By: Josh Silverman
Follow @JoshMSilverman
The No. 1 seeded Quinnipiac Bobcats will try to complete their perfect conference season by beating the No. 2 seeded Marist Red Foxes in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship game. Quinnipiac enters the game a perfect 20-0 in conference play and has beaten Marist in the last five matchups.
Since Quinnipiac joined the conference in 2013, it has faced Marist twice in the MAAC championship. Both teams have notched one victory in that series.
For the winner, the award is the prized possession of going to the NCAA Tournament. However, the loser plays in the WNIT Tournament.
Quinnipiac: 26-5 Overall, 20-0 MAAC (1st)
Fifth straight season in MAAC championship game
NCAA Tournament in two of the last four seasons
Postseason tournament victory in the past two seasons
Two players named to All-MAAC first team and head coach Tricia Fabbri was named Coach of the Year
Key Players
Aryn McClure, 5-11 junior forward
Named to All-MAAC first team
Averaged 12.6 points per game and 5.7 rebounds per game
Connected on 20 three-pointers after only hitting one her first two years
Jen Fay, 6-0 redshirt junior forward
All-MAAC first team selection
Sank most treys on the team (57)
Led the team in both field goal percentage (47.1 percent) and points (397)
Carly Fabbri, 5-7 senior guard
Captain for third straight season
Played most minutes on the team (871)
Posted a 3-1 assist to turnover ratio
Notable team stats
Quinnipiac has 30 straight conference victories
Have an average margin of victory of 14.2 points
Scored a season-high 90 points against Iona on Feb. 04
Marist Red Foxes, 18-12 overall, 14-4 MAAC (2nd)
Have defeated Siena and Manhattan in MAAC Tournament
A win would clinch their 11th NCAA Tournament Berth
Head coach Brian Giorgis is in his 16th season and has seven MAAC Coach of the Year awards
Key Players
Rebekah Hand, 5-10 sophomore guard
Averaged most points on the team with 16.2
Finished with most rebounds on the team (182)
All-MAAC first team selection
Alana Gilmer, 6-0 redshirt sophomore forward
Season-high 27 points against Monmouth on Dec. 30
Finished the season shooting 47 percent from the field
First season playing for the Red Foxes’
Willow Duffell, 6-2 freshman forward
Posted 181 rebounds as a freshman
Named to All-MAAC rookie team
Career-high 13 points against Siena on Jan. 18