Courtesy: QBSN
In a tournament setting, the atmosphere of a large crowd has a distinct influence on the game. The cheering, chanting and booing affects the momentum of both sides.
Following its semifinal victory over Siena on Sunday afternoon, Quinnipiac women’s basketball point guard Gillian “Boo” Abshire was watching the other semifinal matchup between Marist and Fairfield to see which team she would face in the championship game when something occurred to her.
“When I’m on the court I can’t even hear the announcer’s say, ‘Sam Guastella for 3.’”
Knowing what’s at stake, the senior is locked in. Still playing with many of her teammates from the Northeast Conference championship team in 2013, Abshire believes today is the biggest game of her collegiate career.
“Oh yeah. No question,” Abshire said. “It all comes down to this game. There’s no denying that.”
Abshire’s poise on the court and her humility off of it is incomparable. The Washington, D.C. native knows she and her fellow seniors have worked extremely hard to get back to this game and face a very familiar opponent. Marist.
Last season, the fourth-seeded Bobcats steam rolled through the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds into the championship game. Despite leading by as many as 17 points in the first half, Abshire picked up her fourth personal foul with 16:09 left in the game. She sat on the bench for 10:06 and Marist willed its way back into the game and eventually stung Quinnipiac in the final minutes.
Today, she and her team look to end Marist’s reign. Terminate the Red Foxes’ streak of nine consecutive Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championships.
“The past few years, it all comes down to these 40 minutes,” Abshire said. “Plain and simple.”
If her offense produces and her defense limits the scoring of All-MAAC first team selections Madeline Blais and Tori Jarosz along with Sydney Coffey, the Bobcats should find the result they have worked to achieve.
And Abshire should finally be able to hear the announcer’s voice permeate throughout the arena:
“The Quinnipiac Bobcats are your 2015 MAAC Champions.”
Boo Abshire against Marist (five games):
Dec. 6, 2013- eight points, 10 assists, four rebounds in 35 minutes
Feb. 14, 2014- six points, 13 assists, four rebounds, two steals in 36 minutes
March 10, 2014 (The 2014 MAAC Championship)- seven points, five assists, four rebounds, three steals in 20 minutes
Jan. 22, 2015- five points, five assists, five rebounds in 23 minutes
Feb. 12, 2015- nine points, four assists, four rebounds, two steals in 27 minutes
