ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Quinnipiac women’s basketball has never lost to the Saint Peter’s Peacocks, its opponent in the first round of the MAAC tournament, in program history.

And it’s not like the Bobcats have gone 3-0, or even 4-0. No. They’ve won 21 straight over the Peacocks, their most consecutive wins against any current MAAC team.

But it’s March, and nothing is ever guaranteed. If there’s a time for Saint Peter’s to pull off the upset, it’s March 12 at 12:45 p.m.

Here’s how both teams match up:

Freshman fireworks

Both Quinnipiac and Saint Peter’s have had major contributions from its freshmen. After all, three of the five women named to the All-MAAC Rookie Team come from these respective schools.

The conference selected Bobcats’ guard Karson Martin and forward Anna Foley, along with Peacocks forward Fatmata Janneh to the team. To round it out, Fairfield’s forward Meghan Andersen and guard Kaety L’Amoreaux were also picked.

All five players were selected unanimously.

Foley — who was also an All-MAAC Second Team selection — and Martin are first and second, respectively, among active Quinnipiac players in scoring averaging 13.6 and 11.3 points. Foley also leads the team with 7.2 rebounds, while Martin is fourth with three.

Both have been superb for the Bobcats right when they need them.

“We’ve got all of our experience … and we have a lot of momentum going into the tournament,” Martin said March 9.

In addition, Janneh is second on the Peacocks averaging 10.9 points a game and first in rebounds with 7.9.

The London native can defend in the post, and is really skilled on the glass snatching rebounds for Saint Peter’s. She also is superb offensively, notching seven points and 10 rebounds the first game against each other, then 11 points and nine rebounds the second.

It’ll be up to junior forward Grace LaBarge, sophomore forward Ella O’Donnell and Foley to be able to win the battle on the boards.

Energized starts

In the press conference following the Bobcats March 9 win over Marist, Foley emphasized that Saint Peter’s has an intangible in its arsenal: energy.

“They’re a very animated team,” Foley said. “They’re always fired up, they’re always trying to get in your head.”

And you can see it on the court. Quinnipiac was held to a low 11 and 10 points in its last two matchups against the Peacocks. Granted, Saint Peter’s scored a lower six and nine points in those same games.

To end the game before it even starts, the Bobcats need to come out of the locker room and play like sprinters in the first quarter: quick and relentless.

“We need to go out and punch first, work on the defensive end and not let Janneh get hot,” Martin said. “When she gets hot, it’s a tough game.”

Final thoughts

Martin and Foley both put it best, Quinnipiac needs to come out of the first quarter strong. It also needs to come out of the third quarter, its worst of the season, strong too.

Or it needs to at least “hang in there,” as Fabbri said on March 7.

If the Bobcats can come out strong and hit their shots, there’s no reason that they shouldn’t be able to survive and advance.

Quinnipiac and Saint Peter’s play at 12:45 p.m. on Tuesday, March 12. The winner of that game plays No. 2 Niagara the next day at 3:30 p.m.