The top-seeded Quinnipiac women’s basketball team and No. 2 Fairfield, the two-time defending tournament champion, advanced with MAAC tournament quarterfinal wins Friday afternoon in Atlantic City.
Quinnpiac defeated No. 8 Manhattan, 59-43, to advance to Sunday’s semifinal game. The Bobcats will play the winner of Saturday’s quarterfinal between No. 4 Iona and No. 5 Siena, on Sunday at noon in the semifinal. Fairfield (26-4) beat No. 7 Sacred Heart, 69-53, on Friday afternoon in a quarterfinal and will face the winner of Saturday’s 2:30 p.m. game between Merrimack and Mt. St. Mary’s on Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
Ella O’Donnell and Jackie Grisdale, both first-team all-conference players, scored 14 points and 12 points, respectively, for Quinnipiac. Anna Foley added 10 rebounds, nine points and four assists. Quinnipiac is on a four-game win streak. The Bobcats’ last loss was to Fairfield on Feb. 14.
Fairfield was led by Kaety L’Amoreaux (21 points, six rebounds) and Meghan Anderson (16 points, four of her team’s eight blocks, four rebounds). Cyanne Coe added 10 points for the Stags.
Sacred Heart (13-18) was led by Emma Kirby’s 15 points. The Pioneers outrebounded Fairfield, 42-27 but had 19 turnovers.