ATLANTIC CITY, NJ (Mar. 6, 2026) – The 2026 Air Force Reserve Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Women’s Basketball Championship at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall continued Friday afternoon with the quarterfinal round. No. 1 Quinnipiac University and No. 2 Fairfield University picked up wins and advance to the semifinal round on Sunday.
No. 1 Quinnipiac – 59 | No. 8 Manhattan – 43
Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall | ATLANTIC CITY, NJ
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Second half spurt leads to a 59-43, Quinnipiac win over Manhattan in the quarterfinals. The first half was a low scoring affair that got started with a 9-4 run by Quinnipiac, only for Manhattan to respond by closing the quarter on a 7-1 run and the Jaspers taking the lead of 11-10 after one period. The second quarter was also neck and neck a defensive frame. The Bobcats had a massive quarter from Ella O’Donnell, who poured in 12 of the team’s 23 points in the half.
The Bobcats picked up the offensive pace in the third and fourth quarters while maintaining exceptional defense. Quinnipiac poured in 21 points in the third, to extend the lead to 44-36 and wrapped up the fourth with 15 points, compared to 16 and seven points for the Jaspers.
Quinnipiac Notes and Notables
- The Bobcats led for 33:27 minutes in the win, with their largest lead being 16 points.
- Quinnipiac’s Ella Ryan had a huge day, scoring 15 points, with nine rebounds, three assists, and a block.
- After scoring 12 points through two quarters, O’Donnell ended the game with 14 points.
- Scoring 12 points was Jackie Grisdale, who also had a team-high two blocks.
- Coming up just short of a double-double with nine points and 10 boards was Anna Foley.
- The Bobcat defense forced 18 turnovers, which was converted to 14 points.
- Quinnipiac scored 24 points in the paint, had nine bench points, and scored six second chance points.
- Quinnipiac returns to the semifinals for the second time in as many years and is making the league’s final four for the ninth overall time since 2014 when the Bobcats joined the MAAC.
- The Bobcats will take on the winner of No. 4 Iona/No. 5 Siena on Sunday, March 8 at 12:00 p.m. in the semifinal round.
Manhattan Notes and Notables
- The Manhattan duo of Brianna Davis and Colette Mulderig combined to score more than half the team’s points, logging 25 total.
- Davis was the Jaspers’ top scorer, going for 15 points.
- She added three rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
- Mulderig contributed 10 points, with five rebounds and two blocks.
- Agar Farres Garcia led the squad with a game-high 10 rebounds for the second straight postseason game.
- Manhattan finished with 22 points in the paint and eight fast break points.
No. 2 Fairfield – 69 | No. 7 Sacred Heart – 53
Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall | ATLANTIC CITY, NJ
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First quarter was a track meet as both teams jump out to a fast start. Fairfield, one of the nation’s best three-point shooting teams, converted on 3-of-6 threes (50%), but Sacred Heart matched the Stags energy, hitting 2-of-4 (50%) triples of their own. From the field in the quarter the Stags made 57.1 percent of their attempts (8-14) and the Pios hit on 50 percent of their shots (7-14), leading to a 20-18 score in favor of Fairfield. The Pioneers cooled down in the second, with the Stags limiting Sacred Heart to just six points.
The second half was all Fairfield. The Stags once again held the Pios under double digit scoring in the third, outscoring them 19-9. Through three, Fairfield was in complete control, leading 54-33. Sacred Heart outscored Fairfield 20-15 in the fourth, but the deficit was too much to overcome.
Fairfield Notes and Notables
- MAAC Player of the Year, Kaety L’Amoreaux poured in 21 points on 7-for-11 shooting from the field and 3-of-5 from deep.
- She also snagged six rebounds and handed out two assists.
- Meghan Andersen recorded 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting as well.
- Andersen was a force on the defensive end, swatting four shots additionally.
Cyanne Coe was the final Stag in double figures, finishing with 10 points.
- Fairfield’s stingy defense caused 19 turnovers.
- Fairfield held edges in points from turnovers (21-4) and fast break points (15-0).
- The Stags led for the majority of the meeting, controlling the lead for 37:08.
- Fairfield advances to the semifinals for the third straight season and for the fifth time in the past six years.
- The Stags will meet the winner of No. 3 Merrimack/No. 6 Mount St. Mary’s in the semifinal round on Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
Sacred Heart Notes and Notables
- All seven Sacred Heart players that checked into the game scored at least two points for the second straight postseason game.
- Emma Kirby was the leading scorer for the Pioneers, dropping 15 points and six rebounds.
- Amelia Wood followed with 11 points and six rebounds.
- Missy Nuku was the last of the Sacred Heart double digit scorers (10).
- Sacred Heart dominated the glass, outrebounding Fairfield (42-27).
- The Pioneers also scored 32 points in the paint and scored 16 bench points.
For all information regarding the 2026 Air Force Reserve MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships, please visit
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Air Force Reserve
The mission of the Air Force Reserve is to provide combat-ready forces to fly, fight, and win in air, space, and cyberspace, whenever and wherever needed. As a critical component of the United States Air Force, the Air Force Reserve supports global operations while remaining ready to respond to domestic emergencies and humanitarian efforts. It is responsible for organizing, training, and equipping Reserve Citizen Airmen to execute a wide range of missions that contribute to national defense and global security.
The Air Force Reserve offers part-time and full-time service options, enabling individuals to serve while maintaining civilian careers or pursuing higher education. Each year, the Reserve recruits thousands of enlisted and officer personnel across core specialties including Aviation, Maintenance, Intelligence, Cyber, Medical, Security Forces, and Logistics. This flexibility allows members to develop valuable skills, gain leadership experience, and serve their country with pride.
More information about Air Force Reserve careers and opportunities is available at:
https://www.airforce.com/ways-to-serve/air-force-reserve.
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 13 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is in its 45th year of competition during the 2025-26 academic year. Current conference members include: Canisius University, Fairfield University, Iona University, Manhattan University, Marist University, Merrimack College, Mount St. Mary’s University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Sacred Heart University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena University.
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