QU Women’s Basketball Pulls Out Thrilling Win over Long Beach State in Final Minute

Wednesday, December 21

T-Mobile Arena - Las Vegas, NV

8:30 PM (EST)

Quinnipiac University

9-3

Long Beach State

8-6

QUINNIPIAC

LONG BEACH STATE

QU Women’s Basketball Pulls Out Thrilling Win over Long Beach State in Final Minute

12/22/2016 1:49:00 AM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Aryn McClure Drains Game-Tying Step Back Jumper with 27 Seconds Remaining, Bobcats Hit Three Free Throws With 1.3 Seconds Remaining to Seal the Win

By: QU Sports Information

LAS VEGAS, Nevada – The bright lights of Las Vegas proved to be the perfect setting for the Quinnipiac women's basketball team as some late-game drama from Aryn McClure (Springfield Gardens, New York) led the Bobcats to a last-minute 63-60 victory over Long Beach State in the Play4Kay Shootout from the T-Mobile Arena on Wednesday night.

Owning a 14-point lead late in the third quarter, Quinnipiac looked to be in complete control only to see the 49ers storm back and ultimately take a 60-58 lead with 57 seconds remaining. In desperate need of a bucket going up against a hyper-aggressive Long Beach State defense, McClure got the call as the shot clock wound down and the sophomore delivered with a step back 17-foot jumper that found nothing but net.

With the game now tied at 60-60, Quinnipiac locked down on defense and forced a miss from Anna Kim from 12 feet away. The ball bounced off the rim and out to McClure who secured the rebound under pressure, ultimately falling to the floor as the 49ers were whistled for a foul with just 0.1 seconds showing on the scoreboard (review later confirmed 1.3 seconds remained).

Incensed with the referee's call, Long Beach State was hit with a crucial technical foul that allowed Paula Strautmane (Riga, Latvia) and McClure to drain 3-of-4 free throws to build a three-point lead. With one last chance, the 49ers inbounded to Madison Montgomery who hoisted up a good look from 25 feet out that spun around the rim and out.

The huge last-second three-point victory for the Bobcats bumps their record up to 9-3 on the season. Tonight's win also signed the conclusion of non-conference play as Quinnipiac wrapped up a very difficult slate with a 7-3 mark with the three losses coming at the hands of high-major foes Temple (71-68), Michigan State (71-54) and No. 25/15 Oregon State (75-60). Long Beach State drops their second straight to fall to 8-6 in 2016-17.

McClure was the key player late as she finished with a dominant all-around effort going for 10 points (4-9 FG), nine rebounds, three assists and two steals in just 25 minutes. Brittany Johnson (Pickerington, Ohio) and Carly Fabbri (Stratford, Connecticut) dominated the offensive end for the Bobcats early as Johnson went for a team-high 13 points (4-8 FG, 4-5 FT) and seven rebounds while Fabbri set a new season high going for 12 points on 4-of-6 from three-point range.

Owning the lead for 34:49 total minutes of play, Quinnipiac seemed to be in control of this one for the majority of play. The three-point shot certainly was falling early for the Bobcats as four of their first five makes from the floor came from behind the arc (all of which coming from different players).

Long Beach State bounced back at the tail end of the first quarter and into the second as the 49ers owned their first lead of the game at 15-14 before the Bobcats ripped off a 9-0 run to sway the lead back into Quinnipiac's favor, 23-15. Adily Martucci (Waterford, Connecticut) and Fabbri each hit a triple in the run while Johnson converted an and-one on the interior.

Again the 49ers were quick to respond as the eight-point deficit turned into a one-point halftime lead, 28-27, as Long Beach State closed out the second quarter on a 13-4 run.

The game of runs continued at the start of the second half as Quinnipiac opened up a 12-0 run to start the third quarter and take their first double digit lead of the game. The ultra-aggressive Long Beach State defense, which posed a major problem throughout, was cut up by the Bobcats for the opening 2:52 of the second half as Sarah Shewan (Russell, Ontario) and Fabbri highlighted the run with a pair of triples coming off drives and kick-outs from the lane.

The lead swelled to as many as 14 points with 3:50 remaining in the third quarter but Long Beach State, who two days prior had recorded their first win over a ranked program in two years with a 73-68 victory over No. 22 South Florida, proved their mettle and mounted a ferocious comeback.

Down 10 at the start of the fourth, the deficit was just two after an 8-0 run to start the frame as neither side led by more than four points the rest of the way. Despite struggling against the heavy fullcourt pressure, Quinnipiac managed to hold off a gritty effort from the 49ers and continue to hold the lead up until the final two minutes.

Playing a team in the 49ers who've led the Big West Conference in steals for the past three seasons, Quinnipiac had not seen the intense level of trapping man-to-man defense in the full and half court all season. As a team, Quinnipiac was forced into 19 turnovers while shooting just 36.2 percent for the game but nine makes from the three-point arc and the late game magic from McClure proved enough to push past the 49ers for the win.

Facing a team in Long Beach State that lives on the three-point line, averaging 8.9 makes per game which ranked 16^th in the nation coming into play, Quinnipiac controlled the looks from beyond the arc and limited the 49ers to just 4-of-19 from downtown. For the game, Quinnipiac held Long Beach State to just 33.9 percent (19-56 FG) from the floor as most of the 49ers' damage came from the charity stripe (18-26 FT).

Quinnipiac's victory over Long Beach State cannot be understated as the 49ers came in playing their best basketball of the season, going 5-1 over their last six games prior to tonight with the one loss coming on Tuesday to national power Oklahoma State in a game that could've gone either way down the stretch. On Monday, the 49ers had upset No. 22 South Florida for the Bulls' first loss of the season.

The Bobcats fly back to Hamden early Thursday morning after a very successful run in Vegas that saw Quinnipiac go 2-1 across the three-game tournament, with both wins coming over programs (New Mexico State – WAC, Long Beach State – Big West) who were picked to win their conference in the respective coaches' preseason poll.

Now the Bobcats look to carry this momentum into the Christmas break and beyond as the next game is slated for Friday, Dec. 30 at 7 PM on the road against Rider. Both teams will enter that game standing 2-0 in conference play, representing the two lone remaining undefeated teams in MAAC play at this point in the season.