In a game between one of the top ranked defenses in the MAAC in Iona, and one of the top offenses in Quinnipiac, the offense prevailed as the Bobcats got revenge for the last time they faced Iona with a 78-49 win. 

The Quinnipiac women’s basketball team honored the Bobcats’ seniors in one of its final home games on Saturday. Senior guards Rose Caverly, Mackenzie DeWees, and Amani Free were honored pregame. 

Head coach Tricia Fabbri spoke very fondly of the three seniors.

“Having Free and Dewees that were actually legacy from our championship team, that is invaluable to still have here with the rest of the team… (Caverly) has been so impactful since she has been playing,” Fabbri said.

The first quarter was dominated by junior Mikala Morris, as she scored 10 points. Morris helped the Bobcats get out to a 27-8 lead at the end of one. 

Quinnipiac owned the boards as they didn’t allow the Gaels to grab a rebound until there was 7:45 left in the second period. 

“We really set the tone on the inside and played inside out, and it was a direct result of that,” Fabbri said.

The second quarter started out like the first as the Bobcats jumped out to a 39-12 lead when the media timeout hit. After this point the Gaels showed why they are one of the best defensive teams in the MAAC as the Bobcats didn’t score until the last 40 seconds. 

Coming out of halftime it was a bit of the same as the end of the first half, as both teams played impressive defense, forcing several turnovers.

The Gaels started to put on a full court press that gave the Bobcats some discomfort as they tried to set their offense. Even with the full court pressure by the Gaels, the Bobcats shot 42% from the field. 

Toward the end of the third quarter into the fourth, the Bobcats started to stop any chance by the Gaels to cut into their deficit. In the last two quarters the Bobcats and Gaels each scored 35 points.

The seniors showed out today as Dewees had 18 points and nine rebounds, Free had eight points and 11 rebounds, and Caverly had 12 points with seven assists. 

With the Bobcats having six more games left on the schedule, it is important to win these types of games. Fabbri is looking for her team to win as many games as possible to guarantee the Bobcats a top seed in the MAAC tournament. She tries not to score watch, but that’s hard this time of year.

“You need to focus on what you need to do first hand, but it is fun to look at what other teams are doing,” Fabbri said.

Both teams will play next on Thursday, Feb. 17. The Bobcats will travel to Bridgeport, Connecticut to take on the Fairfield Stags. The Gaels will play at home against the Niagara Purple Eagles.