ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — It’s that time of the year, the MAAC Championship is here.
In a predictable matchup of the top two seeds in the conference, No. 2 Quinnipiac will take on No. 1 Fairfield in a game that is unlikely to disappoint.
Quinnipiac head coach Tricia Fabbri believes that although it’s a championship game, the team’s most difficult wins are behind them.
“I think every season the toughest wins to get are your first one and then the semifinal win that propels you to a championship,” Fabbri said.
While the Stags are still a very formidable opponent, the No.1 seed no longer looks invincible.
In the MAAC Quarterfinals and Semifinals, Fairfield started out strong, but had moments of weakness that almost sent the Stags home.
In the quarterfinals against No. 8 Manhattan, Fairfield competed in a back-and-forth contest, and while the team did manage to claim the win, it wasn’t easy. Fourth quarter heroics staved off a Jaspers comeback, and continued to put the No. 1 seed on the path to a MAAC title.
Mount St. Mary’s put the pressure on the Stags in the semifinals, but it wasn’t looking that way through the first three quarters.
The No. 4 Mountaineers scored just nine points in the second and third quarters combined. No, that is not a typo, just nine points.
But the Mount made up for their lack of production by scoring 20 points in the fourth quarter, capitalizing off turnovers to seize the momentum from the top seeded Stags.
“While our offense seemed to have been left at the hotel, I do believe that our defense came with us, so I’m proud of that,” Fairfield head coach Carly Thibault-DuDonis said.
Fortunately for Fairfield, the team was able to ice the game at the line. Sophomore forward Meghan Anderson made two clutch second-chance free throws, and with a four point advantage with the shot clock turned off, those two shots clinched the game.
And now it’s on to championship Saturday.
So who needs to be the X-factor for Quinnipiac? It’s an answer so obvious at this point in the season it shouldn’t surprise anyone.
Freshman point guard Gal Raviv.
Raviv has dominated in nearly every game she’s played for the white and gold this season. The MAAC Player of the Year needs to put on one last star performance in order for Quinnipiac to advance in March.
The Kadima, Israel native, who averaged 18 PPG in the regular season has scored 20 or more points in each game she’s played in the MAAC Tournament.
It’s playoff time, enough said. Raviv has faced different defensive schemes and double teams throughout her first rodeo at the MAAC Tournament. But she’s still found a way to get to the basket and manipulate the defense for enough open space to get off a jump shot.
Quinnipiac will need the bench to continue to elevate their play as well. Junior forward Ella O’Donnell and sophomore guard Paige Girardi have seen increased roles in March due to their improved performances in the playoffs. Expect notable minutes from both players on Saturday.
Quinnipiac and Fairfield will face-off in the championship game on March 15. Tip-off is set for 1:30 p.m.
