The Quinnipiac women’s basketball team played to perfection in their senior day game, scoring 31 points off turnovers in their 75-37 win at home against Canisius. This win ends the Bobcats’ regular season with a 24-5 record, extending their win streak to three games, while Canisius finishes with a 5-24 record.
Quinnipiac got off to a rough start, trailing 5-7, three minutes into the game, but the cold stretch wouldn’t last long. The Bobcats caught fire as a team, hitting six of seven shots from beyond the arc, and finished the first quarter on a 19-2 run, leading the game 24-9.
Graduate guard Jackie Grisdale had 11 points in the quarter, nailing three 3-pointers. Senior guard Sidney Ryan closed it out with a run of her own, scoring the final eight points for Quinnipiac.
Both teams struggled to shoot the ball in the second quarter as the defensive pressure increased. The two sides combined for only five field goals in the quarter. The Bobcats started attacking the basket and drawing up fouls as they hit seven free throws out of their eight shots, with Emma Lizotte sinking all four of her attempts within the quarter.
The full court pressure on defense was strong, forcing 17 turnovers in the half, and holding Canisius’ offense to 17 points. With Grisdale’s 16 points, Quinnipiac led 37-17 going into halftime.
In head coach Tricia Fabbri’s words, “To force the turnovers, coaches had it right in the scout, and that gave us a great momentum, playing fast, playing with pace and playing the style of basketball that we want to execute.”
The Bobcats faced some adversity in the first two minutes of the second half, as Canisius narrowed the lead down to 16 after sophomore forward Irene Rey Pineda hit two 3-pointers to make it 23-39. They answered back with an incredibly efficient shooting performance in the third quarter, hitting 10 of the 14 shots, including a perfect five for five behind the arc. They finished the third quarter on a 12-0 run for a 62-30 lead.
The same level of dominance would be proven throughout the fourth quarter. The Bobcats never let up and led by 39 points at one point. Their defense finished strong, only allowing seven points in the final quarter. Quinnipiac played an excellent game, forcing 29 turnovers and scoring 31 points. It was a great team effort with 19 assists as a team, and the bench scored 24 points. Eight Bobcats finished with five or more points, including Grisdale, who led the way with 19 points, sinking five of her eight 3-point attempts.
“Their commitment to one another and love for each other and what they want to accomplish is so remarkable to watch them develop into a championship caliber team,” said head coach Tricia Fabbri.
With the win improving their record to 24-5, the Bobcats have secured the No. 1 seed in the MAAC Tournament.
