Thunderous Second Half Rally Sends QU Women’s Basketball Past Iona, Advancing to MAAC Title Game

Sunday, March 5

Times Union Center - Albany, NY

11:00 AM

Quinnipiac University

26-6

Iona

18-13

Iona

Quinnipiac

Thunderous Second Half Rally Sends QU Women’s Basketball Past Iona, Advancing to MAAC Title Game

3/5/2017 3:52:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Bobcats Overcome 10-Point Deficit with 12:47 Remaining, Advancing to their Fourth Straight MAAC Championship Game

By: QU Sports Information

ALBANY, New York – Another day, another huge second half deficit and still yet another stunning victory for the Quinnipiac women's basketball team, 64-59, over Iona that sends the Bobcats into a fourth consecutive MAAC Championship game.

Quinnipiac (26-6) will ride a nine-game win streak into the 2017 MAAC Championship game, marking the fifth straight season in which the Bobcats will make a conference title game appearance. Advancing to the championship of the MAAC Tournament every season since joining the league in 2013-14, Quinnipiac looks to win their second MAAC Championship on Monday at 5 PM in a game that can be seen live on ESPNU. Quinnipiac will meet the No. 2 seed Rider (24-7) after the Broncs defeated Fairfield in the semifinal round. The Bobcats swept the regular season series from Rider (91-79 at Rider, 79-53 at Quinnipiac).

Just one day removed from overcoming an eight-point second half deficit to defeat Canisius, 63-58, in the MAAC Quarterfinals, the Bobcats outdid themselves in overcoming a 10-point margin to defeat an Iona team that defeated Quinnipiac in the 2016 MAAC Championship.

Splitting the regular season series, fans expected the third installment of this budding rivalry to be another classic and they certainly weren't disappointed with the end result.

With the odds stacked against the Bobcats, down 10 with 12:47 remaining, an immediate response was badly needed and Jen Fay (Lynbrook, New York) pulsed a shot of life into the minds and hearts of the Bobcat faithful, drilling back-to-back three-pointers on the wing to suddenly whittle the deficit down to 41-37.

The sudden swing of momentum reverberating from those two huge makes from Fay carried over into the fourth as Quinnipiac extended their run to 13-0 with two more triples, this time coming from Adily Martucci (Waterford, Connecticut) and Carly Fabbri (Stratford, Connecticut) as the upperclassmen guards continued to deliver under the bright lights.

Iona hit a pair of free throws to break the scoreless streak but Quinnipiac continued to blitz the Gaels with a Morgan Manz (Southbury, Connecticut) layup (off a great drive and dish from Martucci), followed by another Martucci three-point bomb. Aryn McClure (Springfield Gardens, New York) shook her defender in the post for an easy two while Sarah Shewan (Russell, Ontario) nailed an open wing jumper to give Quinnipiac their biggest lead of the game, 53-43.

Trailing by 10 less than eight minutes prior, the Bobcats staged an incredible 22-2 run that shifted the course of the game and have the ravenous Bobcat fan base all on their feet.

Still leading by 10 (56-46) with 3:33 remaining, the job wasn't done as the reigning MAAC Champ Iona came storming back in the final minute. All-MAAC First Team selection Alexis Lewis was fouled on a three-point attempt with her team down seven and followed making all three from the free throw line.

Quinnipiac then went on to miss both free throws on the other end but Iona's second All-MAAC First Teamer (reigning MAAC Tournament MVP) Marina Lizarazu air-mailed a three-point attempt to give the Bobcats the ball back leading by four with 42 seconds left.

Free throws started to fall for Quinnipiac as the lead grew to seven with 18 ticks remaining but once again the Gaels made it interesting as Lizarazu hit a pair of free throws and followed with a steal off the in-bounds as the senior point guard immediately drove to the rim and was fouled for a potential three-point play.

Holding to a tenuous 62-59 lead with 11 seconds left and staring at a 78 percent free throw shooter heading to the line in Lizarazu (Iona as a team was 26-for-28 at the free throw line at that point), the senior missed a crucial free throw which would've made it just a two-point game.

As the free throw rimmed out, McClure was there to grab the rebound, was fouled and hit the game-clinching free throws on the other end as Iona was left with no time as the buzzer sounded on the 63-58 pulse-pounding win for the Bobcats.

Four Bobcats – Fabbri (14), Martucci (14), Fay (11) and McClure (10) – hit double figures, marking just the fourth time this season that Quinnipiac has accomplished the feat. Fabbri and Martucci have reached double figures in both MAAC Tournament games, something Fabbri did only three times in the regular season but she has since gone off for four straight 10+ point outings. The postseason production of the upperclassmen backcourt in Martucci (16.5 PPG, 50 FG%) and Fabbri (13.5 PPG, 47.1 FG%, 42.9 3FG%) have carried this Bobcat team on the offensive end into the title game.

McClure finished with seven rebounds to go along with her 10 points while Manz added nine points and rebounds and Shewan tallied five points, eight rebounds and two steals.

Iona's offense was held in-check throughout the better stage of the second half as the Gaels shot just 8-for-30 combined in the third and fourth quarters and just 16-for-53 (30.2 percent) for the game. Lizarazu managed 20 points but struggled from the floor (6-15 FG, 0-4 3FG) and committed six turnovers. Alexis Lewis, a player who had given the Bobcats fits all season long with 24 and 19 point efforts in their two prior meetings, was shut down by McClure as she finished 2-of-9 from the floor on her way to 10 points.

Quinnipiac won the rebounding battle, 39-37, moving their record to 21-1 on the season in games wherein the Bobcats outrebound their opponents.

Iona's play in the early going certainly played into the epic conclusion of this semifinal battle as the Gaels led by 10 (28-18) with 2:48 remaining in the second quarter. Quinnipiac had just two points up to that point in the second quarter alone but a crucial 8-0 run to end the frame made it just 28-26 in favor of Iona at halftime.

In search of their second MAAC Championship in three seasons, the Bobcats will face a Rider team that surprised everyone this season. Picked to finish 10^th in the Preseason Coaches' Poll, the Broncs and Bobcats will go for the title at 5 PM on Monday night from the Times Union Center in Albany on ESPNU.