Women's Basketball Set for Home Contest Against Merrimack

Saturday, January 31

Hamden, Conn.

2:00 PM

Quinnipiac University

Merrimack

Tickets From $13 - $15

Photo by: Rob Rasmussen / P8Photos.com

Women's Basketball Set for Home Contest Against Merrimack

1/30/2026 2:22:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Game #22: Quinnipiac Bobcats (17-4, 12-0 MAAC) vs Merrimack Warriors (11-9, 8-3 MAAC)
Saturday, January 31, 2026 | 2:00 PM
Hamden, Connecticut | M&T Bank Arena
Watch (ESPN+): Click Here | Int'l Stream: Click Here | Live Stats: Click Here | Game Notes: Click Here | @QU_WBB

HAMDEN, Conn. – The Quinnipiac Bobcats return home on Saturday, January 31st, as they host the Merrimack Warriors. Tip-off from M&T Bank Arena is slated for 2 PM and can be seen on ESPN+. Saturday's matchup marks the 9^thtime the two teams are facing off and the second time this season.

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LAST TIME OUT

The Quinnipiac Bobcats showed out on National TV as they defeated the Fairfield Stags, 72-58, on Thursday night in Fairfield. With the win, the Bobcats improved to 17-4 and 12-0 in MAAC play.
Karson Martin led the Bobcats in scoring, dropping 19 points on 7-for-10 (70%) shooting from the field. Martin shot 3-for-4 (75%) from beyond the arc, tying the team lead for made threes in the game.
Ella O'Donnell had a big day, scoring 18 points on 67% (6-for-9) shooting from the floor.
Ella Ryan reached double figures once again, scoring eleven points in the win.
The Bobcats are the only remaining unbeaten team in the MAAC.
Quinnipiac recorded 14 assists as a team on 22 made field goals. The Bobcats have recorded 10+ assists in all but one contest this year (7 – vs. St. John's).
Quinnipiac has recorded 10+ assists in all twelve MAAC games so far this season and ranks second in the MAAC in total assists.
The Bobcats outrebounded the Stags, 31-29. Quinnipiac has only been outrebounded in six contests this season and only two throughout conference play.
QU improved to 12-0 in conference play, besting their 7-0 start to conference play a season ago. This is the best start to conference play since the 2018-19 season.
Out of seventeen wins this season, the Bobcats have defeated sixteen of those teams by ten or more points, eight by 20+, and two by 30+.

SHOWED OUT ON THE NATIONAL STAGE

Quinnipiac's effort was on full display on Thursday as they defeated the Fairfield Stags on ESPNU.
The Bobcats ended Fairfield's win streak on their home floor, which was at 21 games.
Quinnipiac also improved their win streak to twelve, while they ended the Stags' win streak at 13.
The Bobcats shut down Fairfield's two leading scorers in L'Amoreuax (10 points) and Andersen (8 points).
Quinnipac outshot the Stags from beyond the arc, knocking down nine of 21 attempts, while Fairfield went 5-for-22.

SCOUTING THE WARRIORS

The Merrimack Warriors are led by head coach Kelly Morrone, who holds an 11-9 record in her sixth season at Merrimack. Coach Morrone holds a 183-159 overall record in her 13-year tenure as a head coach (7 at John Carroll and 6 at Merrimack).
The Warriors hold an 11-9 overall record and an 8-3 mark in conference play. Merrimack's only conference losses have come to Fairfield, Iona, and Quinnipiac.
The last time out, Merrimack defeated the Iona Gaels, 87-63, on Thursday, January 29. Five Warriors scored in double figures, but were led by Oralye Kiefer, who scored 22 points on 8-for-13 shooting from the floor. Paloma Garcia, Lydia Melaschenko, Madison Roman, and Se'lah Reddick were the other Warriors in double figures.
The Warriors average 68.6 points per game, while holding their opponents to an average of 66.2 points per game this year.
Merrimack is outscoring their opponents 1371-1324 (+47) this season and has a scoring margin of +2.4.
As a team, Merrimack is averaging 68.6 points per game, while shooting 40.4% (503-1246) from the field, 30.9% (142-460) from three-point range, and 71.9% (223-310) from the free-throw line.
The Warriors are allowing their opponents to average 66.2 points per game so far this season.
Merrimack averages 40.0 rebounds per game and allows their opponents to average 38.2 rebounds per game.
The Warriors average 17.4 turnovers per game and force 16.0 turnovers per game from their opponents.
With the absence of Mia Fiore, Merrimack's leading scorer is Lydia Melaschenko, who averages 12.5 points per game.
Melaschenko is one of four Warriors who average more than 10.0 points per game (Mia Fiore, Oralye Kiefer, and Madison Roman).
Merrimack is 5-6 on the road this season and averages 65.8 points per game in those contests.
The Warriors are 8-3 in conference play, sitting in fourth place. The Warriors average 68.3 points per game in MAAC play, which ranks fourth in the conference.
Merrimack is currently ranked 239th in the most recent NCAA NET Rankings (Jan. 30).

