Last season Quinnipiac consistently got off to slow starts but this season Quinnipiac avoided those slow starts. However, since the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament started, the Bobcats are once again getting off to slow starts.
The slow start did not plague Quinnipiac today as it beat Rider in a rematch of last year’s MAAC championship game 82-62 on its way to its fifth straight MAAC championship game.
Rider started the game on a 9-2 run and shot 4-4 from the field, but Quinnipiac head coach Tricia Fabbri said she liked the schemes and matchups that she had.
Quinnipiac started to switch its defense up on Rider and Paula Strautmane led the charge by anchoring the Bobcats’ defense. Strautmane had blocks on back-to-back possessions to help spring fast breaks for the Bobcats. Jen Fay had a layup off the first block and then she made a jump shot on the next one.
“Our defense into offense, it really got us going and we relaxed,” Fabbri said. “I think in these big games there’s always a point where you just need to exhale.”
Strautmane’s two blocks helped to settle Quinnipiac down and helped it to focus on the task, which was to beat Rider and go back to another MAAC championship game.
Aryn McClure and Fay showed why they made the All-MAAC first team today against Rider as they both combined to score 41 of the Bobcats’ 82 points. This is nothing new for McClure, as she seems to step up in big games.
“I feel like I play better against tougher competition because I have to raise my game,” McClure said.
McClure went down in the fourth quarter after making a layup and when she got up, she reached for her lower back.
“I’m feeling pretty good. I think Paige (Warfel) just hit me by accident trying to rebound, but I’m fine now,” McClure said.
The thing that makes Quinnipiac so tough to beat is its depth and Rider head coach Lynn Milligan said that Quinnipiac had many weapons that it would need to stop. But the Broncs were unable to stop Fay and McClure as well as Paige Warfel off the bench.
Quinnipiac’s sophomores have all seen more minutes this season after struggling to find playing time last season and Warfel is an example of that. Warfel is a solid rebounder and defender and she stepped up for the Bobcats, who decided to go against using the gold rush once again. Warfel could not find an offensive groove in the first half due to foul trouble but once the second half started, she started scoring and rebounding more as she finished with eight points and eight rebounds.
Another player who has continued to gain more playing time as the season has gone on because Quinnipiac went back to the gold rush is Brittany Martin. Martin is now in charge of leading that second unit for the Bobcats but today she saw herself get more playing time as fellow guard Taylor Herd continued to struggle. Martin showed her aggressiveness as she continuously attacked the basket and got to the free-throw line.
Quinnipiac will now play in its fifth straight MAAC championship game tomorrow night against the winner of the Siena and Marist game. The Bobcats will look to repeat as MAAC champions Monday afternoon at 2:30 p.m.
