QU Women’s Basketball Pitches Defensive Clinic in 70-36 Domination of Marist

Thursday, February 23

McCann Field House - Poughkeepsie, NY

5:30 PM

Quinnipiac University

23-6, 16-3MAAC

Marist

13-16, 10-9MAAC

Quinnipiac

Marist

QU Women’s Basketball Pitches Defensive Clinic in 70-36 Domination of Marist

2/23/2017 8:57:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Bobcats Hold Marist to their Fewest Points Scored in a Conference Game Ever (Program Started 1981-82)

By: QU Sports Information

POUGHKEEPSIE, New York – In one of the all-time greatest defensive outings in program history, the Quinnipiac women's basketball team pitched the equivalent of a complete game no-hitter in baseball to throttle Marist, 70-36, on Thursday night from the McCann Field House.

A huge win entering the final week of the regular season, Quinnipiac's 34-point drubbing of Marist on the road moves the Bobcats to 23-6 on the season and more importantly 16-3 in MAAC play. Quinnipiac moves into sole possession of first in the MAAC standings, half a game ahead of Rider (15-3 MAAC) with just one game remaining for the Bobcats on Saturday at home against Canisius (2 PM). A win over the Golden Griffins would lock up the top seed in the upcoming MAAC Tournament and a third consecutive MAAC Regular Season title for the Bobcats.

The list of noteworthy defensive stats is quite extensive but none more impressive than Quinnipiac allowing traditional MAAC power Marist to score their fewest points in a conference game ever (program started 1981-82). The 36 Marist points scored is the fourth-fewest allowed by Quinnipiac since the program joined the NCAA Division I ranks in 1998-99 and stands as just the seventh time allowing less than 40 points in a game in the program's Div. I history.

In addition, Quinnipiac allowed Marist to score just 10 points in the first half (Bobcats led 26-10 at the halftime break) which equates to the fewest points allowed in a half by the Bobcats in QU's Div. I history (previous low of 12 twice – at CCSU 1-14-10, vs. RMU 2-27-06). Marist was held to just one point in the second quarter, a total that easily stands as the fewest points allowed in a single-quarter in program history (prev. low of 4 twice). Finally, Marist's 36 points is their second-fewest scored at home (record-low of 32 scored in a loss to Hartford on Dec. 12, 2007) in program history and the 34-point margin of defeat is their second-largest ever to a conference foe (record losing margin of 44 in a 90-56 loss to Niagara on Feb. 14, 2003).

Both teams had tons to play entering the contest as every win or loss looms large in the MAAC Tournament seeding and the two sides went back-and-forth early with Quinnipiac holding a slim 10-9 lead with 2:49 remaining in the first quarter. After the Bobcats took an 8-2 lead to start, the Red Foxes came back to nearly even the score as the first quarter was winding down.

It was here, however, that Quinnipiac would take complete control as a quarter-ending 11-0 run created a 12-point deficit heading into the second. Morgan Manz (Southbury, Connecticut) started the run burying a jumper in the paint and Carly Fabbri (Stratford, Connecticut) came up with a three-point make followed by a running layup to make it 21-9 after one.

In what was easily the lowest-scoring quarter in program history, Quinnipiac and Marist combined for just six points (QU 5, Marist 1) in the second stanza. The two sides combined to shoot 2-for-25 (8 percent) overall while Marist went the entire second quarter without a make from the floor (0-for-9).

Leading 26-10 at the break, Quinnipiac's run to end the first half magnified to start the second half as what was once a 10-9 score turned into a 42-13 lead for the Bobcats (32-4 run, +28 margin). Incredibly, Quinnipiac held Marist without a field goal for a span of 17:01 (0-for-16) from the first quarter into the third while the Red Foxes shot a staggering 1-for-27 from the floor (3.7 percent) while scoring seven points over a span of 24:11 of game play.

While the misses came left and right on the Marist offensive end, Quinnipiac took full advantage in the third quarter as Adily Martucci (Waterford, Connecticut) and Edel Thornton (Gurranabraher, Ireland) unleashed back-to-back triples to start what turned into a devastating 16-0 run that gave Marist no hope for a potential comeback. Four three-pointers from four different Bobcats highlighted the run which spotted Quinnipiac a 42-13 lead.

Armed with a massive 47-21 lead at the start of the fourth, Martucci drained another three to open the quarter and added another with 6:31 remaining to give her all 11 of her points in the second half alone after being held scoreless in the first half. Quinnipiac's lead grew to as many as 37 points in the closing minutes before ultimately ending in the massive 70-36 win.

Four Bobcats – Martucci 11, Fabbri 10, Jen Fay 10, Sarah Shewan 10 – hit double figures for just the second time in a game this season. Both Shewan (10 points, 14 rebounds) and Fay (10 points, 10 rebounds) finished with double-doubles as the Bobcats saw two players accomplish the feat in the same game for the first time since defeating Maine 90-44 in the WNIT (Paula Strautmane 21 points, 10 rebounds; Sarah Shewan 15 points, 10 rebounds) on March 18, 2016 (30 games ago). Shewan recorded her second career double-double (new career high 14 rebounds) while Fay tallied the first double-double of her career (64 career games played).

Fabbri tallied 10+ points for just the second time this season while Martucci is tied with Fay for the team-lead with 15 double figure scoring games in 2016-17. Aryn McClure (Springfield Gardens, New York) was tremendous all-around as she tallied eight points, seven rebounds, four blocks, three assists and one steal in 31 minutes. Manz fired in nine points and five rebounds while the Bobcats tied for their second-highest single-game rebounding total on the season (54).

As a team, Marist was held to just 21.6 percent (11-for-51) for the game and was 5-for-20 (25 percent) from three as the Bobcats' MAAC-leading scoring defense (56.9 points allowed per game) played their best game of the season. The Marist backcourt of Rebekah Hand (13.3 PPG), Maura Fitzpatrick (12.0 PPG) and Claire Oberdorf (11.5 PPG) – all of which came in averaging double figures in scoring – were held to a combined 3-for-31 shooting (9.7 percent), 0-for-9 from three-point range and 11 turnovers while scoring just 13 points as a trio.

Quinnipiac heads into a big season-ending matchup at home against Canisius (2 PM) as a win would clinch the No. 1 seed and at least a share of the MAAC Regular Season title.