HISTORY VS. MERRIMACK

Saturday's matchup marks the 9th time the Bobcats and Warriors are facing off.
Quinnipiac is 5-3 against Merrimack, dating back to January 21st, 1997.
This will be the second time the two teams are facing off this season, with the Bobcats defeating the Warriors, 75-61, on the road in North Andover.
Jackie Grisdale and Karson Martin led the scoring effort for the Bobcats, each scoring 18 points in the win.
Anna Foley (16 points) and Sydney Ryan (14 points) also reached double figures in the effort.
Six different Bobcats recorded points in their last matchup, helping them defeat the Warriors by fourteen.
The Bobcats are 233-79 (.747) all-time against current MAAC members.

BOBCATS BY THE NUMBERS (As of Jan. 30^th)

1 (First): The Bobcats currently rank first in the conference by allowing just 52.5 points per game.
2 (Second): Quinnipiac is second in the MAAC with a 15.4 scoring margin.
2 (Two): The Bobcats have two of the top three-point shooters in the MAAC in Jackie Grisdale and Ella Ryan. Both rank in the top seven in the MAAC in three-pointers per game, three-pointers, and three-point percentage.
2 (Second): Jackie Grisdale is second in the MAAC in minutes played this season with an average of 34.98 minutes per game.
3 (Third): Paige Girardi ranks third in the nation with a 4.25 assist/turnover ratio, which also ranks 1st in the MAAC.
3 (Third): Ella Ryan ranks third among first-years in the conference in scoring with an average of 10.4 points per game.
3 (Third): The Bobcats rank 3rd in the country with an average of 10.9 turnovers per game, which also leads the MAAC.
4 (Fourth): Quinnipiac is currently 4th in the country, allowing just 52.5 points per game, behind McNeese (50.9), UConn (51.0), and FDU (52.4).
4 (Fourth): Jackie Grisdale ranks fourth in the MAAC in three pointers (54).
7 (Seventh): Paige Girardi ranks seventh in the conference with an average of 3.2 assists per game.
7 (Seven): Coach Fabbri is one of seven Active Division I women's basketball head coaches to have recorded at least 500 wins at a single program.
9 (Ninth): Quinnipiac is currently 9th in the nation with a 1.52 assist/turnover ratio, which also ranks first in the conference.
9 (Ninth): Sydney Ryan ranks 9th in the MAAC with 6.4 rebounds per game.
10 (Tenth): Jackie Grisdale ranks 10th in the conference, averaging 13.3 points per game.
16 (Sixteenth): The Bobcats rank 16th in the country in three-point percentage (37.1), which ranks second in the MAAC.
18 (Eighteenth): Jackie Grisdale became the 18th Bobcat in their Division I history to join the 1,000-point Club.
19 (Nineteenth): Sydney Ryan became the 19th Bobcat in their Division I history to join the 1,000-point Club.
20 (Twenty): The Bobcats have won seven games by 20+ points (Yale, Colgate, Boston College, Cornell, Manhattan, Saint Peter's, and Mount St. Mary's).
27 (Twenty-Seven): The Bobcats held the Peacocks to just 27 points, setting a new Division I team record for fewest points allowed in a single game.
28 (Twenty-Eighth): Grisdale was the 28th Bobcat in program history to reach the 1,000-Point mark.
29 (Twenty-Nine): Sydney Ryan was the 29th Bobcat in program history to reach the 1,000-Point mark.
38 (Thirty-Eight): Anna Foley is currently 38 points shy of reaching the 1,000 Point Club.
45 (Forty-Fifth): Coach Fabbri ranks 45th in Division I wins as a head coach with 546.

BOBCATS WIN ELEVENTH STRAIGHT

The Quinnipiac Bobcats won their tenth straight game, defeating the Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers, 56-43, on Thursday night in Hamden. With the win, the Bobcats improved to 15-4 and 10-0 in MAAC play.
Sydney Ryan led the Bobcats in scoring, dropping 15 points on 54.5% (6-for-11) from the field and knocking down one three-pointer. Ryan finished the day with six rebounds and two steals.
Jackie Grisdale was second on the team in scoring, finishing with 14 points and knocking down three three-pointers.
Eight Bobcats recorded points in the thirteen-point win over the Mountaineers as the Bobcats remain unbeaten in MAAC play on 6-for-11 shooting from the field.

