ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — After securing a win in blowout fashion against No. 10 Iona on March 12, Quinnipiac women’s basketball watched the outcome of Wednesday afternoon’s matchup between No. 3 Siena and No. 6 Merrimack.
The Bobcats will face Merrimack in a semifinal bout that is much more favorable for the Hamden-based squad.
“It’s March,” Merrimack sophomore guard Paloma Garcia said. “You know, anything can happen.”
Although Quinnipiac did sweep both Merrimack and Siena in the regular season, those brooms were swept in much different ways.
Siena kept things close — sort of. While the first matchup between the Bobcats and Bulldogs on Jan. 9 saw Quinnipiac clinch victory in double-digits, its second game on Feb. 1 in Hamden, was a different story.
Quinnipiac only escaped with a narrow 77-74 victory, while allowing graduate student guard Ahniysha Jackson and junior guard Teresa Seppala to drop 19 and 23 points respectively.
Merrimack on the other hand, had a much more difficult time guarding those white and gold uniforms, losing the final matchup of the year on March 1 by 32 points.
But this isn’t the regular season anymore, it’s playoff mode. Quinnipiac will need to be at its best to avoid an upset.
“You have to tweak the things that have been your weak spots,” Merrimack head coach Kelly Morrone said. “We’re the underdog, and (the players) just have to lean into that mentality.”
An obvious statement at this point, freshman point guard Gal Raviv will be the X-factor for Quinnipiac. But the MAAC Player of the Year will likely face double teams and pressure all night long, creating opportunities for the rest of the team.
Someone who could make a major statement for the Bobcats is senior guard Jackie Grisdale. The three point specialist can make it rain from downtown on any given night. If Grisdale is remotely open, she’s shooting from beyond-the-arc immediately — catch-and-shoot threes are her bread and butter.
Three’s could be key for Quinnipiac, especially since all eyes will be on Raviv in the driving lanes.
Quinnipiac’s bench played well during the team’s quarterfinal matchup against Iona. As long as the Bobcats continue to play team basketball, they’ll be in the race for a spot in the MAAC Championship.
“Respect to Quinnipiac,” Morrone said. “I expect it to be a competitive battle.”
Tip-off for the semifinals is set for 6:30 p.m., with the winner advancing to Saturday’s MAAC Championship against either No. 1 Fairfield or No. 4 Mount St. Mary’s.
