EMMITSBURG, Md. (Interstat) — Quinnipiac used a dominant second half to defeat Mount Saint Mary’s 70-44 in a women’s basketball game Thursday afternoon at Knott Arena. The Bobcats, now 11-4, broke open a close game after halftime. Leading 27-21 at intermission, they outscored the Mountaineers 23-6 in the third quarter to seal the victory. Ella O’Donnell led all players with 18 points and 12 rebounds for Quinnipiac. Jackie Grisdale added 14 points. Mount Saint Mary’s (6-8) struggled offensively, shooting just 29.3% from the field and missing all eight of its three-point attempts. Gabrielle Kennerly paced the Mountaineers with nine points. Quinnipiac shot 38.8% from the field and made 11 three-pointers. The Bobcats held a 16-8 advantage in offensive rebounds before an announced crowd of 537.

EMMITSBURG, Md. (Interstat) — The Quinnipiac women’s basketball team used a dominant third-quarter surge to pull away from Mount Saint Mary’s and secure a 70-44 victory in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game Thursday afternoon at a sparsely attended Knott Arena. The Bobcats, who led by just six points at halftime, outscored the Mountaineers 23-6 in the decisive third period to turn a competitive contest into a lopsided affair. The defensive clampdown held Mount Saint Mary’s to just two made field goals in the quarter, a stretch from which the home team never recovered. Quinnipiac improved to 11-4 overall and 4-0 in the MAAC, while Mount Saint Mary’s fell to 6-8 and 2-3. The game’s pivotal sequence began early in the third quarter with Quinnipiac leading 27-21. The Bobcats embarked on a 17-2 run over a seven-minute span, transforming a narrow margin into a commanding 44-23 lead. The surge was fueled by stifling defense that forced Mount Saint Mary’s into a series of rushed shots and turnovers, and an efficient offensive attack that capitalized inside. Star forward Ella O’Donnell was central to the run, scoring eight of her game-high 18 points during the quarter. The 6-foot-3 sophomore from Sligo, Ireland, also finished with 12 rebounds for a double-double, controlling the paint at both ends. She was supported by a balanced scoring effort that saw Jackie Grisdale add 14 points, Sydney Ryan score 11 and Ella Ryan chip in nine. Mount Saint Mary’s, which had hung tough in the first half behind the play of Gabrielle Kennerly, who finished with nine points, saw its offense completely stall after halftime. The Mountaineers shot 0 for 8 from three-point range for the game and managed an offensive rating of just 64.0 points per 100 possessions, a key factor in the loss. The first half was a sloppy, defensive struggle with both teams combining for 24 turnovers. The score was tied 11-11 after a low-scoring first quarter, and Quinnipiac took a 27-21 lead into the break despite shooting just 32 percent from the field. The Bobcats’ significant advantage on the offensive glass, where they grabbed 16 rebounds leading to multiple second-chance opportunities, kept them ahead despite the poor shooting. That trend continued after halftime, but Quinnipiac’s shooting improved markedly. The Bobcats shot 50 percent from the field in the third quarter while holding Mount Saint Mary’s to 2-of-13 shooting. The Mountaineers showed some life with a 17-point fourth quarter against Quinnipiac’s reserves, but the outcome was long decided. Quinnipiac’s Anna Foley, a 6-3 forward from Andover, Massachusetts, filled the stat sheet with seven points, six rebounds and five assists. Mount Saint Mary’s was led by Kennerly’s nine points, while Erin Edmonds added six points and four rebounds. The Bobcats finished the game shooting 38.8 percent from the field and 35.5 percent from three-point range. Mount Saint Mary’s shot 29.3 percent overall. Quinnipiac’s defense also registered seven steals and limited the Mountaineers to just nine assists on 17 made baskets. Quinnipiac will look to continue its conference success when it hosts Sacred Heart on Saturday. Mount Saint Mary’s travels to face Saint Peter’s on the same day. The two teams are scheduled for a rematch in Hamden, Connecticut, on Jan. 22.

BOBCATS, MOUNTAINEERS SET FOR METRO ATLANTIC ATHLETIC CONFERENCE CLASH EMMITSBURG, Md. (Interstat) — A surging Quinnipiac women’s basketball team visits Knott Arena on Thursday to face Mount Saint Mary’s in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference matchup. The Bobcats (10-4) enter on a five-game winning streak, most recently defeating Rider 68-56 on the road Saturday. Quinnipiac has won those five conference games by an average margin of 25.2 points. The Mountaineers (6-7) look to rebound after a 69-59 loss at Siena on Jan. 1, which snapped a three-game winning streak. Quinnipiac’s attack is powered by forward Anna Foley, who is averaging 12.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. She scored 14 points with six rebounds and three assists in the win at Rider. In a Dec. 19 victory over Manhattan, Foley posted 18 points, eight rebounds, four assists and three blocks. Mount Saint Mary’s counters with guard Gabrielle Kennerly, its leading scorer. Kennerly averages 16.5 points per game in MAAC play, including a 30-point, seven-rebound performance in a win over Iona on Dec. 21. She scored 18 points in the loss to Siena. The Bobcats have dominated recent non-conference play, including a 76-49 road win over Boston College of the ACC on Dec. 3. Their defense has been stifling, holding opponents to 52.1 points per game during their current win streak. Mount Saint Mary’s has shown resilience at home, boasting a 5-1 record at Knott Arena this season. Their lone home loss was a 92-44 defeat to then-Maryland on Dec. 3. Thursday’s contest is the first of two regular-season meetings between the teams. They will play again in Hamden, Connecticut, on Jan. 22. Quinnipiac’s next game is at home against Sacred Heart on Saturday. Mount Saint Mary’s travels to face Saint Peter’s on Saturday.