QU Women’s Basketball Fights Off Rider Rally to Claim First Place in MAAC

Friday, December 30

Alumni Gymnasium - Lawrenceville, NJ

7:00 PM

Quinnipiac University

10-3, 3-0MAAC

Rider

8-4, 2-1MAAC

Quinnipiac

Rider University

QU Women’s Basketball Fights Off Rider Rally to Claim First Place in MAAC

12/30/2016 9:49:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Sarah Shewan Nets Career High 20 Points, Aryn McClure Tallies First Double-Double of the Season

By: QU Sports Information

LAWRENCEVILLE, New Jersey – Friday night's battle between the top two teams in the MAAC certainly didn't disappoint as the Quinnipiac women's basketball team was locked in a fourth quarter battle with Rider before pulling away late for the 91-79 victory from the Alumni Gymnasium in New Jersey.

A back-and-forth game throughout, just two points separated the sides on the scoreboard before a game-deciding 9-0 run sealed the win late for the Bobcats. Adily Martucci (Waterford, Connecticut) sank a pair of free throws to kickstart the run while Sarah Shewan (Russell, Ontario) put in another show-stopping move in the low post for her career-best 20^th point of the night. Now leading by seven with five minutes remaining, Martucci was there for the dagger as she drained a three from the win to reclaim a 10-point lead in the closing minutes.

Quinnipiac's crucial stand in the fourth quarter proved enough for the win in a packed Alumni Gymnasium on Friday night, moving the Bobcats to 10-3 on the season and 3-0 in the MAAC. Now the lone remaining unbeaten team in the conference, Quinnipiac breaks a tie with the Broncs (8-4, 2-1 MAAC) and slides into sole possession of first place.

Facing a team the Bobcats have never fallen to before (8-0 all-time), Rider gave Quinnipiac easily their toughest game in the all-time series. A much-improved squad from two seasons ago that saw Quinnipiac defeat Rider by 42 points at home, the Broncs gave the Bobcats fits at times before a clutch late-game performance from Aryn McClure (Springfield Gardens, New York) led the way to win number 10 on the season for QU.

Finishing with her first double-double of the season, McClure stuffed the stat sheet with 14 points (5-11 FG) and 11 rebounds to go along with four assists and four steals in 27 minutes. McClure notches the first double-double for a Bobcat on the season and the fifth of her career. Eight of McClure's 14 points came in the fourth quarter including a pair of buckets early in the frame to fight off a pesky Rider squad threatening to reclaim the lead.

For as good as McClure was late, Shewan was equally as impressive in the early going as she notched 15 of her career high 20 points in the first half. With Rider unable to match Shewan's scoring ability on the inside, Quinnipiac went to the junior forward early and often as she finished 6-of-8 from the floor and 8-of-9 from the free throw line to give her the 20-point night. Just one game removed from scoring 19 against No. 25/15 Oregon State in Las Vegas, Shewan tallied a new career high for the second time in her last three games.

Eight ties and seven lead changes in the first 12+ minutes set the scene for a great duel between the top two teams in the MAAC. Trailing 29-26, Quinnipiac took complete control to finish the second quarter as the Bobcats ripped off a 20-2 run to zap the Rider momentum. The Bobcats' offense put together its best five-minute run of the season as Quinnipiac came away with points on 12 straight possessions to build a 14-point halftime advantage.

Even with all the momentum shifted in favor of Quinnipiac, Rider came out with purpose and cut into the Bobcats' lead right from the start of the second half behind the hot shooting of Robin Perkins. The Broncs' leading scorer and fourth-highest in the league (15.5 points per game) went for 12 of her career high 33 points (12-17 FG, 5-8 3FG) in the third quarter alone as the senior guard came through in a big way on the night wherein she scored the 1,000^th point of her career.

Outscoring the Bobcats 24-11 in the third quarter, Quinnipiac's 14-point halftime advantage turned into just a one-point lead with 10 minutes remaining. A tenuous lead remained in the Bobcats' favor despite the red-hot Broncs playing in front of a lively home crowd as McClure drained a couple key buckets early in the quarter, setting the stage for the crucial game-deciding 9-0 run that pushed Quinnipiac past Rider.

Martucci joined Shewan (20) and McClure (14) in double figures with 16 points (6-10 FG, 2-3 3FG) as Quinnipiac finished with a season high 91 points as a team while shooting a season-best 53.4 percent (31-58 FG) from the floor and hitting 24-of-31 (77.4 percent) free throw attempts which also stood as another season high. In the last four seasons (since 2013-14), Quinnipiac has scored 90+ points seven times, in the previous 15 seasons the Bobcats reached the 90-point plateau just three times since joining the NCAA Div. I ranks (since 1998-99).

Coming off a 24-point effort against St. Francis Brooklyn, Quinnipiac held the reigning USBWA National Freshman of the Week Stella Johnson to just seven points on 1-for-7 shooting. A bevy of Rider's points came at the free throw line as the Broncs finished 28-for-40 from the charity stripe for the game.

Fresh off a key win, Quinnipiac heads back home for the first time since Dec. 6 as the Bobcats are set to face Saint Peter's at 7 PM from the TD Bank Sports Center. Quinnipiac already has an 84-51 victory over the Peacocks down in Jersey City to open MAAC play back on Dec. 1.