Quinnipiac women’s basketball set the tone early and never let up, cruising to a 78-39 win over Manhattan on Friday morning at M&T Bank Arena. The win moved the Bobcats to 6-4 overall and 1-0 in MAAC play, while the Jaspers fell to 0-10 and 0-1 in conference action.
Quinnipiac leaned on balanced scoring and steady defensive pressure, forcing 22 Manhattan turnovers and turning them into 27 points. The Bobcats also got a major lift from the bench with junior center Anna Foley leading the way with 18 points on 7-for-10 shooting, while also adding eight rebounds.
“She was just so confident in her approach today,” Head Coach Tricia Fabbri said postgame. “She was just ready to have the right answer.”
Manhattan briefly had the early edge in the first quarter, taking a 5-2 lead after junior guard Autumn Taylor knocked down a three-pointer. Quinnipiac answered with pace and shot making, using stops to ignite transition chances and stretch the floor with early 3s. The Bobcats won the opening quarter 22-13, flipping the early deficit into a nine-point lead heading into the second.
Quinnipiac tightened up defensively in the following quarter, holding Manhattan to eight points while continuing to create extra chances through turnovers and second-chance opportunities. The Bobcats outscored the Jaspers 19-8 in the quarter to take a 41-21 lead into halftime.
“The team executed the zone to force turnovers from everybody,” Fabbri said. “That different look just rattled Manhattan.”
Quinnipiac stayed in control coming out of the break, winning the third quarter 15-9. The Bobcats kept attacking the paint and continued to create clean looks from outside, finishing 12-for-28 from 3-point range for the game. Manhattan, after starting hot from deep in the first quarter, struggled to generate consistent offense as Quinnipiac extended its lead to 56-30.
The fourth quarter turned into a full team closing effort. Quinnipiac poured in 22 points in the final period and held Manhattan to nine, pushing the margin to as many as 39 late. Junior and sophomore guards Ava Sollenne and Reagan Sipla added late baskets as the Bobcats’ bench kept the energy high through the final minutes.
“Getting to see the success of my teammates is almost as great as the success of myself,” Freshman guard Ella Ryan said
Jackie Grisdale added 12 points and four steals, and Karson Martin chipped in nine points with six assists. Sydney Ryan posted eight points and a team-high 10 rebounds, giving Quinnipiac another steady presence as they rounded out the game.
Senior guard Brianna Davis led Manhattan with 10 points, while Taylor scored nine and Colette Mulderig added nine. The Jaspers shot 13-for-56 overall, and Quinnipiac never let them find rhythm after the opening stretch.
The Bobcats will look to continue their success in MAAC play as they will face the Marist Red Foxes this Sunday, Dec. 21st, in Poughkeepsie, NY. Tip-off is set for 5 p.m