BOBCATS DEFEAT MOUNT FOR TENTH STRAIGHT WIN

The Quinnipiac Bobcats won their tenth straight game, defeating the Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers, 56-43, on Thursday night in Hamden. With the win, the Bobcats improved to 15-4 and 10-0 in MAAC play.
Sydney Ryan led the Bobcats in scoring, dropping 15 points on 54.5% (6-for-11) from the field and knocking down one three-pointer. Ryan finished the day with six rebounds and two steals.
Jackie Grisdale was second on the team in scoring, finishing with 14 points and knocking down three three-pointers.
Eight Bobcats recorded points in the thirteen-point win over the Mountaineers as the Bobcats remain unbeaten in MAAC play.

BOBCATS TAKE DOWN MERRIMACK FOR 9th STRAIGHT WIN

The Quinnipiac Bobcats earned a win on the road at Merrimack, 75-61, on Monday afternoon in North Andover.
With the win, the Bobcats improved to 14-4 overall and 9-0 in MAAC play.
Jackie Grisdale and Karson Martin both had big days, scoring 18 points each in the 14-point win over Merrimack.
Grisdale exploded for 12 points in the final quarter on 5-for-8 shooting from the field. Martin finished the first half with 15 points on 6-for-11 shooting from the field.
Foley added 16 points off the bench.
QU made nine threes in the win. The Bobcats are 12-2 when they make at least nine threes in a single game.

BOBCATS WIN 8th STRAIGHT, DOWN MARIST

The Quinnipiac Bobcats extended their win streak to eight as the Bobcats defeated the Marist Red Foxes, 59-47, on Saturday afternoon in Hamden. With the win, the Bobcats improved to 13-4 overall and 8-0 in MAAC play.
Ella O'Donnell picked up her second double-double of the season, finishing the day with 15 points and 12 rebounds. O'Donnell dished out a team-high seven assists in the win.
Seven Bobcats picked up points in the win.
QU improved to 8-0 in conference play, besting their 7-0 start to conference play a season ago. This is the best start to conference play since the 2018-19 season.

BOBCATS DEFEAT SHU IN HAMDEN

The Quinnipiac Bobcats defended their home court on Saturday, January 10th, as they defeated the Sacred Heart Pioneers, 65-49. With the win, the Bobcats improved to 12-4 overall and 7-0 in MAAC play.
Anna Foley had a big day, recording her third double-double of the season as she finished the day with 13 points and ten rebounds. Foley shot 41% from the field and added two steals and a block to her stat line.
Ella O'Donnell tied for the team lead with 13 points as she shot 50% from the floor and went 3-for-4 from the free-throw line.
Karson Martin added 12 points off the bench in 22 minutes of action.
Six Bobcats recorded points in the win as their win streak stretched to seven games.

BOBCATS DOWN MOUNT ON THE ROAD

The Quinnipiac Bobcats continued their winning ways, defeating the Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers, 70-44, on Thursday morning in Emmitsburg. With the win, the Bobcats have extended their win streak to six games to kick off MAAC play.
Ella O'Donnell had a big day for the Bobcats, recording her first double-double of the season. O'Donnell led the way with 18 points on 63.6% (7-for-11) shooting from the floor and grabbed a team high 12 rebounds.
Jackie Grisdale reached double figures once again, scoring 14 points and knocking down four threes in the effort.
Seven Bobcats recorded points in the 26-point win over the Mountaineers to improve to 11-4 and 6-0 in MAAC play.

QU IMPROVES TO 5-0 IN MAAC PLAY

The Quinnipiac Bobcats improved to 5-0 in MAAC play with a 68-56 win over the Rider Broncs on Saturday afternoon in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. With the win, the Bobcats have extended their win streak to five games.
Ella Ryan led the Bobcats in scoring with 15 points on 50% (5-for-10) shooting from the field and 4-for-8 (50%) shooting from three-point range.
Anna Foley scored 14 points and shot 7-for-13 (53.8%) from the floor. Foley stuffed the stat sheet, recording six rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and two steals.
QU improved to 5-0 in conference play, marking the second straight season they won their first five MAAC games of the year.

