On Saturday afternoon, the Quinnipiac women’s basketball team stunned Manhattan 71-59 in Hamden to improve to 3-0 in MAAC play. It was the first matchup between the two teams since the Jaspers eliminated the Bobcats in the MAAC tournament last year.
“I just loved our response all week,” said head coach Tricia Fabbri after the game. “It’s nice when things start clicking a little earlier, and we pulled out a really nice win.”
Led by 19 points from first-year guard Karson Martin and 13 points from junior wing Grace LaBarge, Quinnipiac finally found its shooting groove.
Martin cashed in on a three-pointer for the game’s first field goal to set things in motion. The Bobcats had struggled from deep in their first two MAAC games, going 3-16 against Rider and just 1-19 on Thursday against Saint Peter’s. But against the Jaspers, the team hit eight times from range. Both Martin and LaBarge knocked down a trio of threes apiece.
“Karson coming out with that first three right away really got us going and really lit the fire for us,” LaBarge said.
Since joining the starting five, Martin has excelled. The Georgia native is averaging 15.4 points since her first start on Dec. 10. In MAAC play, she’s been even better, averaging 18.7 points through three games.
“It’s impressive… she wants the ball in her hands.” Fabbri said. “That’s the separator from a good to great player.”
The Bobcats’ young backcourt impressed all around. Irish first-year Maria Kealy scored seven points and dished out seven assists, both career highs. Fellow first-year Paige Girardi scored six and picked up a pair of steals as well.
“We’ve had to re-learn how we’re going to look in the absence of (Jackie Grisdale),” Fabbri said. “Maria and Karson really have come of age for us on the perimeter and Girardi has been steady… It’s going to take all of us.”
Manhattan kept things close at the start, taking a 15-11 lead after the first. In the second though, things were all Quinnipiac. The Bobcats outscored the Jaspers 27-10 in the quarter and never took their feet off the gas. The Bobcats also shot well from the free-throw line, a place they have struggled this year, going 17-22. Manhattan never got within eight points the rest of the way and only four Jaspers scored during the game. Croatian junior Petra Juric led the way with 22.
Quinnipiac will look to push its conference win streak to four in Maryland against Mount St. Mary’s on Jan. 11.
