ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Quinnipiac is advancing to the MAAC Championship for the first time since the 2018-19 season, thanks in large part to the frontcourt duo of junior forward Ella O’Donnell, sophomore center Anna Foley and senior guard Jackie Grisdale.
“Every season, the toughest wins to get are your first one and then the semifinal win that propels the incoming championship,” Quinnipiac head coach Tricia Fabbri said. “So I thought we were really mentally tough out of the locker room to start the game. That led to physical toughness and all those tough plays that you need to make off the glass defensively.”
Anna Foley and Ella O’Donnell
The Bobcats were able to thrive in the game early on behind the presence of Foley and O’Donnell, who dominated the undersized Merrimack Warriors. The Warriors were no match for the 6-foot-3-inch duo, with their tallest player that touched the floor no taller than 6 feet.
“They were a pretty small team,” Foley said. “We knew we had an advantage, so credit to (freshman guard) Gal (Raviv) on all our guards getting us the ball, and we knew we could beat them and to trust our skills.”
O’Donnell had seven first-quarter points and finished with 13 points, continuing her role as a spark off the bench. The Shankill, Ireland native led the Bobcats in scoring in the first quarter for the second-straight game after a six-point performance against No. 10 Iona.
Foley was a dominant force in the paint, whether hitting fadeaway jumpers or defending Warrior players in the paint. The Andover, Massachusetts native had two blocks on consecutive plays to close out the third quarter and added two steals.
“Foley had an excellent game, and O’Donnell and LaBarge, like they’ve just been really coming on as of late,” Merrimack head coach Kelly Morrone said. “Obviously, they’ve been in this space before, and their play just elevated and elevated and elevated.”
Jackie Grisdale
Besides yesterday, the last time senior guard Jackie Grisdale played at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey was March 9, 2023.
Since then, the Poland, Ohio, native had a lower-body injury that ended her season after only eight games in the 2023-24 campaign, which was one of the Bobcats’ injuries that derailed the season.
After watching last year from the sidelines, Grisdale returned as co-captain for her senior campaign. With younger guards like sophomores Karson Martin, Ava Sollenne, Paige Girardi and freshman Gal Raviv, Grisdale has been there for the team whenever they needed it.
“She’s the heart of this team,” Foley said. “She makes plays that don’t show up on the stat sheet, and she’s ready to give it all, her all at every minute, every game. And you know, her leadership obviously has propelled us to this point.”
Grisdale hasn’t missed a step this season. She scored double figures in 17 of her 30 games this season, including a 33-point game against Harvard on Nov. 10.
Her biggest asset is her ability to catch-and-shoot from three. The senior guard knocked down clutch three-point shots from beyond the arc against the Warriors, finishing with 11 points and crushing Merrimack, who were starting to slowly climb back.
Grisdale played all 40 minutes, making her presence known all over the court. Whether it was her two steals, trying to jump an inbound pass or boxing out well; the senior guard caught the eyes of her peers.
“Even if her shot’s not falling, she’s making those plays,” Foley said. “She’s the best defensive player, putting her on the best player on the other team. So, yeah, no, we wouldn’t want a better leader to lead us here. Credit to her and everything that she does.”
With Foley and O’Donnell’s ability to control the paint, and Grisdale’s specialty of knocking down shots from behind the arc, the Bobcats are on their way to securing their first MAAC Championship since 2018-19.