QU KICKS OFF 2026 WITH WIN OVER IONA

The Quinnipiac Bobcats opened 2026 with an 80-54 win over the Iona Gaels on Thursday afternoon in Hamden. With the win, the Bobcats improved to 9-4 overall and 4-0 in conference play.
Karson Martin led the way in scoring for the Bobcats, dropping 19 points on 75% (6-for-8) shooting from the floor and knocking down all three three-point attempts.
Anna Foley scored 16 points on 70% (7-for-10) shooting from the field.
Sydney Ryan scored 14 points in the win, moving just one point shy of the 1,000-point mark in her collegiate career.
Ella O'Donnell and Jackie Grisdale each scored 12 points in the win.

BOBCATS DOMINATE PEACOCKS, 67-27

The Quinnipiac Bobcats closed out 2025 with a 67-27 win over the Saint Peter's Peacocks on Monday evening in Jersey City, improving to 3-0 in MAAC Play.
The Bobcats set a new school record for the fewest points allowed in the Division I era, allowing just 27 in the win.
Ella O'Donnell led the way with 12 points on 5-for-6 (83.8%) shooting from the floor. or. O'Donnell grabbed four rebounds on the defensive end and three on the offensive end for seven total rebounds.
Karson Martin scored 10 points in the win. Eight Bobcats recorded 5 or more points as they stay unbeaten in MAAC play.
Nine different Bobcats recorded points in the forty-point win over the Peacocks.

BOBCATS IMPROVE TO 2-0 IN MAAC PLAY

The Quinnipiac women's basketball team improved to 2-0 in conference play with a 76-67 win over the Marist Red Foxes on Sunday evening in Poughkeepsie, New York.
Sydney Ryan led the Bobcats in scoring with 19 points on 55.6% (5-9) shooting from the field and knocked down four threes in seven attempts.
Ella O'Donnell added 16 points on 66.7% shooting from the floor. O'Donnell grabbed 5 rebounds and dished out 5 assists.
Jackie Grisdale scored 14 points in the win and went 6-6 from the free-throw line.
The Bobcats started on a 25-3 scoring run and never looked back, leading for 99.2% of the game.

FOLEY LEADS QU TO BIG WIN IN MAAC OPENER

The Quinnipiac women's basketball team opened conference play with a 78-39 win over the Manhattan Jaspers on Friday morning in Hamden on Kids Day.
Anna Foley led the Bobcats with 18 points on 70% (7-for-10) shooting from the floor in the MAAC opener against Manhattan. Foley also grabbed a team-high eight rebounds, dished out four assists, recorded three blocks, and one steal in the win.
Jackie Grisdale also reached double figures, scoring 12 points in the effort.
Quinnipiac recorded 25 assists as a team on 28 made field goals.
The Bobcats forced 22 turnovers and scored 27 points off those turnovers.

NON-CONFERENCE WRAP UP

The Quinnipiac women's basketball team finished non-conference action with a 5-4 record.
Quinnipiac won its season opener at Boston University, 65-55, led by Jackie Grisdale (17 points).
After QU dropped their next two, at Rutgers and at home against St. John's, the Bobcats defeated Yale by 23 in New Haven.
Quinnipiac returned home and lost a hard-fought battle against the College of Charleston, 75-71.
The Bobcats won their next three contests, defeating Colgate (77-50), Boston College (76-49), and Cornell (68-47), before dropping their non-conference finale against Maine (63-55).

PRESEASON NEWS

The Quinnipiac women's basketball team was picked to finish 2nd in the MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll.
Quinnipiac received 155 total points, finishing behind only Fairfield, which was unanimously selected to finish first in the conference.
Anna Foley was named to the Preseason All-MAAC First Team after averaging 10.9 PPG and 5.4 RPG last year in Hamden.
Jackie Grisdale was also named to the Preseason All-MAAC First Team after averaging 10.8 points per game last year.
Junior guard Karson Martin was selected to the Preseason All-MAAC Second Team after averaging 9.8 points and 3.1 rebounds per game in 33 contests last year.

LEADER OF THE PACK

Head coach Tricia Fabbri is in her 31st season at the helm of the Bobcats in 2025-26.
A six-time Coach of the Year and all-time winningest coach in program history, Fabbri has totaled 561 career victories, thus far.
With the win over Mount St. Mary's on Feb. 16, 2023, Fabbri became the 90th coach in Div. I women's basketball history to reach 500 career wins and the 22nd to accomplish the feat at one institution without coaching at another.
Of her 561 wins, 546 have come in Quinnipiac's Div. I era.
In 2024-25, Fabbri led the Bobcats to 28 wins and their first WBIT Appearance.
With 20 wins in 2022-23, Fabbri secured the program's 12th straight winning season under her guidance.
Fabbri's Bobcats have reached the 20-win plateau in 13 seasons, including a run of eight straight seasons from 2011-2019.
With five NCAA Tournament appearances along with five WNIT berths, Fabbri has led QU to 11 postseason national tournaments in her tenure.
She has led Quinnipiac to five conference titles in the last 12 seasons and earned five consecutive MAAC Regular Season titles from 2015-2019.

