HAMDEN — Quinnipiac women’s basketball played the most important game of its season Thursday night. The Bobcats win against Fairfield set them definitively at the top of the MAAC, putting them in a position to control their own destiny in their quest for the regular season title and the top-seed in the MAAC tournament.

But today isn’t Thursday and the first step on that path to glory is beating who is in front of you.

“As a coach, I was most worried coming into this game as…it’s human nature to have a let down after such a big win Thursday night,” head coach Tricia Fabbri said.

However, the Bobcats did anything but disappoint, defeating the Merrimack Warriors in typical dominant fashion Saturday afternoon.

The win marks Quinnipiac’s 13th straight victory in MAAC play this season, their best start to conference play since the 2018-19 season. Adding to their accolades, the 80-53 final score tied the largest offensive output for the Bobcats all season, as well as their ninth victory with a margin of over 20 points.

“We’re on a great roll right now,” junior guard Karson Martin said. “The way that we’re playing…its like champions.”

Quinnipiac set that championship tone early. Even with the first quarter easily being the Bobcat’s worst offensively, the stalwart Bobcat defense made its presence known against Merrimack.

The Warriors came into the contest with the second highest average points per game in the MAAC, trailing only Fairfield. However, just like in the Fairfield contest, the Bobcats were ready to pressure Merrimack into offensive mistakes.

The Warriors calling card on offense remains its second chance opportunities, something the stiff rebounding on the Bobcat side negated, starting early in the opening half.

“Merrimack does a heck of a job off the glass,” Fabbri said. “That’s how Merrimack has success, with the (offensive) boards.”

Yet Quinnipiac controlled the glass completely on the defensive end, outrebounding the Warriors 22-10, negating their second chance advantage. Quinnipiac even scored more second chance baskets than the visiting squad.

“We were really collectively, defensively, all dialed in to boxing out.” Fabbri said.

As the half continued, it wasn’t just the defense that shined. Offensively, the Bobcats found their footing.

After a few shaky offensive possessions, Quinnipiac found its spark off the bench. Martin, whose season-high 19 points against Fairfield helped secure the decisive win, once again proved she can energize the Bobcats in any contest.

Her typical “moxie” on full display, Martin’s first play of the game set the tone for how the rest of this contest would play out. A beautiful pass to cutting graduate student guard Jackie Grisdale ended the first ten minutes with the Bobcats on top.

The second quarter would be the Martin show, with the guard putting up 14 of the Bobcats’ 22 points, as well as tacking on two steals.

When the Warriors finally seemed to catch on to the fact that the Quinnipiac offense ran through the Woodstock, G.A. native, it was too late. Just like they have in the past, the Bobcats pivoted.

The next players up? Junior guard Paige Girardi and senior forward Ella O’Donnell. The duo dominated the second half, keeping the Warriors defense on their heels for the majority of the second half.

Especially in the final 20 minutes, Girardi was a walking bucket, going 3 for 4 from beyond the arc. Her 13 points were a season high, and helped the Bobcats extend their lead from 13 at the half to a whopping 32 points in the middle of the fourth quarter.

O’Donnell was just as crucial. Her season-high 16 points propelled the offense forward, and the Merrimack front court had no answer to her catch and shoot jumper from the free-throw line.

Spreading the scoring has become a tell-tale sign of a Bobcat blowout victory.

“It presents challenges for our opponents,” Fabbri said. “You can’t key in on one singular player, two singular players, three players. We have seven players that are out there that are putting the ball in the bucket.”

The victory is the latest installment of Quinnipiac dominance and just the kind of win that keeps the squad dialed in to the chase for the MAAC championship.

The Bobcats are the first to admit that sentiment, too.

“If we keep playing the way that we’re playing, we’re gonna get that banner.” Martin said.

Quinnipiac returns to the court on Thursday, Feb. 5 to take on the Canisius Golden Griffins. Tip-off in Buffalo, N.Y. is set for 6:30 p.m.