Photo courtesy Quinnipiac Bobcats
By: Sierra Goodwill
Every time the Quinnipiac women’s basketball team entered its locker room this season, it faced a sour reminder.
A photo of the Iona Gaels celebrating the 2016 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship win over the Bobcats hung where all could see.
Sunday morning, the Bobcats got their revenge in the semifinal round of the MAAC tournament, defeating the Gaels 64-59 at the Times Union Center in Albany, N.Y.
“The picture has fueled us throughout the year,” junior guard Carly Fabbri said. “One of our seniors reminded us before the fourth quarter that this was the team that sent us home crying last year.”
And that reminder stuck in Quinnipiac’s mind as it reversed a three-point deficit entering the final 10 minutes of play, to an eight-point lead in just over four minutes.
That run was spearheaded by the experience of the upperclassmen. 3-pointers from Adily Martucci and Fabbri, as well as a layup from a cutting Morgan Manz, gave the Bobcats an advantage they’d never relinquish.
“I can’t speak enough about experience at this point in time,” head coach Tricia Fabbri said. “Just being in these games, expecting to be in these games, and wanting to be in these games and pressure situations. It’s feeling that this stage is not too big for us in these moments.”
In both of Quinnipiac’s regular season matchups with Iona, neither team was ever able to shoot better than 35 percent from the field. The same held true in Sunday’s semifinal.
“I was wondering if we were ever going to score more than 30 (points) at one point,” coach Fabbri said. “But we were able to thanks to great team play.”
However, the head coach wasn’t so worried about the offensive woes affecting the outcome of the game.
“Everyone wants to talk about what we’re not doing offensively, the shots we’re missing and talk about our field goal percentage. But, that’s who we’ve been all year and we’re really comfortable with our identity. We know how we’re going to win ball games.”
Momentum was on Quinnipiac’s side when it mattered most, shooting 73 percent from the field and 80 percent from three in the fourth quarter.
“We have a really good team,” Fabbri said. “On any given night we know somebody’s going to spark a fire and lead us in to a big run. Most people are just sitting around and waiting for that run.”
It was Carly Fabbri that hit the game-winning three, as she did on Friday in the quarterfinal round against Canisius, with 7:40 left in the game that put the Bobcats up 44-41.
“I like coming off the bench, it’s like a little spark for the team,” number five said. “I’ve just been in attacking mode and fortunate enough to be knocking down some shots.”
The fifth year senior, Adily Martucci, also contributed 14 points and lockdown defense on Iona star guard, Marina Lizarazu, in the second half.
While Martucci is excited about the win, the celebration is only temporary. Winning the MAAC semifinal was never her end goal.
“The championship game is ranked top of the line,” she said.
This is coach Fabbri and Co.’s fourth straight trip to the MAAC Championship. Her overall record since joining this conference is an impressive 103-32. She credits all of the success to the commitment and mindset of her players.
“We play the game to win. Winning is more fun,” Fabbri said. “We want to continue to push the program to new heights. We recruit incredible young ladies that not only have individual goals, but want to push the program to be greater.”
The team’s ultimate goal has yet to be fulfilled. Quinnipiac plays either No. 2 Rider or No. 3 Fairfield on Monday at 5 p.m. in the MAAC Title Game.
Coach Fabbri only has one outcome in mind.
“We’re looking to cut down that net.”
