Photo courtesy Quinnipiac Athletics
By: Bryan Schwartz
Quinnipiac women’s basketball fifth-year senior Adily Martucci said before the season that the Bobcats needed to stay “humble and hungry” in order to win the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference in 2017. That phrase resembled not only Quinnipiac’s play this season, but the graduating guard.
“It’s been a long journey, and for me, the person I was my freshman year is not who I am today, and I can obviously give that credit to all the people that surround me,” Martucci said.
Martucci came to Hamden in 2012 from Waterford High School in Waterford, Conn., but was red-shirted her freshman year due to injury. Now four years later, she just won her third consecutive regular season MAAC title on her senior day, and is looking for her second MAAC tournament championship.
“This is not really what’s as important,” Martucci said. “We want the real championship, and that’s during the tournament.”
Senior day festivities: senior Adily Martucci (@adily_martucci3) pic.twitter.com/p3hlmuBcmF
— Bryan Schwartz (@BryanSchwartz15) February 25, 2017
Not only did Martucci’s on-court presence grow, but so did her leadership.
“When that calendar turns, and there’s no one else above you, there’s no more seniors, it’s me. And I just think that she knew,” head coach Tricia Fabbri said. “You can always assist, and help, and plug when you need to, but there were always other voices to really command. This year it was her turn, her voice to command. That was great to see.”
Co-captain Carly Fabbri mirrored the coach’s thoughts on how Martucci has matured and become a true leader in the Quinnipiac locker room.
“You come in here when you’re 18 years old, and you mature in that time but just from a leadership standpoint, she’s matured so much even from last year to this year,” Fabbri said.
It was not just the leadership that Carly Fabbri praised, but the experience that Martucci has.
“I think that one of her key elements that she brings to this team is experience. Not a lot of people get all that time,” the junior guard said. “She’s played against great players. She had great captains that I’m sure she learned from over the years. It’s been awesome for us to have that mediator between players and coaches.”
Martucci’s experience has truly been a difference-maker for this team on the court this season. She finished the regular season averaging 10.1 points per game, second highest on the team.
Junior Sarah Shewan talked about how she can always count on Martucci to pick her up when she’s not playing her best.
“Adily’s such a great offensive presence on the court and I know that I can just count on her to knock the big shots down in those big moments,” Shewan said.
Those big moments are not far away.
Martucci and the Bobcats will have the chance to cap off her career with a conference championship as Quinnipiac heads to Albany, N.Y. on Wednesday night as it gets set to begin the MAAC tournament.
Martucci was quick to respond with how badly she wants this MAAC championship.
“I’ve wanted it since before the season even started. We all want that. We all have the same goal, and we’re ready to go get it one day at a time.”
