Merely seconds into regulation, Quinnipiac women’s basketball found itself on the scoreboard during its 66-53 win against Rider Saturday afternoon. Freshman point guard Gal Raviv hit a bankshot off the left side of the basket to start the scoring.

Those five seconds was all it took for the Bobcats to take the lead and never give it back.

“This is a big bounce-back game for us,” Quinnipiac head coach Tricca Fabbri told ESPN+. “I liked our fight and doing what we needed to do to make the plays to win the game.”

But where did Quinnipiac’s path to victory lie? Zone defense.

Rider as a whole does not shoot many three pointers. Prior to their matchup, the Broncs attempted just 226 threes all season compared to Quinnipiac’s 303. Rider’s three point percentage also lies at an underwhelming 26%.

Due to Rider’s lack of shots from beyond the arc, the Bobcats used zone defense to their advantage while taking the opportunity to double team any potential scoring threats from inside.

Raviv and sophomore center Anna Foley paved the way to victory for the Bobcats, their combined 30 points was more than enough to keep Quinnipiac on cruise control.

“I love them, they’re a bunch of winners,” Fabbri told ESPN+. “I think that we’re still trying to get better and become complete during the month of January.”

Rider did attempt to strike up a comeback during the third quarter. The Broncs went on a 10-2 run while holding the Bobcats scoreless for over three minutes and cutting the large deficit to a reasonable 15 points.

But the comeback was short-lived. Fabbri called a timeout with four minutes left in the third quarter and made the necessary adjustments to stop the bleeding. 

Efficiency played a key part in deciding the winner of the Saturday’s matinee. Quinnipiac shot 40% from the field to Rider’s 29%.

“Everybody really chipped in,” Fabbri said. “It’s a team effort.”

The Bobcats will travel to Fairfield Jan. 30 to take on the Stags and attempt to snag first place in the MAAC. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.