With its wins over the Niagara Purple Eagles and Canisius Golden Griffins this past weekend, Quinnipiac women’s basketball has officially clinched the No. 1 seed in the MAAC Tournament and a share of the regular season title with the Fairfield Stags.
The win marks the first time since 2019 that the Bobcats sit atop the MAAC.
With that, the MAAC Tournament is officially set. As the top seed, the Bobcats have earned a first-round bye and will face the victor of the No. 8 Manhattan Jaspers and No. 9 Marist Red Foxes.
Here’s what to know with the postseason only days away.
TOURNAMENT HISTORY
Quinnipiac has had a rocky history when it comes to success in the MAAC Tournament. The program has won five championships since joining the conference in the 2013-14 season, making the finals in seven of the 12 seasons in the conference.
However, in the 2020s, the Bobcats have struggled to find success. From 2021-2024, the Bobcats failed to make it back to the championship game, snapping that streak with an appearance in the finals last March against the Fairfield.
Recent history has told an all too common story within Quinnipiac Athletics: great regular season play, followed by poor postseason performances. The 2025-26 team is poised to break that trend, but the road to making it a reality will be tough.
TEAM HISTORY
Like all but one team in the MAAC, Quinnipiac took care of business against both of its possible opponents. Outscoring the Jaspers by a combined 152-95 across the two contests. On the other hand, Marist has caused the Bobcats more trouble, with only 21 points separating the two games.
How did Marist do it? By capitalizing on the Bobcats’ inconsistencies and forcing them into poor shot selection. In their first matchup Dec. 21, the Bobcats shot 8-18 from range. It was an uncharacteristically bad night from the arc for Quinnipiac.
In the second game, the Bobcats also struggled on offense, netting 22 first-half points.
Against the Jaspers, however, the Bobcats have little to no scoring troubles.
In their first contest Dec. 19, the Bobcats dominated at home, recording at least 15 points in all four quarters. Junior forward Anna Foley also had a great day, netting 18 points and a pair of three pointers in Quinnipiac’s 39 point win.
While the second matchup was closer than the first, Foley’s success against Manhattan would extend in their second matchup as she scored 21 points and eight rebounds across 32 minutes of action.
KEYS TO VICTORY: MANHATTAN
In both contests against the Jaspers, the Bobcats dominated all over the court. In particular, it was their dominance inside the paint that shone.
On offense, Quinnipiac’s forward core of Foley and seniors Ella O’Donnell and Sydney Ryan combined for over a third of the Bobcats’ 152 points and 34 of the team’s 69 rebounds. Their presence on the boards will be crucial to Quinnipiac’s success on offense.
On defense, Quinnipiac will need to stop the two-headed monster of senior guard Brianna Davis and graduate student forward Colette Mulderig. In her final season as a Jasper, Davis is averaging 15.4 points and 3.8 rebounds per game while shooting 41% from the field.
On the other side of the coin, Mulderig has been a consistent and steady force for the Jaspers in the post. Appearing in all 29 games, she has recorded 10.7 points and 5.8 rebounds per game while shooting 45% from the field.
Mulderig and Davis both showed up in a big way against the Bobcats, as they recorded the highest and second highest point totals in both contests. The key to surviving a matchup with Manhattan will be to limit their impact on the offensive end.
KEYS TO VICTORY: MARIST
Unlike the Jaspers, Marist has put up a much harder fight across their two matchups this season. Despite the fact that Quinnipiac won twice, their first meeting was Quinnipiac’s smallest margin of victory in conference play.
How did Marist do it? By staying close to Quinnipiac throughout the entire contest. Despite dropping the first quarter by 14 points, the Red Foxes kept up their pace and outscored Quinnipiac in the second half, trimming the lead to nine by the end of the game.
Their second meeting was more of the same. Both teams came out to a slow start on offense, but a second-half surge from the Bobcats put them over the hump and gave them the win.
On offense, the Bobcats need to stay consistent and play a full four quarters of basketball. They cannot let their opponent breathe for a single second of the game. Quinnipiac will also need to rely on the three point shot to get its offense into gear, as the squad went 13 for 31 from beyond the arc.
On defense, the Bobcats need to stop senior guard Lexie Taurul, who has been the most consistent performer on both sides of the glass for Marist. Appearing in all 30 games, the Bronx, N.Y., native tallied a team high 371 points and 62 made three pointers. Stopping her impact will be key to Quinnipiac’s success.
No matter who Quinnipiac faces, it needs to stick to the weapons that got it to the number one seed in the tournament. If they do, a sixth MAAC Championship will be well within reach.
The Bobcats’ quarterfinal matchup will kick off Friday, March 6, from the Jim Whealen Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J. Tip-off is scheduled for 12 p.m.
