ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — The Bobcats scratched and clawed their way to a 65-51 win over Merrimack in the MAAC Semifinals.
Unlike most games Quinnipiac found itself in this year, it didn’t come easy. In fact for a time, it looked like the team would head back to Hamden empty handed after a historic regular season.
The first half was not up to the standard that head coach Tricia Fabbri and company established during the regular season.
The Bobcats high-motor offense had the engine turned off. Some good looks weren’t falling, but that’s basketball, not every basket is going in no matter how good the look is.
But the halfcourt offense — or lack thereof — dragged Quinnipiac into a hole right out the gate.
Turnovers, dysfunction and a lack of consistency hurt the Bobcats to start the game. Merrimack quickly gained a lead and wasn’t looking to give it up.
But Quinnipiac flipped a switch in the second quarter.
Sound familiar? It’s what Fabbri and her squad have done all season, make adjustments when it matters most, and win the second quarter at all costs.
The second quarter Bobcats struck again, prowling their way to a 13-0 run midway through the quarter to pounce their way back into the driver’s seat.
Quinnipiac tightened up the defense, and it made a big difference. The turnovers the Bobcats caused resulted in transition opportunities, which took focus away from the halfcourt offense and allowed Quinnipiac to settle back into the game.
During the third quarter, Quinnipiac’s defense wound back down, but it didn’t seem to matter as the lead the team conceived in the first half was a deficit that needed time to be chipped away at. One quarter of play would not be enough for Merrimack.
Junior forward Ella O’Donnell was a key piece for Quinnipiac’s win. The Shankill, Ireland native recorded 13 points, providing early scoring in the game when the Bobcats needed it most.
It’s March, playoff season is in the air and Quinnipiac needed players to step up if the team was going to make it far in the tournament. O’Donnell has done just that, averaging 11 points in the conference tournament so far, nearly doubling her regular season average (6).
“I think coming into the MAAC playoffs I’m really focused on locking in before games,” O’Donnell said. “I think it’s easy when the rest of the girls are very locked in too and just feeding off the energy.”
Quinnipiac’s guard play has been what’s propelled the team all year. And while the guards weren’t absent, they were limited offensively compared to the rest of the season.
It was the play in the post by O’Donnell and sophomore center Anna Foley that kept the Bobcats in the game. The two post-centered players combined for 25 points and Foley in particular provided some much needed relief defensively, recording back-to-back blocks in the second half to swing the pendulum of momentum back Quinnipiac’s way.
Championship weekend will feature “the matchup everyone’s been waiting for” in the words of Fabbri, as the two best teams in the conference will face-off with not only a MAAC Championship on the line, but a trip to the NCAA tournament.
The championship game of the MAAC tournament will take place on March 15 as Quinnipiac and Fairfield will play for a third time this season. Tip-off is set for 1:30 p.m.
