By: John Franklin
The Quinnipiac women’s basketball team throttled first place Siena 94-52 on Sunday. The Bobcats put on a stellar performance on both ends of the floor to earn their sixth win in a row.
“We talked a lot about this being ‘midterm week’ for us with games against Fairfield and Siena at home,” Fabbri said. “I think we passed with flying colors. Our effort wire-to-wire set the tone. We executed our game plan offensively and now it’s all going in the right direction.”
While most were tuned in to “Brady vs. Manning” or still recuperating from Winter Storm Jonas, the folks in Hamden were treated to a great offensive and defensive flurry from their Bobcats.
Quinnipiac took the lead early in the first quarter and never relinquished it. Key performances from Aryn McClure, Morgan Manz, and Sarah Shewan inside the paint propelled the Bobcats to victory.
“This team has always risen to a challenge and this game was no exception,” Fabbri continued. “We are all rolling in the same direction, and it’s sure a lot of fun.”
The biggest story of the game was the difference between the benches of the two teams. Fabbri’s bench was able to drop 29 points on the Saints. Meanwhile, the Saints’ bench contribute six in the 94-52 route.
“That’s vintage Quinnipiac basketball,” Fabbri noted about her outstanding bench. “A lot of players playing, and feeling good about their game right now.”
Siena struggled to muster any answer to Quinnipiac’s offense over the course of the game. The Bobcats started the game by using their size to overpower the Saints, which, then, allowed them to work the ball beyond the three point arc where the team hit key shots throughout.
Senior guard Maria Napolitano helped lead the Bobcats.
“It’s been a lot more positive and all of us are feeling really good about our game,” Napolitano noted about the locker room atmosphere. “I think we are getting selfless with the ball, and we are getting open looks and that’s why scored 94 points tonight. That’s pretty great.”
The next three games for the Bobcats come against three struggling Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference teams in Monmouth, Manhattan, and Saint Peter’s. However, Quinnipiac lost to the former two. The rematch with Siena is scheduled for Feb. 5.
“We have a hard road to go,” Napolitano said. “We can’t get comfortable or get happy where we are. We’re in fourth place and that’s not where we want to be. We want to be in first place and we still have a lot of work to do.”
