ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Quinnipiac women’s basketball picked up a 79-51 victory over Iona in the MAAC Tournament quarterfinals Wednesday afternoon.
What contributed to such a large point total? Three Bobcats scored in double figures. Freshman guard Gal Raviv (23), sophomore guard Karson Martin (11) and junior forward Ella O’Donnell (12) each passed the double-digit threshold.
Despite a lackluster start, it was the Bobcats’ game to lose. But for a moment it felt like the team found themselves at a crossroads.
Quinnipiac’s perimeter defense in the first half was underwhelming at best and simply absent at times. Iona got more than a few wide-open looks from three-point range in the first quarter, but the shots simply weren’t falling.
The second quarter was a different story, one that the Bobcats wished to turn the page from quickly.
The Gaels continued to get a number of good looks from beyond-the-arc, and this time they were going in.
Senior guards Judith Gomez and Ella Farjado both got open looks from three and both sank their shots. Farjado’s shot was game changing as it tied the contest, a sign Iona could snatch even more momentum from Quinnipiac.
Midway through the second quarter, Iona caught up to Quinnipiac on the scoreboard. It shouldn’t have been that close in the first place.
But the second quarter Bobcats struck again — like they have all year — and they struck when it mattered most.
“You size up what other teams are trying to take away,” head coach Tricia Fabbri said when asked about second quarter adjustments. “It was also the infusion of (graduate student forward) Caranda Perea scoring some buckets that gave us breathing room.”
With 7:37 left in the second quarter, the scoreboard read 21-21. By the end of the first half, it shined 43-28 Quinnipiac.
Raviv — who struggled to start the game and even uncharacteristically took a seat on the bench in the first quarter — started to pick things up. The MAAC Player of the Year found her groove once again with a little help from her teammates.
“Now that we have Gal doing Gal things it takes a load off,” Martin said. “So everybody can contribute and it’s so much more fun.”
Sophomore center Anna Foley let her presence be known in a playoff atmosphere with the bright lights. The Andover, Massachusetts native took a step back in the points department this year (13.1 PPG last year, 11 PPG this year) but came to play in a win-or-go-home matchup.
Foley helped her team get back on the right foot with eight points in the first half, all of them from down low. Her presence in the paint helped the Bobcats get back on track, her footwork and ability to lean back into a fadeaway shot helped her manage her game offensively.
Despite finishing with zero second half points, Foley’s efficient second quarter was more than enough for the Bobcats to take back control of the momentum.
Quinnipiac tightened up on defense, holding Iona scoreless for over three minutes deep into the second quarter.
As has been the case all year for Quinnipiac, the lead it gained during the first half made things a lot easier for the rest of the game.
In a game that Iona tied midway through the second quarter, it seemed to be over before the start of the fourth. The Bobcats amassed a near-insurmountable 25-point lead with 3:47 left in the third quarter.
Junior forward Ella O’Donnell helped to pile on that lead with six points of her own in the third.
“I think from the get-go I was very locked in and focused,” O’Donnell said. “Once the mental aspect of (the game) was checked in, I was ready to go.”
When the game ended, the final score rang 79-51 Quinnipiac. The Bobcats are the first team to surpass 60 points or more on the women’s side of the MAAC Tournament this season.
What contributed to such a large point total? Three Bobcats scored in double figures. Raviv (23), Martin (11) and junior forward Ella O’Donnell (12) each passed the double-digit threshold.
The Bobcats will play their next game on March 14 against the winner of No. 3 Siena and No. 6 Merrimack. Tip-off is set for 2:30 p.m.
