By Morey Hershgordon

The Quinnipiac women’s basketball team fell just short of going to the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row. The Bobcats fell to the Red Foxes of Marist 70-66 in the MAAC Championship game on Monday afternoon at the Mass Mutual Center in Springfield, Mass.

Brittany McQuain led the Bobcats with 20 points and 12 rebounds in the game and while Samantha Guastella added 16 points to the Bobcat’s efforts. Both McQuain and Guastella were named at the end of the game to the All-MAAC Tournament Team.

Jasmine Martin, Ellen Cannon and Adily Martucci also made key contributions for the Bobcats, but in the end head coach Tricia Fabbri knew that one thing that happened in the second half was able to slow down the team enough for Marist to come back and take the lead.

“I think that Boo (Abshire) being in foul trouble really hurt us at the point guard position,” said Fabbri.

“She is in charge of running our offense and when she committed her fourth foul with still over ten minutes in the second half, that really hurt us as a unit.”

The loss drops the Bobcats to 21-12 on the season with the team hoping that they will be able to participate in one of the smaller postseason tournaments that are coming up soon.

As for the Red Foxes of Marist, they will enter the NCAA Tournament with a 27-6 record.

Sydney Coffey finished the game with 23 points and she was named the MVP of the MAAC Tournament. Casey Dulin added 14 and Leanne Ockenden contributed 12 more points for the Red Foxes.

Marist will begin play in the NCAA Tournament on either Saturday, March 22 or Sunday, March 23.

Follow Q30 Sports on Twitter!