JUST WIN BABY, WIN!!

M&T Bank Arena, home of the Quinnipiac Bobcats, has long been one of the most difficult arenas to play at in the country.
Since the 2012-13 season, Quinnipiac owns a record of 151-37 (.803) in games played at home.
In that same span, the Bobcats own a mark of 111-21 (.841) in conference play (NEC & MAAC) at home.
Quinnipiac owns a 180-79 (.695) mark since November 22, 2017.
The Bobcats stand with a mark of 101-21 (.828) at home in league games since joining the MAAC in 2013-14.
The Bobcats are 94-18 (.839) at M&T Bank Arena in conference games since the start of the 2014-15 campaign.

CLOSING TIME

Quinnipiac has enjoyed a great deal of success over the past five seasons when building a first-half lead.
After starting 2016-17 with a mark of 2-0 when owning a halftime lead, the Bobcats saw one of their most impressive streaks in program history come to an end in a 71-68 loss at Temple.
The undefeated streak, which lasted throughout three seasons, came to an end at 46 straight wins for the Bobcats when holding a halftime lead.
Quinnipiac went undefeated in both 2014-15 (24-0) and 2015-16 (19-0) and for the first two games of 2016-17 before suffering the defeat.
Overall, the Bobcats own a mark of 208-21 (.908) since the start of 2014-15 in games in which Quinnipiac leads at the half.
This season, the Bobcats hold a 17-3 record in games in which they lead at the half and 0-1 in games in which they trail at the half.

LEADERSHIP GROUP

Head Coach Tricia Fabbri announced the leadership group ahead of the 2025-26 season.
Graduate student Jackie Grisdale, senior Ella O'Donnell, and junior Anna Foley were named team captains.

SYDNEY RYAN TRANSFERS TO QU

Sydney Ryan joins the Bobcats after three seasons at Furman University.
Ryan finished last season with the third-highest three-point percentage on the team, 32.0% (62-for-194).
The Nashville, TN native played a large portion of minutes for Furman, as she averaged 31.8 minutes per game in her junior season.
Ryan comes to the Bobcats and brings scoring and rebounding, ranking within the top five on her squad in both categories.

ELLA RYAN COMES TO CT

Ella Ryan comes to Quinnipiac from Brentwood High School in Nashville, Tennessee.
Ryan holds the record at Brentwood for the Most Career Points (2,321), Most Career Rebounds (600), Most Career Three-Pointers Made (309), Most Career Steals (275), Most Points in a Single Season (689), and Most Points in a Single Game (40).
Ryan is a four-time All-District Team Selection, a two-time All-Region Team Selection, a two-time TSWA 4A All-State Selection, and a one-time Region MVP (2024).
Ryan averaged 25 PPG, 5 RPG, 3 APG, 3 SPG, and shot 38% from three-point range in her senior season.

NEAL JOINS THE SQUAD

Aniyah Neal comes to Quinnipiac after attending the Loomis Chaffee School.
Neal is a two-time Founder League Champion, a two-time NEPSAC Class-A Champion, a 2025 All-NEPSAC Honorable Mention, a 2022-23 NYSPHSAA Section III Class A All-Tournament Selection, a 2022-23 New York State All-CNY First Team Selection, and a 2021-22 NYSPHSAA Section III Class A All-Tournament Team Selection.

ANOTHER FABBRI ON THE STAFF

Head Coach Tricia Fabbri announced the addition of her daughter and former player, Carly Fabbri '18, to the staff ahead of the 2025-26 season.
Fabbri had a four-year career in Hamden and earned multiple MAAC All-Tournament Honors and an All-MAAC Third Team distinction in her senior season.

NEXT TIME OUT

The Bobcats will head on their longest road trip of the season, heading to Western New York to take on Canisius (Feb. 5) and Niagara (Feb. 7).
Tip-off against Canisius is slated for 6:30 PM and can be seen on ESPN+.

To stay up to date with all Quinnipiac women's basketball news, follow the program on X/Instagram @QU_WBB or visit www.gobobcats.com/wbb.