Red Foxes redshirt sophomore guard Lexie Tarul at the buzzer capped off a third where Marist was overall the better side.

Beginning the fourth quarter, the Bobcats were down 45-38. At the fourth quarter media timeout, they were only down 44-47. Why? Foley. 

She scored four of Quinnipiac’s six points in the quarter up to that point, a jumper from Martin made up the remaining two.

“Her and Karson have to play really well if we’re going to have that success,” Fabbri said. 

Foley kept at it, she grabbed her own rebound and shoved the ball up for a two to fuel the Bobcats’ comeback efforts. 

Although Foley shined, it took the whole team to mount the comeback in a game they trailed for the majority of.

But with a coast-to-coast layup from freshman guard Maria Kealy and an offensive foul drawn by Casey later, the momentum was with Quinnipiac. 

“Her charge, her two threes, she never fails to impress us,” Martin said. 

Junior forward Grace LaBarge added to it with a mid-range two to tie the contest at 50 all. But she couldn’t sink the game winner, her layup had too much force. 

The Bobcats went to overtime for the first time this season.

Foley and Martin carried the boats in the extra frame. Foley added six to her career-high 22 points on the day and Martin stayed cool at the line, hitting multiple clutch free throws.

It was those buckets that gave her a solid day in a game where the Georgia native was the personification of adversity and the fight the Bobcats needed to have to win.

“I did come off very, very slow … but they had my back and they just kept taking shots,” Martin said. 

Foley kept her foot on the pedal, sealing the game with two free throws down the stretch to earn the Bobcats their best conference win of the season, 64-62.

Quinnipiac has a long way to go to contend with the MAAC’s elite, but the first step?

“Keep grinding and keep finding ways to get better,” Fabbri said. 

The Bobcats play their second game of the weekend Saturday against the Rider Broncs.. Tipoff is at 1 p.m.