Preview: Mount Saint Mary’s at Quinnipiac Women’s Basketball

HAMDEN, Conn. (Interstat) — The Quinnipiac Bobcats, riding high near the top of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, will host the Mount Saint Mary’s Mountaineers in a women’s basketball rematch Thursday night at TD Bank Sports Center.

Quinnipiac (14-4 overall) has won seven consecutive games, including a decisive 70-44 victory at Mount Saint Mary’s just two weeks ago on Jan. 8. The Bobcats are coming off a 75-61 road win at Merrimack on Monday, where Sydney Ryan posted 14 points and eight rebounds. Ryan has been a consistent force, averaging a near double-double of 10.1 points and 7.0 rebounds over her last seven contests.

Mount Saint Mary’s (9-9) has shown resilience, winning two of its last three games to reach .500. The Mountaineers defeated Niagara 62-49 on Monday, led by 14 points from guard Giana Hoddinott. Hoddinott is averaging 12.0 points over her last three outings, a significant uptick for a player held to just two points in the previous meeting with Quinnipiac.

The Bobcats’ defense has been stifling during their win streak, holding opponents to an average of 50.1 points per game. They dominated the paint in the first matchup, outrebounding the Mountaineers 45-30.

For Mount Saint Mary’s to reverse the result, they will need a more efficient offensive performance after shooting just 27.3% from the field in the Jan. 8 loss. Contributions beyond Hoddinott will be critical; Alana Powell (13 points vs. Niagara) and Kayla Lindsey (eight points, six rebounds) are coming off strong performances.

The game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. tip-off. Quinnipiac will visit Manhattan on Saturday, while Mount Saint Mary’s will host Merrimack.