FAIRFIELD — In a game that featured the top two teams in the MAAC — No. 1 Fairfield and No. 2 Quinnipiac  — it was always going to be close, and for three quarters it was.

The Stags finished the game on top and came out with a 72-63 win Thursday night, forcing the Bobcats into their second loss in their last three games.

“I thought the game was up to the billing of a pretty highly competitive mid-major game tonight,” Quinnipiac head coach Tricia Fabbri said. “Tied game going into the fourth. We had our chances, just didn’t capitalize on them, and they were able to pull away and win it.”

Here are three takeaways from tonight’s battle with the Stags.

The Bobcats’ will to fight

The beginning of the game didn’t look the way the Bobcats wanted as the Stags were able to jump out to a 10-0 lead.

But the Bobcats were able to pull back, bringing the game within three as the first quarter came to a close. From what looked to be another dominant Fairfield win — winners of 10 straight — turned into a game that was going to go down to the wire.

How did the Bobcats pull back? 

Junior forward Ella O’Donnell scored all six of her points in the first quarter and was a dominant force in relief for sophomore center Anna Foley. The Shankill, Ireland native, like Foley, was also in foul trouble, fouling out towards the end of the fourth quarter, but her presence was met with praise. 

“(Ella) O’Donnell,” Fabbri said. “She brought us back.”

Going into the contest, it was going to be close from the get-go. And even with the Stags pulling out to a four-point lead at half, the Bobcats were able to tie the game up going into the fourth quarter. 

After an unfavorable foul call on freshman guard Gal Raviv made the Bobcats’ bench frustrated, senior guard Jackie Grisdale was there to keep the team together after the call. Coming out of the call, the Bobcats were able to rally off five points — a three-pointer by Grisdale and a layup by Raviv — to tie the game going into the fourth. 

Stags depth proves costly 

The Stags ran a nine-player rotation, all playing more than seven minutes in the game, with four scoring in double digits. The fresh legs of the Stags made Quinnipiac unable to keep up. With O’Donnell fouled out and Foley on thin ice with four fouls, the Bobcats’ defense was not able to hold true. The Stags jumped on the Bobcats, shooting 43% in the quarter and two for three from behind the arc. 

“Really proud of some of the toughness and grit that we showed, particularly on the stretch in the fourth quarter,” Fairfield head coach Carly Thibault-DuDonis said. “I didn’t love our third quarter output, particularly on the defense bend, but really proud of how we kind of stayed the course and got some stops that we needed in the fourth.”

The Stags were able to harp on the Bobcats all night defensively, causing 18 turnovers in the game and making the Bobcats turn the ball over five times in the final frame, cooling the Bobcats momentum.

“We did have some turnovers, trying to get it inside, and they capitalized,” Fabbri said. “We just didn’t close it out the way we needed to with the offensive possessions that we had, because we were humming a little bit.”

Raviv continues to impress

Throughout Thursday’s primetime showdown, Raviv made her presence felt. The freshman guard is coming off her fourth MAAC Rookie of the Week in a row, and she continued her dominant play in Fairfield. 

The Kadima, Israel, native was able to work through the Stags defense in the first half, dropping 12 of her 21 points and shooting six for seven from the field.

“I thought she was a one-woman wrecking crew out there,” Fabbri said. “She’s fun to watch. She’s a talent; she wants to win, and she was great out there tonight.”

Her ability to free space with her stepbacks spelled problems for the Stags, paving her way to becoming the highest scorer in the game with 21.  

“She’s going to be a problem for a lot of years,” Thibault-DuDonis said. “I think that she’s special because she can clearly create her own shot in difficult ways. She’s very crafty with the ball. But the hard part is that she’s a great passer.”

The Bobcats now sit at 8-2 in conference play and look to rebound on Saturday afternoon against Siena at home. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m.