By Josh Silverman
Quinnipiac was able to overcome early scoring struggles to beat Niagara 70-52. The Bobcats got off to an extremely slow start, scoring 16 points in the first quarter, yet they only trailed by 10 points. They weren’t able to keep up with Niagara’s fast paced offense. If that was their only problem, the first quarter might have been closer, but it wasn’t.
To make things more difficult for the Bobcats, Niagara shot 68 percent from the field in the first quarter and was four-for-six from behind the arc.
“They ran their spread offense to perfection and we were a step, step and a half behind them,” head coach Tricia Fabbri said. Fabbri wasn’t too happy with her team’s first quarter performance, but knew there was a lot of game left. The Bobcats found a way to not only get back into the game, but also to dominate the game from there on.
Niagara only scored four points in the second quarter, while Quinnipiac scored 22. After the first quarter, everything changed for the Bobcats. The shots started going in and the Bobcats were able to move the ball better.
The defense was also a huge help. Quinnipiac started playing more aggressive and had a lot more takeaways. Senior Maria Napolitano didn’t have the greatest stat sheet after the game, but during the game she made some great plays. She had a great steal that led to two points and she hit a huge three to put Quinnipiac within one when the score was 28-27.
“I think that everyone was just smiling and happy for Maria that the ball went in.” Fabbri said “It hasn’t splashed as much as she would have liked this year, but we were all happy for her and seeing her crack a smile.”
Niagara had as many points in the first quarter, 26, as they had the rest of the three quarters combined. Quinnipiac was able to control the game.
Another huge factor was, two-time MAAC Rookie of the Week, Aryn McClure. In the first quarter, she missed all three shots from the field, but she ended up finishin eight-for-13 for 18 points. McClure said she didn’t change much to spark a solid second half. “I think that I just played more aggressive and didn’t really worry about the misses.”
As a team, Quinnipiac was 14-for-17 from the line. In crucial times those points helped it expand its lead which allowed it to play with much more ease.
The Bobcats have now won 10 straight games and face first place Iona at home on Friday, Feb. 12.
